Kool Like That
Before today, I had only heard the name, I had only seen the face, but never had I put the two together. He was the man, the myth, the legend. I, being born in 1984 captured the last of the essence Hip Hop had before it transitioned into what we see today. And there I sat…second row, middle seat, facing a stage not knowing what I was about to behold would ultimately change my life.
His mother, a nurse, moved to the United States from Jamaica in 1967 when he was about 12 years old. His father, a mechanic and a body builder. His name, Clive. But you don’t know Clive, you know him as Kool Herc. And don’t dare call him anything but. Where he got his start? Spinning records at his sister’s birthday party on August 11th 1975. What a great gift to your sister. Creating Hip Hop.
They made about 300 dollars that night in the Bronx by selling franks and soda; And by charging twenty-five cents admission for ladies, and fifty cents admission for gentlemen. There was only one rule: “DON’T START NO SHIT.”
The Rock-&-Roll Hall of Fame auditorium turned into a time machine as every member of the audience traveled back in time to 1970s Bronx. Herc began by sharing the difference between today’s Hip Hop and what he created: “I didn’t put the money on my back (i.e. clothes and jewelry); I put the money back into the sound system.” If that doesn’t speak to what Hip Hop is today, what does?
Herc went on to talk about the difference between real DJs and the DJs you hear in the club. “(Most DJs) don’t take chances. They play what’s on the radio, and that’s where the fights start.” A real DJs, he went on to comment, “Gets you up, gets you together, and gets you down.” Most never consider the responsibility of balance a DJ must take on.
As far as violence in Hip Hop is concerned, Herc had a lot to say. Primarily on the sagging pants, to the so called “gangstas”, and the consistent slaying of the artists. Herc explained that the sagging of pants was a statement of the prison mentality. Relaying that belts and shoe laces were forbidden so inmates wouldn’t hang themselves. And as far as “gangstas” are concerned, he stated that “people hang around gangstas, write about gangstas, but they’re not real gangstas.” He made the crowd realize that nobody in other music genres is being murdered. Herc was stabbed three times (he showed the crowd the wounds) in his side. When he spoke about all of the senseless slayings of Hip Hop entertainers, he used the analogy of a train wreck waiting to happen. “Instead of their “friends” supporting them and telling them to let the bullshit go, people want to see the train wreck.”
During the question and answer session, a 35 year old man stood up and questioned why there were more white people than black people at a Hip Hop festival. The first thing I thought of was that he should read Bakari Kitawana’s book: Why White Kids Love Hip Hop. But what can I say; I am not the innovator of this culture that has ultimately taken over the world. Herc’s answer was simple and to the point: “White people come out to have fun; we come out to fuck each other up. (White people) don’t want the element, they want the music.”
Kool Herc is a part of a clothing company named Sedgewick and Cedar. The main purpose of this company is “educating kids through fashion.” The name was coined from the two places Hip Hop originated; Sedgewick (the street of the apartment complex where Kool Herc and his family lived, and threw parties), and Cedar Park (where the first “park jam” took place).
The most beautiful part was that Herc and his entourage handed out these thirty dollar shirts to people in the audience (You know I got one). Yet another difference between the infancy stages of Hip Hop and now; its not about the money, its about educating and expressing. Many people can be found wearing this vintage chic garb including; Mos Def, and Jay-Z and even Russell Simmons and Kelly Osborne.
Kool Herc, also known as THE FATHER, concluded his time by blessing the audience with a demonstration on the turn tables (record players for the Hip Hop illiterate). He proceeded to take off the sunglasses he wore the whole night and put on his traditional eyeglasses. He took off his had that hid his dreadlocs that fell close to his waist and pulled them back with a Pan African wrist band.
Herc then took out a stack of 45s (if you don’t know what a 45 is, ask your mother, better yet, ask your grandmother). While preparing himself, Herc spoke of what made him different from other DJs. He was so awesome because he played the music that was not only new, but the music that the dancers wanted to hear.
The crucial component that Herc introduced to the world was the “Merry-Go-Round” which simply meant extending the break. The break is the part of the song that has no lyrics and is just the music. Most times the horn, stringed instruments, except the bass are eliminated also. It is the essential part of the song for dancers because the bass is increased and the drums stand out.
Herc played a mix of soul, funk, rock, and R&B blending records perfectly together, barely using headphones. Herc said “back in the day, they didn’t have headphones, so I had to know the record.” Herc played a song by Ray Charles that most had never heard before, then went on to play Kanye West’s “Gold Digger”. Herc then the crowd with a song by Inika Mosley which is the song that Damien Marley sampled for his hit “Welcome to Jamrock”.
Showing the Diasporaic power of Hip Hop Kool Herc concluded with a remix of “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash from Australia. As everyone chimes in with the lyrics, I look over to my left and see a little boy no older than 10 years old, singing the song right along with us. Giving hope to all that Hip Hop is not in vain, and that truly, as Herc said, “Music is food.”
© Eris Zion Venia Dyson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
