James Brown, Kung Fu movies and Run DMC don’t seem to share a common theme, yet one thing ties them all together: hip-hop.
Such diversity is exactly what hip-hop is all about.† It is not just music, but rather it’s a combination of DJs, B-boys and girls, MCs, graffiti artists and knowledge.† Hip-hop didn’t simply spring out of nowhere; roots can be seen all over. When hip-hop was fresh on the scene, artists found inspiration from James Brown, the rhythmic fighting in Kung Fu movies and even social dancing from as early as the 1920s. The culture of hip-hop is anything but uniform.
In the College’s new History of Hip-Hop class taught by Assistant Professor of History Shannon King, students will learn about the complex and interesting past of this diverse culture.† The genre started in the ’70s with the creativity and skill of a few individuals of Caribbean descent who moved to the Bronx at an early age.
DJ Kool Herc, one of these grandfathers of hip-hop, actually started the genre by DJing a party at a recreation center in order to get enough money to buy school clothes.† By mixing Caribbean themes from his Jamaican background and funk beats he gave hip-hop a jump-start into the party scene.
Soon after, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash became involved and pushed the style of music to the foreground of the Bronx, making sure everyone knew about this new trend. In a matter of only five or six years, hip-hop moved from block parties and small gatherings to artists selling records for serious money.
King also teaches his students about the founders of hip-hop culture. These originators spent all of their time building their music.† Many old-school artists are known for constructing turntables from scratch.
It soon become vital for DJs to learn tricks and become skilled on the turntables, as style became just as important as the music. B-boys and girls used their talents to battle other groups, which served as an alternative to the gang violence that so many teens were involved in.
Today we see that much of this history is lost, yet this is not necessarily bad.† Many hip-hop artists today simply plug in their computers and don’t think about those who paved the way, but this also makes it much easier for DJs to play multiple shows a night.
The effects of hip-hop as a cultural phenomenon today can be seen when looking at shows like MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. †Here, young break-dancers perform high intensity tricks for the pleasure of their audience, except again we see a loss of culture when we compare this new concept of dancing for show to the traditional, old-school idea of dancing face to face with your opponents.
Hip-hop started out consisting of DJs mixing beats on massive turn tables at block parties and then rapidly and dramatically changed into moguls like Kanye West singing money-making tracks in front of thousands.† In such a short period of time hip-hop culture grew in popularity due to its accessibility.† It is designed for the masses; if you have a pen, paper and a desire to create, you can become a member of the hip-hop community.
Through the years hip-hop culture has taken a huge leap into popular culture and can now be seen everywhere from commercials to clubs.† The ability to adapt to changing society has allowed it to remain a creative outlet for many.