Kool Herc, DJ (Clive Campbell)
1955- · Contribution: 1973-present
DJ & Father of Hip-Hop
Jamaican American DJ widely credited as the father of hip-hop; at a 1973 Bronx party he pioneered the 'breakbeat'—using two turntables to isolate and loop the danceable instrumental 'break' of a record—creating the musical and cultural foundation from which rap and hip-hop grew.
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1955
- Active since
- 1973
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- Invented the breakbeat1973 Bronx partyBirthplace of hip-hop
Impact on the world
Kool Herc's breakbeat innovation created the musical foundation from which rap, DJing, and breakdancing all grew. A single Bronx party seeded a global culture.
Sources
- Britannica (DJ Kool Herc)
3 more sources and references are available to members.
Related visionaries
Flash, Grandmaster (Joseph Saddler)
1958-
DJ turntablism techniques (scratching, breakbeat manipulation)
La Rock, Coke
1955-
Widely regarded as hip-hop's first MC; the vocalist who rhymed and shouted over DJ Kool Herc's breakbeats at the 1973 Bronx party now considered hip-hop's birthplace, establishing the role of the rapping master of ceremonies.
Jay-Z (Shawn Corey Carter)
1969-present
Became one of the most commercially successful and influential rappers in history, with 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and 25 Grammy Awards, the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and the first living solo hip-hop artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, while building a business empire that made him hip-hop's first billionaire
Robinson, Sylvia
1935-2011
Produced "Rapper's Delight" (1979), the first commercially successful rap single -- the first to reach the Billboard Hot 100 and to sell a million copies -- and "The Message" (1982); founded Sugar Hill Records and is known as the "Mother of Hip-Hop"