On August 11, 1973, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, in the west Bronx, New York City is where it all began. A back-to-school party thrown by Cindy Campbell in the recreation room of an apartment building exactly 50 years ago is considered to be the birthplace of hip hop. Cindy asked her older brother Clive, better known as DJ Kool Herc, to DJ the event and that is where it all took off.
DJ Kool Herc had been practising and refining his break-beat style for the better part of a year but his sister’s party on August 11 put him before his biggest crowd ever and with the most powerful sound system he’d ever worked. That evening he introduced the crowd to a new technique called The Merry-Go-Round . Herc used the record to focus on a short, heavily percussive part in it: the "break". Since this part of the record was the one where most people hit the dancefloor. Herc isolated the break and prolonged it by changing between two record players. With ‘The Merry-Go-Round,’ Herc turned a seconds-long moment into prolonged minutes of dancefloor action.
The technique he introduced that August evening was the blueprint for all future hip hop music, making Herc the genre’s universally recognized founder.
Since its emergence in the 1970s Hip Hop has conquered the world and even though it has been around since the 70s, the 1990s proved to be the decade when Hip Hop really began to shine.
Today, Hip Hop artists belong to the most successful music artists in the world and some managed to become especially commercially successful, selling hundreds of millions of records all around the world. Their music, styles, and fashions are popular all around the world.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop we want to honour a few Hip Hop legends.
Jay Z
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Shawn Corey Carter better known as Jay-Z, is one of the most successful and well-respected figures in the world of hip-hop. He has been central to the creative and commercial success of artists including Kanye West, Rihanna, and J. Cole. Known for his inventive wordplay and intellectual lyricism, his 14 number-one albums have earned him 23 Grammy Awards and over 100 million records sold worldwide. Jay-Z has been in the business for over 30 years now and shows that it’s possible to dream the American Dream and go on to live it.
2pac
It couldn’t be a Hip Hop legend list without this iconic West Coast superstar. Tupac is widely considered one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time. He is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide.
Releasing his first album in 1991, 2Pacalypse Now, Tupac had four albums, including the massive successes Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me. His lyrics and unapologetic delivery challenged social norms and captivated audiences worldwide. He became a central figure in the '90s gangsta rap scene and remains a symbol of resistance and unity. Sadly, in 1996 Tupac died during the prime of his life while his career was really starting to take off but his music and influence still impacts new generations of hip hop artists and fans to this day.
Eminem
With over 220 million records sold, Eminem is one the best-selling rappers and solo artists of all time. Growing up in Detroit, Eminem started his rap career at the age of 16. But it took almost a decade until Dr. Dre, a popular rapper and record producer, discovered Eminem and gave him his first recording contract. It was the starting point for a legendary Hip Hop career. Despite his many controversial lyrics, Eminem managed to establish hip hop in the mainstream. For his song ‘Lose Yourself’, which was the soundtrack to his famous movie ‘8 Mile’, Eminem in 2003 also became the first-ever Hip Hop artist to win an Oscar.
During hip-hop’s "golden age" in the 1980s and ’90s, a lot of female artists helped create hip-hop and the political-conscious lyricism that defined the genre.
Dana Elaine Owens - more well known as Queen Latifah, was one of them and one of the earliest female rappers in hip-hop. She is also one of the first female rap acts to win a Grammy in 1995 for her classic song U.N.I.T.Y. Latifah made a name for herself talking about issues in the lives of black women. Songs like “Ladies First” and “UNITY,” which discussed domestic violence, street harassment and disrespect of women in society made the New Jersey native a powerful voice for change.
Most people nowadays are probably more likely to recognize her name for her acting roles in movies such as Stranger Than Fiction, The Secret Life Of Bees, Set It Off, and many other films but she still was a massive influence and inspiration for current female hip hop artists.
The all-female hip-hop trio including the original members Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Pamela Greene (Latoya Hanson) was first formed in New York City and is still one of the most successful female hip-hop group to date. These women have often been called "The First Ladies of Rap and Hip Hop" due to their accomplishments for the 80's and early 90's. With songs such as “Push It,” “Do You Really Want Me,” “Let’s Talk About Sex,” and “Shoop,” Salt-N-Pepa were honest and outspoken about their desires and their sexuality, while at the same time demanding respect, preaching feminist values and speaking out against assault and discrimination. Salt-N-Pepa was also one of the first female rap acts to receive a Grammy for the song None Of Your Business in 1995.
Of course, these 5 are only a few examples of the many Hip Hop superstars and legends. Tell us in the comments which other hip hop artists you love <3
