Given the scare we had a few weeks ago with Guru (thoughts and prayers still go out to him), it made me realize how often we take people for granted. Even with the passing of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, as hip hop fans and people that are part of the culture, we still don't fully appreciate the people that have helped pave the way. We have lost many along the way, but there are still plenty of people here that need to be applauded for their efforts and all that they brought to the table. The problem is, we often wait until after they are no longer with us to pay our formal respects. Well, we're going to change it up over here at Straight Outta Hip Hop. What I want to do, is celebrate those that are still here. Therefore, every month, we will take one artists, DJ, and/or pioneer, and give them just a little bit of praise for what they have done and accomplished. We're going to call this segment "Respect Due." It won't be anything long or drawn out (just a paragraph of two), but just something so that we can let them know how much we appreciate their talent; before it's too late. It will also give us a chance to get a little history lesson on some people (I don't know everything about every pioneer either, so it will allow me to do a little homework and learning myself). With that said, why don't we kick off "Respect Due" with the man that started it all: DJ Kool Herc.

Kool Herc (real name Clive Campbell), originally from Jamaica, is the man that we can all thank for starting this thing we called hip hop. The multi-billion dollar genre that we have before us today, was started by this many on 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx, NY. I am so fortunate that I got a chance to go visit there while I was out in New York this past summer (check the post out here if you haven't already). With just two turntables, Kool Herc would go back and forth between breaks on beats and have people dance to the breaks (b-boys and b-girls). Parties would be held on a regular basis, giving those in the neighborhood an outlet from all of the violence and negative influences going on around. After a while, other DJs picked up on it and hip hop was born.

It is said that Herc would be both the DJ and the MC at parties and, eventually, would also allow other MCs to get up in front of the crowd and say simple phrases in order to get the people excited. Back then, there were no slick rhymes and the MC wasn't the star; he was actually the sidekick to the DJ. All of what hip hop has today can be traced back to that project building on Sedgwick Ave. and DJ Kool Herc. So, to Kool Herc, we thank you for giving us the greatest and most powerful art form on the planet. Respect due.

For more information on DJ Kool Herc, you can just go to Google or Wikipedia and find out as much as you wish. This is just a very brief synopsis of how our culture came about. Make sure to leave any comments you have about Kool Herc or the post. Is there anybody you would like to see on "Respect Due?" Either comment or e-mail requests to straightouttahiphop@gmail.com.


Peace.