Hip-Hop's 50th: From the Rubble to the Rafters
Fifty years ago today in the Bronx, for just 25 cents (for ladies) or 50 cents (for fellas), local teenagers had a ticket to the party that would forever change music. DJ Kool Herc’s “Back To School Jam” is widely recognized as the party that birthed hip hop. From that point forward, Herc continued to throw parties that amassed larger and larger crowds inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.
The beginning of hip-hop came when youth saw their neighborhoods burned to the ground in the Bronx. With arsonists regularly cooperating with New York City landlords to burn down buildings for insurance money, youth in the city were anxious to find ways to escape their reality. Melle Mel talked about this in an interview with PBS. “We were in a place where we just needed an outlet, where we just needed something to make a day normal.”, he said. That same PBS article concludes that there is a striking correlation between the burning of buildings and critical moments in the creation of hip-hop. For example, the Back To School Jam was hosted in an area where up to 20% of housing units were lost to fires.
From the rubble, black and brown youth in the city created a subculture that encompassed art, fashion, and music. It was their renaissance. The material conditions they were in were a driving force in their music and created iconic works like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message.” This would inspire other hip-hop artists to make music discussing the things happening in their neighborhoods.
At the beginning of hip hop’s commercial success, rappers inspired by conscious rap like “The Message” were prominent. Artists like NWA, KRS-One, Public Enemy, and Ice T’s boldness bolstered them into success and made people critical of them. For people who were hip-hop fans at this time, it was hard to imagine that hip-hop would ever be where it is today. Hip-hop was constantly under scrutiny. Prominent activist C. DeLores Tucker declared war on gangsta rap music, and the FBI wrote a letter to Priority Records condemning the promotion of “Fuck Tha Police.” At that time, presidential candidates, academic institutions, and corporations benefiting from hip-hop’s popularity was unforeseeable.
This is history that cannot be lost or forgotten. As popular as hip hop is, many factors were working against this being our reality. It is important to remember that hip-hop is an act of resistance. African American people developing a subculture they can claim is revolutionary in itself. Still, it’s incredibly revolutionary when considering the conditions that birthed this genre.
Fifty years is a long time, but at the same time relatively short. Hip-hop is a living, breathing history document, and its founding fathers are still alive to tell the story of its beginnings. As fans of this genre, whether we are artists, writers, or consumers, we are fortunate to experience the fruit of 50 years of hard work. On that same token, we can put our hands on those who made this culture so fruitful and learn from their trials and tribulations. We must continue to tell the story of the genre's beginning while also revolutionizing it in a way that respects those who made this music what it is.
I am not a rapper! I don’t make hip-hop music, but I grew up in a household where this music was played before I could walk. Before I could even apprehend what I was listening to. I am who I am today because of hip-hop, and I feel forever indebted to it. And I also believe all consumers of it impact its legacy and should take that very seriously.
I think those who are not black should take this seriously, especially. Hip-hop is one of the few genres created by black people in America that has been protected and preserved. Preservation is an ongoing effort that cannot and should not be taken for granted. Hip-hop and its vast history are one of the reasons why I started this publication. One of my biggest fears is this history going undocumented, unheard, and erased. I always aim to aid in preserving the music that made me and so many others.
In honor of 50 years, I compiled a playlist of some of my favorite hip-hop songs. Some of these people are friends; most are just people I am constantly inspired by! My goal was to vastly represents the progression of hip-hop, and I hope you all enjoy it!
If you feel compelled please comment some of your favorite hip hop songs and share what 50 years of hip-hop means to you!