DJ Kool Herc is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of hip-hop music and culture. He was born Clive Campbell in Kingston, Jamaica in 1955, and moved with his family to the Bronx, New York in 1967.
In the early 1970s, Herc began organizing block parties in his neighborhood, where he would DJ using two turntables and a mixer. He developed a style of playing that involved looping the “breaks” or instrumental sections of funk and soul records, extending them by using two copies of the same record and using the mixer to switch back and forth between them. This technique, known as “the breakbeat,” would become a cornerstone of hip-hop music.
Herc’s parties became legendary, drawing crowds of young people from all over the Bronx. He also became known for his sound system, which consisted of large speakers and amplifiers that he had built himself. The sound system was so powerful that it could be heard from several blocks away.
Herc’s influence on hip-hop culture continued to grow throughout the 1970s, as he helped to popularize the breakbeat and inspired a new generation of DJs and MCs. He also became involved in organizing hip-hop events and competitions, which helped to bring together different communities and promote peace and unity.
Despite his significant contributions to hip-hop culture, Herc struggled to make a living as a DJ, and he eventually moved to Jamaica in the late 1970s. He continued to play music and influence hip-hop from afar, but he did not achieve the same level of recognition as some of his contemporaries.
In recent years, Herc’s contributions to hip-hop have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. He remains a revered figure in hip-hop culture, celebrated for his pioneering work as a DJ and his role in shaping the sound and style of the genre.
