On August 11, 1973, D.J. Coolhurt and his sister Cindy, who were back to school jam in the Bronx.

Hurt wanted to get people to dance longer, but was having trouble keeping them momentum

going with the funk solo records he was playing, until he focused just on isolating and repeating

the most danceable parts or the breaks.

This technique became a foundation for the genre of hip-hop.

But the culture and all its aspects stretches back the time immemorial, from the powerful

sound systems of the Jamaican scene that Hurt knew from his youth to the West African

oral tradition of Korea.

At 1973, back to school jam at 1520 Sedgwick represents a point in 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 to date.

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 Coolhurt'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 Myself, Jr., and this is 50 years of hip-hop from Listener Power, K-E-X-P.

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