DJ Kool Herc
Clive Campbell was born on the 16th of April 1955 in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up surrounded by sound systems at neighborhood dance halls where DJs known as toasters spoke over music. His family moved to The Bronx in November 1967 when he was thirteen years old. They settled into an apartment building located at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Campbell attended Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School where his height and basketball skills earned him the nickname Hercules. After a fight with school bullies, members of the Five Percenters gang befriended him and introduced him to New York street culture. He joined a graffiti crew called the Ex-Vandals and adopted the name Kool Herc. He convinced his father to buy James Brown's record Sex Machine which became a rare possession among his friends.
Campbell developed a method that would become the foundation of hip hop music during 1973. He used two turntables connected to amplifiers and a Shure Vocal Master PA system. His first sound system played records like Jimmy Castor's It's Just Begun and Booker T. & the M.G.'s Melting Pot. At a party on the 11th of August 1973 hosted by his sister Cindy at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, he isolated the drum break from James Brown's Give It Up or Turnit a Loose. He switched between two copies of the same record to extend the short instrumental section into a five-minute loop. This technique was called The Merry-Go-Round because it involved switching back and forth without slack. The earliest known session included switching from Give It Up or Turnit a Loose to Bongo Rock by the Incredible Bongo Band. He then moved to The Mexican by Babe Ruth using a third record. Campbell punctuated the music with phrases like Rock on my mellow and You don't stop.
Campbell coined the terms b-boy and b-girl to describe dancers who performed to his breaks. Breaking meant getting excited or causing a disturbance in street slang. Early dancers formed circles while others watched from the outside. A dancer might touch their toes hop kick out a leg or spin around on all fours. By the early 1980s media began calling this style breakdance. The New York Times described it as an art form demanding as much invention as ballet or jazz. Participants identified themselves as b-boys even when the term extended beyond specific dance connections. Campbell's parties replaced gang violence with a new cultural movement. His sister Cindy promoted events with flyers and styled his clothes for performances. The community gathered at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue where they could hear the music and watch the dancing.
Grandmaster Flash began DJing in Campbell's style during 1975 after viewing him as a hero. By 1976 Flash and his MCs The Furious Five played to packed crowds at Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. Venue owners often sent hip hop back to clubs and high school gymnasiums due to nervousness about unruly young crowds. Afrika Bambaataa first heard Campbell in 1973 while he was a general in the Black Spades gang. Bambaataa obtained his own sound system in 1975 and converted followers into the non-violent Zulu Nation. Campbell used The Incredible Bongo Band's Apache as a break starting in 1975. It became known as the Bronx national anthem and remains in use today. Steven Hager wrote that street gangs disappeared from the Bronx almost as quickly as they arrived because something better had taken their place. That something eventually became called hip-hop.
Commercially released hip hop emerged with Sylvia Robinson's Sugarhill Gang recording Rapper's Delight in 1979. Grandmaster Flash recorded for Enjoy Records by the end of that year. Afrika Bambaataa began recording for Winley in 1980. Campbell's star faded during this period. He retreated from the scene after being stabbed at the Executive Playhouse while trying to stop a fight. One of his venues burned down shortly afterward. By 1980 Campbell stopped DJing and worked in a record shop in South Bronx. His father died in the mid-1980s leading Campbell to become addicted to crack cocaine. He stated he could not cope so he started medicating himself. Campbell appeared in the film Beat Street in 1984 but did not maintain commercial momentum like his peers.
Campbell fought to keep 1520 Sedgwick Avenue as affordable housing starting in 2007. New York state officials declared it the birthplace of hip-hop in summer 2007. The city rejected a proposed sale in February 2008 because the price was inconsistent with Mitchell-Lama affordable housing status. This ruling marked the first time such a decision had been made. Campbell fell gravely ill in early 2011 without health insurance. He underwent surgery for kidney stones with a stent placed to relieve pressure. St. Barnabas Hospital requested a deposit for follow-up surgery due to missed visits. Campbell and his family established an official website describing his medical issues. They set up the DJ Kool Herc Fund to pioneer long-term healthcare solutions. Campbell recovered from surgery in April 2013 and moved into post-medical care. On the 3rd of November 2023 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Influence Award category.
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Common questions
When and where was DJ Kool Herc born?
Clive Campbell was born on the 16th of April 1955 in Kingston, Jamaica. He moved to The Bronx with his family in November 1967 when he was thirteen years old.
What party did DJ Kool Herc host that started hip hop music?
DJ Kool Herc hosted a party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on the 11th of August 1973. During this event he isolated drum breaks from James Brown's Give It Up or Turnit a Loose to create extended loops known as The Merry-Go-Round.
How did DJ Kool Herc influence dance culture in the early 1980s?
Campbell coined the terms b-boy and b-girl to describe dancers who performed to his breaks. Media began calling this style breakdance by the early 1980s while participants identified themselves as b-boys.
Why did DJ Kool Herc stop DJing during the late 1970s and 1980s?
Campbell stopped DJing by 1980 after being stabbed at the Executive Playhouse and retreating from the scene. His father died in the mid-1980s leading Campbell to become addicted to crack cocaine before he worked in a record shop in South Bronx.
When was DJ Kool Herc inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
On the 3rd of November 2023 DJ Kool Herc was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Influence Award category. He had previously fought to keep 1520 Sedgwick Avenue as affordable housing starting in 2007.