Early hip hop grew out of the culturally diverse and less wealthy communities in New York in the early 1970s. It provided an outlet reflecting the social and economic hardships of these struggling communities. A catalyst for the development of early hip hop was the increasing popularity of street parties, especially among African American communities in the Bronx, where DJs would play popular music styles. One of the earliest pioneers, DJ Kool Herc, massively influenced the sound of hip hop by extending the percussive breaks in popular funk and soul songs to create breakbeats. This was combined with MCing (otherwise known as rapping), and this fusion meant hip hop quickly rose to popularity. Early hip hop was also very influential through its development of DJing techniques.
- Henry Sheppard
- August 31, 2022
- 4:54 pm