History of Hip Hop

Music has been a constant in the lives of humans for all of time. The hip-hop movement is much younger, having started in the last hundred years, but it quickly gained popularity.

1925

Hip-hop's early inspirations

Decades before hip-hop would become a "thing", performer Earl Tucker created a new type of dance move. He used floats and slides to invent new dance moves, and these dances were the inspiration behind breakdancing.

1940

Big sounds gain popularity

With the advancement of technology, performer Thomas Wong used a speaker to create a booming sound. People loved the big sound, and Wong used it to gain followers.

1962

The Break Beat

A new hit show called Live At The Apollo aired on TV. James Brown's band introduced a new beat called Break Beat, and it quickly caught on.

1969

James Brown's band continues

James Brown continued his advancement of the hip-hop movement. He recorded two new edgy songs that used high drum influences and helped the audience of hip-hop grow.

1971

Aretha Franklin's music

Star singer Aretha Franklin joined the emerging hip-hop movement. She recorded the song "Rock Steady," and it quickly caught on.

1973

DJ Kool Herc emerges

A new disc jockey named Kool Herc began playing music for block parties. He had emigrated from Jamaica, and he quickly caught the eye of others in the music industry.

1974

Hip Hop is officially born

Kool Herc joined Grandmaster Caz, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Babaataa in the music business. Their particular brand of music earned the nickname "hip-hop."

1976

DJ battling

During a performance at the Bronx River Center, DJ Afrika Bambaataa went head to head with Disco King Mario. It became a "DJ battle", which is now a major part of the hip-hop culture.

1977

The Rock Steady crew is formed

A group of hip-hop DJ's came together to form the Rock Steady crew. They would become the authorities in the hip-hop area, and they were made up of JoJo, Jimmy Dee, Easy Mike, and P-Body.

1978

Rap music is identified

While hip-hop was just gaining momentum, a variance emerged. It was called rap music, and it would quickly gain popularity.

1979

The first rap bands

Several new groups formed with the creation of rap. Musician Kurtis Blow would be the first rapper signed to a major record label.

1980

Kurtis Blow on Soul Train

Rap music gained further momentum when one of their star musicians, Kurtis Blow, performed on Soul Train. Soul Train was aired on TV, and Kurtis was a hit.

1981

Rap music on NBC

A new group called The Funky 4 plus One More was invited to play for NBC's Saturday Night Live show. They perform their hit song "That's The Joint."

1984

Hip-hop skyrockets

Hip-hop labels organized their first national tour and raked in over 3 million dollars. The industry gained more popularity when Michael Jackson did the moonwalk at the Grammy's, spawning major fandom and later an MTV show.

1985

Hip-hop and rap continued creating music that soared off the charts.(1985-Present)

The artists were often plagued with violence and personal battles, but their music continues to inspire and entertain audiences today.