KEXP Streaming is made possible by Woodland Park Zoo, announcing the return of BECU ZooTunes for the summer season, featuring Devo and Japanese Breakfast. Proceeds benefit more than 25 local and global conservation projects. Ticket information and more at zoo.org slash zootunes. See concerts save animals. On August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Hurt and his sister Cindy do a back to school.
Kirk wanted to get people to dance longer, but was having trouble keeping the momentum going with the funk and soul records he was playing. Until he focused just on isolating and repeating the most danceable parts, or the break. This technique became the foundation for the genre. of hip-hop. But the culture, in all its aspects, stretches back to time immemorial. From the powerful sound systems of the Jamaican scene that Herc knew from his youth, to the West African oral tradition of Rio.
That 1973 back-to-school jam at 1520 Sedgwick represents a point and a continuum of brilliance that extends back to the continent, a mastery of expressive technologies, audio, linguistic, artistic. that has since touched every corner of our world and evolved into one of the most significant cultural forces today. Hip-hop has given marginalized people the microphone, changed how music is made, and become a multi-billion dollar industry.
2023 marks 50 years since Cool Herg's Back to School Jam. To celebrate this milestone, we're going to be focusing on a different year of hip-hop history each week. Expect personal reflections, iconic tracks and albums, and conversations around the genesis of the culture. Episodes drop weekly starting February 1st. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Larry Mizell Jr., and this is 50 Years of Hip Hop. I'm listener-powered KEXP.