Without starting too big a discussion about the subject from music buffs :D, I’d ask whether most believe the ‘inventor’ of hip hop in the 70’s to be Grandmaster Flash or DJ Kool Herc.
I can deduce the complications of saying ‘invented’ and ‘hip hop’ and so forth. Just a general idea of which, if you’re arm was twisted, a musician would pick out of these two and what the general community picks.
Or rather, Kool Dj Herc.
Kool DJ Herc is definitely the most oft cited creator of hip-hop DJing and using the breaks in records. That said, Grandmaster Flash is a major contributor and innovator in the style Kool Herc laid out. Herc gets his props.
Definitely Kool Herc out of those two, but I subscribe more to the “concensus” theory - there were several strains and many people that came together to form the genesis of hip hop.
I’m not going to pretend to know a whole lot about the origins of hip-hop, but (like any good source) I have a friend who knows a lot about it. He’s a professional music critic, specializing in hip-hop and the history thereof. I’ve had several conversations with him about hip-hop history (“hiphopstery”?), and he’s always said, without hesitation, that DJ Kool Herc was the originator. I’ll send him an e-mail and see what he says about Grandmaster Flash’s role in the genre’s development.
By the way, a few years ago he made me a series of about seven CDs chronicling what he considers the “important” history of hip-hop; it’s fantastic.
Kool Herc for defs. Also, Coke La Rock would be who i would consider the first MC.
If you ever get some free time this weekend, Jackelope, maybe you can post the list of songs from the seven cds your friend made, b/c I’m very interested in learning about the history of hip hop. So far all I know of is something like VH1’s list of 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists of All Time- but I haven’t looked enough yet.
I can’t name a single song half the groups on this list made. Most hip hop I’ve ever heard was radio hits 2000-2005 :rolleyes:
Omigod. I feel so old. How did the rap groups I grew up with end up on a VH-1 list??? VH-1 is for old people!!! AAaaAAaaaargh!!
I know at least two songs by every artist on that list. Hell, I know entire discographies of some artists on that list. I’m astounded some of them even made the list. Eve?? Arrested Development?? Gang Starr?? Heavy D?? Lil Kim?? (Wait – I’ll recant Miss Bee; I heard her last joint was good.) Where the fuck is Eazy E? Geto Boys? Mystikal? Digital Underground?? Where’s Luke Skyywalker and 2 Live Crew?? How did MC Hammer make the list and Ludacris didn’t?? (At least East Coast artists rep 4 of the top 5.)
And how the hell did Run-DMC top the list over Public Enemy? I’m betting that Jam Master Jay’s death and their duet with Aerosmith put them over the top! Booo! Hiss! Rock bias!