DJ Kool Herc

On this day in 1973, Jamaican-born Clive Campbell aka Kool Herc took his first deejay gig at his sister’s birthday party in the Bronx at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue.

Influenced by dancehall and reggae records back in Kingston, Herc introduced hip-hop’s signature breakbeat – the isolation and repetition of the instrumental climax in 70s funk tracks.  He noticed that audiences’ – especially dancers- favourite part of a record was when the vocals dropped and the beat just kept going.

Using his father’s massive sound system, the pioneering DJ spinned the same record on two turntables and played the break over and over by alternating between the two. This technique extended the rhythmic section, giving breakdancers the freedom to move for as long as they wanted.

One birthday party changed music and modern day culture forever.  Happy 37th !