Hip Hop Day 2023: Hip-Hop Day is observed on August 11 each year in the United States. Hip-hop has evolved from a street corner into one of the world’s most influential musical genres and cultural influences. Hip-hop, like any other style of music, has its origins in other genres, and its evolution was influenced by numerous artists. However, it can be argued that hip-hop was born on August 11, 1973, at a birthday party held in the recreation room of an apartment building in the west Bronx by D.J. Kool Herc, the genre’s founding father.
DAY’S HISTORY OF HIP HOP
Hip-Hop Day can be traced back to the Jamaican DJ Kool Herc, who is attributed with its creation. In the early 1970s, when he was a teenager in the Bronx, D.J. Kool Herc began spinning records at parties and between performances, where his father’s band performed. Herc frequently imitated Jamaican’selectors’ (D.J.) by ‘toasting’ (i.e. talking) over the tracks he played, but his historical significance is unrelated to rapping. The impact of Kool Herc on hip-hop has been more significant.
D.J. Kool Herc popularised the ‘breakbeat’ DJ style, which he acquired from Jamaican dub music. Kool Herc, on the other hand, would perform funk, soul, and other percussive-heavy genres. Using a pair of turntables, he would alternate between two renditions of the same song in order to extend the break. Kool Herc nicknamed this breakbeat juggling DJ technique “The Merry-Go-Round” This breakbeat turntablism had an immediate influence on the development of hip-hop music, lyricism, and breakdancing. The intermission section was also the most anticipated and danced-to portion of the song. Kool Herc referred to the individuals who danced to his music as B-Boys and B-Girls, which is an abbreviation for Break-Boys and Break-Girls.
By the summer of 1973, D.J. Kool Herc had been developing and refining his break-beat technique for over a year. On the 11th of August, however, he performed at his sister’s celebration in front of his largest audience to date, using the most potent sound system he had ever used. Six years before the term ‘hip-hop’ entered the common vernacular, the party’s success would ignite a grassroots musical revolution.
DAY OF HIP HOP ACTIVITIES
Contribute to a hip-hop music group
Attend hip-hop group performances and bring your peers as their new fans. Consider making a substantial financial contribution and assisting them with social media promotion.
Attend hip-hop dance classes.
If you enjoy dancing, consider enrolling in hip-hop dance classes as a means to commemorate the occasion. Contact a representative for information on joining a dance group.
Perform musical performances.
Are you interested in the history of hip-hop dance and the turntable as a musical instrument? Attend hip-hop performances to gain firsthand knowledge and a deeper understanding of the genre.
Hip Hop Day 2023: Facts
- Hip-hop did not become popular until the late 1970s and early 1980s.
- Modern hip-hop combines movements such as popping and locking with elements of jazz, tap, African dance, and even swing to create a studio style that is truly unique.
- Breakdance is based on improvisation, while hip-hop is choreographed extensively.
- If an artist desired membership in a particular group, he or she would use dance to contend for approval or recognition.
- The term was coined to characterise the sound of boot camp marching (hip/hop/hip-hop), which is subsequently incorporated into songs that gave the culture and genre their names.
Hip Hop Day 2023: Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | August 11 | Friday |
| 2024 | August 11 | Sunday |
| 2025 | August 11 | Monday |
| 2026 | August 11 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | August 11 | Wednesday |
