This episode is the 2nd installment of my reflection on the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop.
Before Rap Records
1st, let me say, speaking in terms of historical consensus, Hip Hop was born in 1973 by KOOL HERC in the BRONX. Specifically - a back to school party in the rec room of the apartment building @ 1520 Sedgwick Avenue! But in this episode, I shine some light and give respect to some of the overlooked creators of hip-hop. The ones who were doing what Herc was doing, but get left out of the conversation.
Time Machine to 1973
Imagine we get in a time machine and go back to 1973 NY, a few weeks before the 1st Hip Hop party. We crash w/ some cool people in the Sedgwick building, they're related to and hang out w/ some of the young people in the building (High school + early 20 yr olds). They take us around to the best spots to get the feel of the place and catch the vibe, before school starts.
Remember - There were no rap records in 1973, but there were multiple KINGS of a new DJ style that young people in NYC were going crazy for at live james in the parks, auditoriums, and clubs that let underage people in (there were a lot of those in NY in'73). AND - it’s a different era - a time before MCs. When the DJs doing this style would usually do shout-outs, banter, hype up the crowd with chants like “Rock on!”, “To the beat, y’all,” or “You don’t stop.”
Back to the people we're hanging with. They're gonna check out a park jam thrown by DJ they call GRANDMASTER FLOWERS. We take the train to Brooklyn to see him play. We get off the train, hear the music bumping blocks away from the park, and we see a crowd of hundreds - maybe a thouand peple when we get there. And yo - Kool Herc at the front of the crowd! And the crowd is jamming and going crazy! Hundreds, maybe a thousand people in the park! "Who IS this?"
GRANDMASTER FLOWERS
Flowers (Jonathon Cameron Flowers) started DJing in the late 60s. His DJ style was so fresh that he opened for James Brown in 1968 @ Yankee Stadium!
Flowers was the 1st person who threw block parties and park jams in Brooklyn. He was the 1st person that MOST people in the hood saw DJing with 2 turntables! He was teh 1st person who brought out turntables and a sound system to the NY CARNIVAL - the Latin cultural celebration. And HE rocked it! He played disco, soul, funk, and oldies that even the parents danced to.
He gets overlooked because by the time Hip Hop was growing, his popularity was starting to fade. And he was from BROOKLYN, not the Bronx, so he gets overlooked.
But he was rocking the same format Herc did - before Herc did: 2 turntables and a mic, continuous mixing, sometimes talking rhythmically over the break beats + instrumental parts of the records.
GM Flowers was a hood famous phenomenon! He inspired a generation of DJs. He was the 1st GRAND MASTER, and directly Because of HIM - Hip Hop’s 1st wave had a lot of Grandmasters that followed (I see you GM Flash + GM Caz).
Listen to an early recording of GM Flowers HERE
- And here's some more Flowers that I could find:
*Honorable mention - Where did GM Flowers get this DJ format from? That would be underground disco in NY. The non-stop DJ music style, focused on the VIBE over the top club dance hits - was spiritually fathered by DJ DAVID MANCUSO. We can’t get into the backstory of disco here. That’s a whole other show. Just know they popularized rocking 2 turntables to keep the beat going. It was NOT mainstream back then.
So MUCH so - it was from THIS culture - the tastemaking DJs drove demand so much that in 1971 the Technics SL-1100 turntable + 1972 the Technics SL-1200 turntable was released. Direct drive, pitch controlled turntables that would be the MAIN TOOL of hip hop DJs. They are still used TODAY!
The next weekend we’re kickin it in the apartment w/ some of Herc’s friends. Someone pops in an 8 track tape they got from a hot upscale club in HARLEM! They paid $20 for it - in 1973!!! Got it right out the trunk from the DJ’s or sound man’s cadillac.
So why didn’t the person playing the 8 track go into the show? “The cover was too high, the crowd was too fancy, and people wearing street clothes weren’t even allowed in”. None of the kids they knew from the hood, not even kids from Herc’s crew were at the Hollywood show. Who is this?
DJ HOLLYWOOD
HOLLYWOOD had been DJing since 1971. Hollywood built on GRANDMASTER FLOWERS’ style and added on to it. He used the same black funk/disco DJ format of 2 turntables, a mixer, and a mic. Mastering a style of rhythmic call-response over the disco + uptempo funk breaks. He added the vocal element of crowd participation on top of the continuous mix. Hollywood coined A LOT OF HIP-HOP phrases - like “throw ya hands in the air and wave em like ya just don't care”
Where GM Flowers’ style was more accessible + relatable, Hollywood was more high-end, red velvet rope, VIP section style. He charged top dollar as a mobile club / music venue superstar DJ. He played for exclusive high-class crowds
This is why DJ Hollywood isn’t included in the discussion as a creator of hip-hop. Because HOLLYWOOD was the king of UPSCALE parties, and the Hip Hop creators we knew were too young to get in. And back then Hip Hop did NOT consider a scene where people dressed in name brand clothes, paid exclusive cover charges, drank champagne + top shelf cocktails, wore fancy jewelry and flaunted wealth. Or fronted like they lived that life of riches. It’s all perspective, back in the early 70s - 80s, That was DISCO.
A lot of the early bootleg recordings I could find are so bad quality they’re unlistenable, and I couldn’t find ANY from this early 70s period. But - out of respect to Hollywood, here’s a 1979 recording w/ him - it’s very BAD audio quality. But it captures his style, even if he is rappin in '79 way more than he would’ve in 71,72, or 73
Next weekend - the people in the building are all hype about a park jam coming up! There aren’t any tapes from this guy - you gotta be there. And they say you cant miss his jams!! So we follow the neighborhood kids to some other underground black funk DJs functions. Right around the corner - a few neighborhoods over, but still in the Bronx. It’s at the park by the Bronxdale projects. Everyone in the hood is excited to check out the legendary DISCO KING MARIO
We post up in the park and see Herc, and his crew too! Someone tells us they see other cats into this music style that they know: Flash, Kurtis Blow, Russel Simmons, Afrika Bambaataa
DISCO KING MARIO (early 70s BRONX DJ. Original Black Spades gang member)
MARIO is an interesting cat that also gets left out. Influenced more by GM FLOWERS than HOLLYWOOD - he loves playing music in public.
His style is funk, uptempo soul, james brown, and even oldies that the kids heard their parents jamming to. Mario didn’t rap, as far as I can tell his setup was just 2 turntables. He was more in the black underground disco DJ style. Only more variety in the genres played, and without the radio personality talking over records.
His crowd is the general public, his people in the projects, and young people who couldn't get in to a HOLLYWOOD event - and wouldn’t want to. Oh, AND growing up where he did in the Bronx, he’s gang affiliated and can go to ANY neighborhood, any project building, get venues other people couldn't, and he never had to worry about stick-up kids stealing his equipment.
AND - VERY IMPORTANTLY - MARIO did a “SUMMER OF MUSIC” event where he set up his sound system (2 turntables, speakers) and Mario played 21 days throughout the parks and venues in the BRONX in the summer of 1973! I couldn't find any audio, but there are some interviews on Youtube I'll link to later.
Kool Herc was seen at a lot of Mario's SUMMER OF MUSIC events. Kool Herc’s 1st hiphop party was a back-to-school jam in August. Immediately followed MARIO’S summer of music. And following the same style. Mario’s crew says HERC was BITING!
*side note - Around this time, Mario had a young kid hanging around - who a few yrs later grows to prominence. Afrika Bambaata was a young kid (16) who followed Mario around, carrying equipment, etc. A few yrs later - Bam joins the gang as a disciple of MARIO’S. Mario gave BAM his 1st gear + set up his 1st show + gave him the support + security. It was DISCO KING MARIO who put Afrika Bambaataa on!
KOOL HERC + THE HERCULOIDS
Back to 1520 Sedgwick Ave. August 1973, we make our way to the rec room for a weekend party to see the birth of hip hop. Kool Herc is the DJ that threw the 1st Hip Hop party. In 73, Herc is spinning and rhyming like Hollywood. With a rougher underground DJ sound - like a mix of GRAND MASTER FLOWERS and DISCO KING MARIO. Still - he rocks the crowd, with no rapping, no sratching.
There is no audio recording from that party in 1973. But here is audio (very low quality) of KOOL HERC and his crew - The HERCULOIDS. Keep in mind - this is from a late 70's era, after MCs started rhyming on the mic while the DJ spins. I'm including it so we can hear HERC's crew and how their style compares to the other DJs at the time.
After that August back to school party in 1973, Kool Herc blew up, throwingthe Biggest and best parties - his students and fans were grandmaster caz, GM flash, melle mel, Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, Russel Simmons. You get the idea.
Notable people in 1973
- DJ David Mancuso is 29 (Loft parties started in 1970 - kicking off underground disco)
- GM Flowers is 19
- DJ Hollywood is 19 (started DJing at 17 - 1971/72)
- Disco King Mario is 17 or 18
- Herc is 18
- GM Flash is 15
- GW THEODORE is 10
- Afrika Bambaataa is 16
- GM Caz is 13
- Kurtis Blow is 14
- Lovebug Starski is 13
- Busy Bee Starski is 11
- Kool Moe Dee is 11
- Marley Marl is 11
- Russel Simmons is 17
- Run -DMC aged 8-9
- LL Cool J is 5
- Rakim is 5
- Biggie is 1
- Tupac is 2
- Dr Dre is 8
- Schooly-D is 11
- Ice-T is 15
- KBOO