Rap music originated as a cross-cultural product. Most of its important early practitioners-including Kool
Herc, D.J. Hollywood, and Afrika Bambaataa-were either first- or second-generation Americans of
Caribbean ancestry. Herc and Hollywood are both credited with introducing the Jamaican style of cutting
and mixing into the musical culture of the South Bronx. By most accounts Herc was the first DJ to buy two
copies of the same record for just a 15-second break (rhythmic instrumental segment) in the middle. By
mixing back and forth between the two copies he was able to double, triple, or indefinitely extend the
break. In so doing, Herc effectively deconstructed and reconstructed so-called found sound, using the
turntable as a musical instrument.
While he was cutting with two turntables, Herc would also perform with the microphone in Jamaican
toasting style-joking, boasting, and using myriad in-group references. Herc's musical parties eventually
gained notoriety......

Join Now to view the rest of this term paper!
Members: Login to view this research paper.

Title: Rap History
Approximate Word Count: 1366
Approximate Pages: 6 (250 words per double-spaced page)

With the Term Papers Lab Membership Pass, you get instant access to every essay on this site, including this essay on Rap History, for as long as you remain a member.

Other essays sites charge almost $100 for a single term paper. At Term Papers Lab, you can get instant access to over 100,000 research papers for as little as $29.95!