While spinning records in the early 1970s, Clive Campbell (aka DJ Kool Herc) noticed a pattern. The idea was that dancers would always wait for the instrumental break in a song to show off their best moves. What if he found a way to keep the audience moving by separating segments called “breakbeats”?
On August 11, 1973, at a dance party in the Bronx, Campbell used a mixer and two turntables to seamlessly overlap one breakbeat after another. Dance floors went wild, and hip-hop was born, genre historians say.
On August 11 of this year, the 50th anniversary of that day in music history, the Cornell Hip Hop Collection will unveil an exhibit entitled “It's Just Begun: Celebrated 50 Years of the Hip Hop DJ” in the Cornell University Library's Rare and Manuscript Rotunda. start. collection. Located in the lower level of the Carl A. Kloch Library.
“DJs have been called the 'backbone' of hip-hop culture,” says Ben Ortiz, a collections specialist at the Cornell Hip-Hop Collection and a professional DJ. “Through these archival materials, the hip-hop community can celebrate and reflect on how far we have come, and the public can learn more about our art form and history.”
Highlights include albums by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Eric B. and Rakim, and De La Soul; Includes several gold and platinum records from the archives. Other highlights include DJ Cool's Polaroid photos from his Herc collection.
“Kool Herc's photographs offer a rare glimpse into hip-hop's grassroots generation, some of which were taken before the record industry released the first rap records,” said Ernest. -Katherine Regan, L. Stern Rare Books and Manuscripts Curator.
“Preserving materials from this era has been a goal of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection for the past 16 years, and this exhibit helps shed light on where hip hop music, art, and culture came from.” ” she said.
“It's Just Begun” runs until March 1, 2024. To continue the DJ's celebration, the Cornell Hip Hop Collection is planning an event with musical guests for his November as well. Details are still being finalized.
Jose Beduya is a staff writer, editor, and social media coordinator at Cornell University Libraries.
