August 11, 1973, is considered the birth of hip-hop. On this day, DJ Kool Herc a.d A “back-to-school jam” in his apartment building, located at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx. Herc was setting the mood from behind two turntables, mixing the songs, when his friend took the microphone and began rhyming the recordings.
This changed the game.
Fast forward to today, hip hop has grown into a global force. In 2017, it overtook rock as the most popular music genre in the United States, according to Nielsen Music reporting. Now, as the genre turns 50, help hip-hop legends, fans, and more celebrate the achievement in music. Here’s why.
Hip hop is everywhere
“To look for hip-hop in the charts these days—to look for it in film, fashion, and the visual arts—is to find it practically everywhere. The most important avant-garde art form of our time, hip-hop began as — and to some extent remains — a product of the street, Anyone can access it, even as it has grown into a global industry that now makes billions.” Los Angeles Times
Not everyone thought it was built to last
“Looking back at the time we got engaged, it was supposed to be a fad,” says rapper Ice-T, 65, with a laugh. “It’s a huge milestone. They said hip-hop wasn’t going to last, but we knew it was a culture, just like an era.” Rock music. It was a moment in time when new music was born. Now, I’d say hip-hop has gray hair. When you meet someone who says, “I grew up rap,” they could be in their 60s, they could be in their 70s You can meet a lady who looks like my grandmother, and say, ‘I used to dance.’ “- the people
There are deep bruises and cuts
Rapper’s Delight will always be the song that introduced hip-hop to the masses. The classic Sugarhill Gang with its quirky opening—”I said hip, hip, hippie, hippie to hip-hop—don’t stop rocking”—and its pulsating heart-beat line was fresh in 1979 and deserves its place as one of the most revered specimens in the then-burgeoning genre. . Since then, hip-hop has spawned a plethora of subgenres – gangsta rap, crank, and snare among them. —USA Today
Her origins have been documented on the big screen
Wild style Not a documentary. It has a loose plot, following Bronx teen and famous graffiti artist Raymond, aka Zorro (famous graffiti artist in real life Quiñones), running around town as he deals with rival artists, mixes it up with rap jams and meets a journalist (Patti Astor) who introduces him to the world of Art in the city center. The story is a microcosm of hip-hop, moving from predominantly black and Latino high school gyms and block parties in the South Bronx to the hip, largely white galleries of the Lower East Side before eventually becoming commercial.[Director Charlie]Ahern shot it like a feature-documentary hybrid. Parties, clubs and fights were real. And there was no script.” – Yahoo Entertainment
more than one way
From Biggie Smalls to Bugs Bunny, hip-hop has left an indelible mark on Hollywood. The cultural phenomenon, which turns 50 this month, has scored some of the most beloved films of the past half century, from sports dramas (sunset parkAnd over the edge(for family movies)crowded placeAnd Black Panther(for the critically acclaimed classics)Do the right thingAnd Wild Style). The rapper’s life stories have also taken center stage in recent years, with a slew of biographies on the late Notorious BIG (Has bad reputation), 50 cents (Get rich or die trying’) and Roxanne Chant (ROksan Roxanne).” – USA Today
It is a form of protest
“Hip-hop was a response to the social and economic injustices of neglected neighborhoods, and a display of joy, creativity, and innovation despite a lack of wealth and resources. The music emanating from party DJ equipment might ask you to ‘move your feet,’ and, on the next set, tell them to ‘fight the power.’” Hip hop has been an integral part of social and racial justice movements. It has also been scrutinized by law enforcement and political groups for their belief that hip hop music and its artists encourage violent criminality.” – The Associated Press
its impact on sports
Today, basketball games have become a playground for the sounds of hip-hop—the unmistakable genre laced with rhythmic beats and vivid storytelling. Just as movie soundtracks help viewers follow the action of the narrative through every plot twist, hip-hop has done the same. With the NBA. Over the past five decades, the genre has injected lyrics, beats, and culture into the sports DNA. Now, as hip-hop reaches its 50th anniversary, the two are inextricably intertwined.” – NBC Sports
And in fashion
“Hip-hop’s roots were planted among black and brown working-class communities where army surplus stores and workwear offered items including camouflage, Dickie Dungarees, Carrarts, and Timberland. The artists reflected their community.” For me, it wasn’t like there was an artist leading the way. fashion. I think a lot of people forget that. Hip Hop is Culture,” Elena Romero, co-author Cool Fresh Fly: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Style, He says. We were all little kids. Many of us were reinterpreting the styles that were popular at the time and we were making our own. —USA Today
But there is still room for change
“While artists and hip-hop giants celebrate the 50th anniversary of a global multi-billion dollar industry this month, the birthplace of the movement remains the poorest section of New York City. The Bronx has yet to benefit in any way from the culture it created. At the time of hip-hop’s inception, it had The Bronx has the highest poverty rate not only in New York City, but out of all 62 counties in the state of New York. Fifty years later, it has held the same status.” – The Associated Press