On August 11, 1973, a back to school jam hosted by Kool Herc in the rec room of the 1520 Sedgwick Avenue apartment building in The Bronx gave birth to something huge. This date and event mark what many views as the inception of Hip-Hop as we know it.

At that party on August 11th, DJ Kool Herc used a new technique he’d been working on to loop drum and percussion breaks on records. Extending the break by using 2 copies of the same record on separate turntables let the drum-heavy instrumental sections of a song become a canvas for artistic experimentation and expression. These blended loops formed a foundation for emcees and dancers. On that night in 1973, the musical elements of Hip-Hop came together in a new way that hadn’t been seen before. The events of that night were a catalyst that would start the spread of Hip-Hop from parties in the Bronx and New York until it became a global phenomenon.