Fifty years ago today in 1973 while DJing a back to school party in the park at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, living legend DJ Kool Herc helped birth a musical movement & culture which we all know today as Hip-Hop & it changed EVERYTHING! From the point on nothing was ever the same! Today the culture we all know & love is listened to & enjoyed in practically every corner of the globe. Becoming what is undoubtedly one of the must successful, influential music genres & social movements of all time! From the gritty drums & soulful samples of Boom Bap to the smooth bass lines of G-Funk, to the booming 808s of Miami Bass to the eclectic sounds of the Midwest, Hip-Hop has just about as many different flavors & styles as there are unique, funky individuals in the world, with a little bit of something for everybody.
For my own personal story I can honestly say that Hip-Hop not only made me who I am, it is an integral part of entire life. For me Hip-Hop was not only a way of self-expression as a kid and eventually a young man trying to find myself in a hectic and ridiculously complicated world. It was also my entry in politics, revolutionary organizing, and eventually journalism. Hip-Hop showed me that with a socially conscious message and a skillfully crafted art; music could be wielded as a weapon for us to use our voice to shed light on injustice, to mobilize our communities, and challenge a biased system that works on all cylinders, twenty-four hours a day to marginalize us. Hip-Hop is not just what you listen to. It’s how you walk, talk, paint, draw, eat, sleep, laugh, love and everything else in-between while interacting with the world. Real Hip-Hop is and will forever be my favorite art-form of all time. Period. I am forever in love and in debt to the culture which has taught and given me so much. So much knowledge, wisdom and priceless gems were dropped in records of the artists I looked up to and admire. Far too many for me to ever to ever list all here. The experiences and friendships that I have made because of Hip-Hop are forever ingrained, permanently inseparable from the countless fond memories I have made over the years. From DJing with my cousin Thomas, to diggin’ for records with the homies. T going to parties with my cousins, to picking up girls and just acting a fool in my youth. To becoming a journalist, networking with artists, organizing shows, and even helping put together a full album. Hip-Hop was ALWAYS there serving as the soundtrack to my life. From the highest highs to the lowest lows. From the soft tenderness of first love, to the bitter reality of heartbreak and loss. Hip-Hop was ALWAYS there.
Hip-Hop has been (and will forever be) the soundtrack to so many dear moments of my life. Today, I personally want to take this moment celebrate the culture and gives a salute to all the pioneers, innovators, icons and all other participants known and unknown. From the countless graffiti writers whose names the world will never know, to the illest DJs who made history but remain anonymous. For all the B-Boys and B-Girls who who mastered the art of breakin’. For the producers who pushed the musical limits and literally made something out of nothing. With beats, breaks, two turntables and microphone. And last but not least for all the emcees. Who for fifty years have regaled us listeners with stories, tales, and lessons that will forever stand the test of time. For all participants, known and unknown. Whether in the physical or now passed on into the spiritual. From the East coast, West Coast, third coast or no coast. For all those who contributed and helped make this beautiful art form what it is today, thank you! Happy birthday 50th Hip-Hop!!!!
And thank you to all of you reading this, for the past seven years we here at Step Off! Magazine have tried out best to inspire our readers to make a difference in this world through our shared love for Real Hip-Hop, thank you to all!!
Sincerely,
Roberto ‘Rob’ Camacho
Editor-In-Chief of Step Off! Magazine
Step Off! Magazine 