When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop

"When the Beat Was Born" introduces young readers to the fascinating origins of hip hop through the life of DJ Kool Herc, born Clive Campbell. The book chronicles his journey from Jamaica to the South Bronx, culminating in the legendary 1973 back-to-school party where he innovated by isolating and extending the "breaks" in records for dancers. It highlights how this musical invention not only gave birth to hip hop but also fostered community, even leading rival gangs to unite on the dance floor. This engaging biography is perfect for children aged 4-11, offering a rich historical and cultural narrative about creativity, innovation, and the power of music to bring people together.

Before there was hip hop, there was DJ Kool Herc. On a hot day at the end of summer in 1973 Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school party at a park in the South Bronx. Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks—the musical interludes between verses—longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, Laban Carrick Hill's book tells how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.