History of Hip-Hop

Kurtis Blow

Managed by Russell Simmons, he the first rapper to sign with a major label. He recorded "Christmas Rappin" on Mercury Records.

South Bronx

Also referred to as "the Boogie Down," considered by most to be the birthplace of Hip Hop music and culture

Grandmaster Flash

Inventor of mixing, connecting two different songs through short bits

Kool Herc

Known as the father of hip-hop, Herc was the first to experiment with breakbeats, manipulating the instrumental breaks of old funk, R&B and soul tracks to form the basis of hip-hop.

Kid Frost

1990s Mexican-American rapper strongly identified with street stories in Los Angeles. One of the earliest Chicano rappers who told stories of Chicano experiences in songs such as "La Raza" and "Ain't No Sunshine."

Native Tongues

1990s hip hop movement characterized by Afrocentric thought and a satirical view on popular rap. Includes artists such as Queen Latifah, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep, Jungle Brothers, and MC Lyte.

Freestyle

Act of rapping via improvisation; originally a tradition on NYC street corners, usually in the context of a "battle"

C. Dolores Tucker

African American politician and veteran of the Civil Rights Movement who took a hard public stance against Gangster rap, citing its tendency to glorify violence, sexism, and misogyny, and calling for a censorship of gangster rap

Rock Steady Crew

Bronx b-boys JoJo and Jimmy D's New York break dancing team, founded in 1977

Ice Cube

Co-founder of NWA whose samples include rhythm and blues riffs, as in "It Was A Good Day."

KRS-One

Considered a founder of gangster rap, formerly homeless youth who, along with Scott LaRock and BoogieDown Productions rapped 'street stories,' drawing attention to crime, violence and incarceration, especially with the song "Hold."

Grand Wizard Theodore

DJ who accidentally invented "scratching," or nudging a record under the needle during breaks in songs

Tupac Shakur

Death Row Records' most lucrative signing, son of a Black Panther who began his career with Digital Underground. He developed a cult following that continued after his 1996 murder.

Orishas

First Latino hip hop group to go platinum, originating in Cuba and blending the sounds of Afro-Caribbean music with Reggae, rap, and ska

Coke La Rock and Clark Kent

First MC team, founded in 1975

"Gigolo Rap"

First West Coast rap record, recorded by Captain Rapp and Disco Daddy

Roxanne Shanté

First prominent and commercially successful woman rapper, recorded a response to UTFO's "Roxanne, Raoxanne" at the age of 14

Afrika Bambataa

Founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, a socially conscious collective of DJs, graffiti artists and breakdancers that included the b-boy crew the Shaka Zulu Kings. He defined the "four elements" of the nascent hip-hop scene as DJing, breakdancing, graffiti art and MCing.

MC Solaar

French rapper from the Sirgy, a working-class neighborhood in Paris identified with poverty and strife

Gangsta

Genre of rap founded in part by NWA, KRS-One, and Kool G Rap which highlighted street violence, gang activity, and anger towards law enforcement

Dirty South

Genre of rap that centers on southern party music. characterized by innovative vocal delivery, multiple MCs, and tailored to dance

Graffiti

Name for street art which occupied a significant role, often making social, political, or cultural commentary. This first appeared in New York City subways in 1973.

Frank Waln

Native American (Lakota) rapper also known as Oyate Teca Obmani (Walks With Young People) who left Creighton's pre-med program to pursue music to empower Native American people. He has been an outspoken critic of the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines.

street art, breakdancing, DJing, rap, and fashion

Pillars of Hip Hop, these represent the entirety of Hip Hop culture

A Tribe Called Quest

Pioneering performers within the Native Tongues movement; poked fun and self-congratulatory gangster genre of rap

Sugar Hill Gang

Recorded the first commercial rap recording, "Rapper's Delight." Written by Grandmaster Caz and featuring a sample from the disco act Chic, it exposes many Americans to hip-hop for the first time.

"Backpack Rap"

Somewhat derisive nickname given to conscious rap, a genre identified by intellectual ideas, vocal delivery in more of the spoken word tradition, and middle-class college students. Also called "Nerd Rap."

Last Poets

Spoken word collective that released its first album in 1970, featuring the controversial "Run ******" which highlighted the exploitation and violence that African American people were historically subjected to