Who Invented Hip Hop?

Clive Campbell, better known as DJ Kool Herc, soundtracked his sister Cindy Campbell’s back-to-school party in the Bronx on 11th August, 1973 - and in doing so, laid down the musical tropes that would become known as hip hop.

With his ‘Herculoids’ sound system, Campbell pioneered speaking over records in a Jamaican style; switching between two tracks on the decks, in a process he called the "merry-go-round"; and extending the drum breaks of songs, creating continuous beats that kept the crowd dancing.

This episode first aired in 2024

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

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