| Many wonder where it all began. Whether they're fans | | | | seventies, people started releasing what eventually |
| or just part-time admirers that find curiosity about hip | | | | came to be known as some of the first hip hop and |
| hop and rap within them, the answer will inevitably be | | | | rap works ever. They used to simply rap to the beats, |
| the same. Believe it or not, it all started at the dawn of | | | | instead of singing, and Kurtis Blow, or the Sugar Hill |
| the seventies. Long before anyone ever made a hip | | | | Gang were among the pioneers. The same Herc was |
| hop mixtape (because there wasn't anything to make | | | | also responsible for a practice that could also be |
| it with, for that matter), a fairly known Jamaican DJ | | | | considered the precursor of modern turntables, and |
| moved to New York. Thus, he brought to this area the | | | | this also derives from funk music (as many elements |
| otherwise well established Jamaican (sometimes | | | | of hip hop and rap, for that matter). In order to have |
| dancehall or reggae-associated) practice of toasting. | | | | night long dance parties, they used to take the most |
| Toasting doesn't have much to do with drinks in this | | | | danceable part from funk songs (when used for studio |
| case, except perhaps that it also happens at usually | | | | tracks, this later came to be known as sampling, a |
| large parties. It means that the person with the | | | | widely controversial practice) and repeat it over and |
| microphone speaks or chants over the existing record, | | | | over again. This was usually the most prominent and |
| which could've been reggae, dancehall, disco, funk, or | | | | easily recognizable part of the song as well, namely |
| of another type. This guy was known as Kool Herc | | | | the drum part. A hip hop mixtape was often the result |
| and he used to hold such parties in the Bronx - this | | | | of such parties. |
| may explain the way hip hop and rap are known to | | | | Those who are responsible for making the hip hop |
| have originated here. He would sometimes improvise | | | | mixtape popular are Africa Bambaataa and the |
| poetry over the records, and as these parties became | | | | Soulsonic Force, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious |
| more and more popular, he and other DJs began | | | | Five and other artists including the same Kool Herc. |
| holding them on basketball courts. They got power for | | | | They would give away or sell a hip hop mixtape of |
| the equipment by plugging into the power lines at the | | | | their club performances, and the songs continued |
| courts. | | | | without interruption. |
| Extremely quickly, this practice spread. By the late | | | | |