Historical Foundations of Hip Hop

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, figures, and concepts from the historical foundations of hip-hop culture, its origins in the Bronx, and its building blocks.

1520 Sedgwick Avenue

Location in the Bronx, New York City, considered by many to be the birthplace of hip-hop.

August 11, 1973

Date of the 'Back To School Jam' hosted by Kool Herc, a foundational event in hip-hop history.

White Flight

A phenomenon in the 1950s and 1960s where largely white, middle-class populations left urban areas for the suburbs, leading to rapid demographic shifts in inner cities like the Bronx.

The Bronx

One of New York City's five boroughs, which became populated mainly by Blacks and Hispanics in the 1970s and was central to the emergence of hip-hop.

Cross Bronx Expressway

A construction project that, in the early 1970s, decimated several minority neighborhoods in its path, contributing to social and economic disruptions in the Bronx.

Urban Decay

A state characterized by higher crime and rising poverty rates in the South Bronx, amidst which young people created cultural expressions encompassing music, dance, visual art, and fashion.

DJs (Disc Jockeys)

Early hip-hop music makers who assembled their own sound systems and built extensive record collections to provide entertainment and create new music.

MCs (Master of Ceremonies)

Individuals in early hip-hop who rapped, drawing on influences such as Jamaican 'toasting', serving as vehicles for social commentary.

Jamaican 'Toasting' (Influence)

A style of lyrical chanting over a beat, brought to New York by the Caribbean immigrant community, which was a significant influence on early MCs.

Soundsystem

A person or team of people with a system of speakers and power amplifiers sufficient to broadcast albums in public, a tradition originating in the Caribbean.

Toasting (Hip Hop Terminology)

The practice of musical, rap-like talking over an existing musical track, pioneered by Caribbean DJs at 'sound system' dances, evolving into a performance art.

Selector (Caribbean Soundsystem Terminology)

In Caribbean sound systems, the person who plays the records.

DJ (U.S. Soundsystem Terminology)

In U.S. terminology for sound systems, the person who plays the records.

MC (U.S. Soundsystem Terminology)

In U.S. terminology for sound systems, the person who uses the microphone.

Dub

A remix of a recording in which the original vocal track has been partially or completely omitted, originating in late 1960s Jamaica to feature DJ 'toasting'.

Break

An instrumental passage in funk and soul recordings where lead instruments and vocals stop, 'breaking down' to just drums and bass or just drums.

DJ Kool Herc (Clive Campbell)

Jamaican-born pioneer DJ who popularized the extended 'breakbeat' in New York City by toggling between two copies of the same record on different turntables.

Breakbeat

An extended instrumental passage created by a DJ (like Kool Herc) by toggling between two copies of the same record on different turntables, providing rhythmic material for dancers and MCs.

Gil Scott-Heron

Artist known for his spoken-word performances and musical compositions, considered an important historical foundation and progenitor of hip-hop.

The Last Poets

A group known for their politically charged spoken-word poetry, recognized as a significant influence on early hip-hop's lyrical style and social commentary.

James Brown

A prominent funk and soul artist whose drum breaks and funky bass lines provided raw musical materials for early hip-hop DJs to sample and mix.

Afrika Bambaataa

Pioneer DJ and founder of the Zulu Nation, influential in shaping early hip-hop culture and its positive messages.

Zulu Nation

A cultural organization founded by Afrika Bambaataa, promoting hip-hop as a tool for peace, love, unity, and having fun.

Grandmaster Flash

Pioneer DJ known for his innovative scratching and mixing techniques, a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

The Furious Five

An influential early hip-hop group known for their lyrical prowess and social commentary, often performing with Grandmaster Flash.

Sylvia Robinson

Founder of Sugar Hill Records, instrumental in bringing hip-hop to a wider audience with the Sugar Hill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight'.

Sugar Hill Records

An early hip-hop record label founded by Sylvia Robinson, responsible for some of hip-hop's first commercially successful recordings.

Kurtis Blow

One of the first commercially successful hip-hop artists, known for his song 'The Breaks'.

Wild Style (1982 film)

An influential film that documented early hip-hop culture, showcasing graffiti art, breakdancing, and rap in the Bronx.

Dapper Dan

A legendary Harlem fashion designer known for creating custom-made, luxury streetwear looks for hip-hop artists and figures.

Run-D.M.C.

An influential hip-hop group known for their rock-influenced sound and commercial success, signees to Def Jam Records.

Russell Simmons

Co-founder of Def Jam Records, a major figure in the commercialization and expansion of hip-hop.

Rick Rubin

Co-founder of Def Jam Records, an influential producer known for his extensive work with hip-hop artists and beyond.

Def Jam

An iconic record label co-founded by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, pivotal in promoting many legendary hip-hop artists.

Ice-T

A prominent rapper and actor, known for his groundbreaking gangsta rap album 'Rhyme Pays'.

Q-Tip

A member of the Native Tongues collective and a lyrical MC from A Tribe Called Quest, known for his distinctive voice and introspective lyrics.

Native Tongues

A collective of hip-hop artists (including A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers) known for their positive, Afrocentric, and often jazz-influenced lyrical content.

Wu-Tang Clan

An influential hip-hop group from Staten Island known for their distinctive sound, lyrical prowess, and large ensemble.