1973day.year
At the 1520 Sedgwick Avenue apartment building in The Bronx, New York, DJ Kool Herc hosts a house party widely considered to mark the birthplace of hip hop culture and music. DJ Kool Herc demonstrates a new technique of beat juggling and Coke La Rock performs a new style of vocal performance called rapping.
On August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc’s party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx is credited as the birthplace of hip hop music and culture.
Drawing on Jamaican sound system traditions, DJ Kool Herc introduced extended breakbeats by isolating percussion sections on twin turntables. At the 1520 Sedgwick Avenue apartment building, he showcased this technique, energizing dancers known as ‘breakers.’ Coke La Rock added vocal stylings that evolved into rapping, marking a new form of lyrical expression. This house party laid the foundations for MCing, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti as elements of hip hop culture. The event ignited a global movement that transformed music, fashion, and urban creativity.
1973
1520 Sedgwick Avenue
The Bronx
DJ Kool Herc
hip hop
beat juggling
Coke La Rock
rapping