August 11, 1973Reputable sourceWell documented
The Birth of Hip-Hop
On the timeline · around August 11, 1973 · The Rock & Pop Era
What happened
At a back-to-school party in the Bronx on August 11, 1973, the DJ Kool Herc extended the drum 'breaks' of funk records by switching between two copies of the same song, giving dancers and rappers a continuous beat. From this grew hip-hop's four elements: DJing, MCing (rapping), breakdancing, and graffiti.
Why it matters
Hip-hop grew from a Bronx block party into the most influential musical culture of the past half-century, reshaping music, language, fashion, and art worldwide — and its use of turntables and, soon, samplers redefined how music is made.