In 1973, brother and sister Clive and Cindy Campbell hosted a back-to-school party. Clive, better known as DJ Kool Herc, provided the entertainment. During that party, he used a technique he invented, the Merry-Go-Round, in which he alternated between two turntables playing two copies of the same record. DJ Kool Herc had discovered that when DJing, the dancers in the audience enjoyed the drum breaks the most, so he’d play the break on one turntable and, when it reached its end, switch to the other turntable, which was cued up to the start of the same break.
Thus, hip-hop was born, though Clive would never go on to commercial success, instead sticking to block parties and other social gatherings. His influence, though, caused Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa to begin DJing in his style. The former released “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” in 1981, showcasing the evolution of the Merry-Go-Round. The latter released “Planet Rock” the same year. Along with artists such as Kurtis Blow, the Sugarhill Gang, and, later, Run DMC, LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and myriad others, these revolutionaries created a new, distinctly American style of music. Fast forward 50 years and we get another party, albeit a little late for back-to-school, hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris at her official residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
In her remarks on Sept. 9 celebrating the milestone, Harris recognized the nature of hip-hop, saying, “[Hip-hop] is the ultimate American art form. …
