The Importance Of Celebrating The 50th Hip Hop Anniversay
It's no secret that Hip Hop has taken over all generations, continents and cultures. Walking into a store, or simply walking down the street, are actions in which you are likely to hear a Hip Hop song. Everyone can identify the sound of this genre and even its movement in dance. But why is it so important to celebrate this culture?
Although today everyone recognizes it, it was once somewhat unknown. Something that only the marginalized Afro and Latino community in the Bronx started, and not even they knew or understood that they were about to create history. You may have heard of the famous party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave, where the now legendary DJ Kool Herc made history and celebrated what we know today as the first Hip Hop party. But, in reality, that wasn't the first party; there were many more before that. People from the Bronx gathered in houses and on the street and danced different styles today we know as Locking, Popping, House or Breakdance. Although they did not yet have a name, it was a phenomenon that was already happening in the streets.
'I had no idea we would have such kind of impact. We were just kids having fun - Anthony G. ' Holly Rock' Horne.
And so this game became a culture. However, although we are all familiar in some way with this movement, what do we really know about it?
Perhaps because it comes from a marginal society or perhaps because it is relatively new, but Hip Hop has a lack of information and legacy in libraries and schools around the world. It is hard to find a book on the history of Hip Hop. It is difficult to know about the lives of the pioneers or even their names. Imagine you created something revolutionary, and no one knows you created it, how would that make you feel? The worst is that even the new generations continuing this movement don't know the roots and origins.
Today marks 50 years since this culture officially began at that party where DJ Kool Herc changed the rules of the game in the DJ world. He saw how the "breaks" between songs had a dramatic impact on the energy level on the dance floor. Breaks are those pauses in the music. By playing the same record on both turntables and emphasising those ´breaks´, he developed the DJ Grandmaster Flash technique to another level and created the roots of Breakdance and Hip Hop music.
In these 50 years, this technique has continued in the music of thousands of rappers and world-renowned artists such as Tupac, Jay-Z, Michael Jackson, etc. Just as the dance has evolved today we can see Hip Hop steps in any music video or stage. Precisely because Hip Hop has been alive for five decades, with different generations and has expanded to all parts of the world, is why today and every day we must celebrate this culture and remember people like DJ Kool Herc, Cindy Campbell, Afrika Bambaataa, Anthony G. ¨Cholly Rock¨Horne, Grandmaster Flash, Coke La Rock, Buddha Stretch, Loose Joint, Rosie Lopez, Violeta Galagarza, Kim Holmes, Zone TDK... And those are just some of the fathers and mothers of this movement.
Little by little we are becoming more aware and telling the story of these pioneers. However, there is still a long way to go, and it is our responsibility as new generations to pay tribute to those who started it all. Sing, dance, graffiti, DJ... don't stop celebrating Hip Hop, today and always.
DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa.
