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Definition of Hip Hop: The term Hip hop is also used to describe a
cultural movement that sparked graffiti art as well as a music genre that bound
together components of hip-hop including breakdancing, rapping, MCing and
deejaying.
Fact File about the Invention of Hip Hop: Invention: Hip Hop *** Date of Invention: c. 1970 *** Name of Inventor: DJ Kool Herc *** Lifespan of Inventor: 1955 - Present *** Nationality of Inventor: Jamaican-American *** Historical Period: Technology and Information Age *** Category: Recreation *** Country of Origin: America *** Facts about the Inventor, DJ Kool Herc, and the invention of
Hip Hop ***
Fact 1: Who invented Hip Hop? Hip Hop music was inspired by DJ Kool Herc
c. 1970 during the Technology and Information Age of inventions.
Fact 2: Who invented Hip Hop? Prior to the invention of Hip Hop c. 1970,
there was Soul music that evolved into Funk. R&B (Rhythm and blues) was another
popular genre of African-American music as was Jamaican music forms, such
as Ska and Reggae.
Fact 3: Who invented Hip Hop? The tradition of toasting (or deejaying in
Jamaican terms), a cross between talking and rhythmic chanting, contributed to
the vocal origins of Hip Hop and Rap.
Fact 4: Who invented Hip Hop? The first DJ of hip hop, DJ Kool Herc, was
inspired by the Jamaican tradition of toasting which led to the development of
the music genre known as Hip Hop or Rap.
Fact 5: Who invented Hip Hop? The man who inspired Hip Hop, DJ Kool Herc,
was born Clive Campbell on April 16, 1955 in Kingston, Jamaica.
Fact 6: Who invented Hip Hop? The early years of Clive Campbell were spent in Kingston, Jamaica where he was raised by his family
who immigrated to the United States in 1967 when he was 12 years old. DJ Kool Herc was educated at Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School in the Bronx.
Fact 7: Who invented Hip Hop? He was a popular student and his muscular
physique earned him the name 'Hercules', which became shortened to his nickname
"Herc". He loved music and was influenced by his Jamaican heritage together with
Black American soul and funk music and built up a collection of vinyl records.
Fact 8: Who invented Hip Hop? His father father brought a new PA system
but did not know how to hook it up. Herc took over and then started using new
technology to produce new sound systems creating different sounds.
Fact 9: Who invented Hip Hop? Herc began to throw parties at his home in
Sedgwick Avenue in the building's rec room, and started charging 25 cents
entrance fee. He became known as DJ Kool Herc.
Fact 9: Who invented Hip Hop? Herc started experimenting with sounds and
began mixing R&B, soul and funk music with elements of reggae and ska to create
a new type of music. Due to popularity of 'Hip Hop' DJ Kool Herc then began
deejaying at clubs and parks.
Fact 10: Who invented Hip Hop? Herc extended the instrumental sections,
or 'breaks', by mixing between two identical copies of the same record on
different turntables - this became known as breakbeat. During the breaks a new
energetic type of dance emerged called "Break Dancing".
Fact 11: Who invented Hip Hop? Break Dancing was completely different
incorporating an acrobatic element with headstands, tumbling, jumping, hopping
and spinning. Many of the wild, improvised movements involved drops to the
ground and the athletic kids who performed Break Dancing were called b-boys or
b-girls.
Fact 12: Who invented Hip Hop? As DJ Kool Herc concentrated on producing
the music he began to pass his microphone to friends in the crowd who joined in
with improvised spoken or chanted lyrics which became known as rapping.
Fact 13: Who invented Hip Hop? As the popularity of Hip Hop music grew DJ Kool Herc
concentrated on his turntables and passed the increasing role of emceeing to his
friend Coke la Rock, who became known as the first hip-hop emcee.
Fact 14: Who invented Hip Hop? The sound systems grew increasingly louder
and the popularity of Hip Hop increased still further and began attracting the
attention of the media. The role of the emcee and deejay became nearly as
important as the music itself and other deejays such as Afrika Bambaataa and
Grandmaster Flash appeared on the Hip Hop scene.
Fact 15: Who invented Hip Hop? DJ Kool Herc reached his peak as the top
Hip Hop deejay in 1975 but after this time competing deejays began to take the
lead in the Hip Hop culture.
Fact 16: Who invented Hip Hop? In 1977, DJ Kool Herc was stabbed three
times at one of his own events and was forced to leave the Hi Hop scene as he
recovered from his wounds. At the same time he was struggling with drug
addiction and DJ Kool Herc began to fall into obscurity.
Fact 17: Who invented Hip Hop? Unlike his competitors he did not
commercialize his success nor did he make much money. By 1978 the music industry
heavily promoted "rap music" and at the same time shifted its focus toward
emcees. In 1979 the first rap hit by Sugarhill Gang’s called "Rapper's Delight"
reaching number 36 on the Billboard charts.
Fact 18: Who invented Hip Hop? Hip Hop had reached the mainstream and in
1984 Michael Jackson caused a sensation when performed a b-boy popping movement
called 'the moonwalk' to his "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25th Anniversary
special.
Fact 19: Who invented Hip Hop? The sound technique referred to as "beatboxing",
that mimicked the sound of early drum machines, and beatboxers became central to
hip hop music in the 1980's
Fact 20: Who invented Hip Hop? In the 1990's DJ Kool Herc began
collaborating with Hip Hop artists and made guest appearances with Terminator X
and The Chemical Brothers and in 2008 with Stanley Robinson the hip hop
recording artist known as Substantial.
Fact 21: Who invented Hip Hop? Hip Hop music saw the rise of many artists
who achieved world wide fame including Dr. Dre, Queen Latifah, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg,
Missy Elliott, Puff Daddy, Kanye West, Beyonce and Eminem. |
