21 GUN SALUTE to one of the founding fathers of Hip Hop on his born day! On this date in 1955, Clive Campbell, otherwise known as DJ Kool Herc was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up in the dancehalls and gained his wealth of knowledge (and records) in Kingston before moving to the South Bronx at age 12. Nicknamed “Hercules” at Alfred E. Smith Technical High School because of his height, frame, and demeanor on the basketball court and that’s where he began running with a graf crew known as the Ex Vandals and became Kool Herc.
Herc, along with Afrika Bambaataa founded, cultivated, and put Hip Hop on a world stage and turned a culture born in the worst poverty stricken area in America into a billion dollar industry that influences every aspect of global culture. In 1973, Kool Herc created what is known to the world as Hip Hop in the rec room of 1520 Sedgewick Avenue in the Bronx and this cultural phenomenon is still recognized as the birthplace of Hip Hop. This was made official by New York State officials in 2007. We salute you, Kool Herc, on your birthday and wish you many more in the future!
