This summer marks a vital anniversary in the history of American music. Fifty years ago, on Aug. 11, 1973, a Jamaican-born DJ named Kool Herc helped his sister throw a back-to-school party in the ...

Numerous books have been written about the origins of hip-hop and its evolution from an underground phenomenon to a global force. While its growth since the 1990s had been well-documented, here are ...

As it celebrates its 50th birthday, we are mapping hip-hop's story on a local level, with more than a dozen city-specific histories of the music and culture. Click here to see the entire list. If you ...

A few years ago, back in time; some kids thought up some MC rhymes. Actually, it was just about 50 years ago that Clive Campbell, aka DJ Kool Herc, and his sister Cindy threw a party in the recreation ...

“The Culture” began on street corners in the Bronx during the 1970s. That street culture, Black culture, expanded to encompass the culture of cities–urban culture. Having taken over cities, “the ...

That was 50 years ago today. Though hip-hop’s oft-repeated origin story historically prioritizes the gift of poetics, we forget that rap’s storm of funk got the people going. From DJ Kool Herc’s ...

Editor's note: This segment was rebroadcast on Dec. 25, 2023. Click here for that audio. In the years since hip-hop originated in New York, many other cities have fueled its global success. Memphis, ...

As it celebrates its 50th birthday, we are mapping hip-hop's story on a local level, with more than a dozen city-specific histories of the music and culture. Click here to see the entire list. In the ...

Hip-hop continues to diversify into new subgenres that push the boundaries of rhythm, poetry and self-expression. With hip-hop celebrating its 50th anniversary this month, we look at some of the ...

The second in a series of Retropolis stories looking back at moments in hip-hop history during the week of the music genre’s 50th anniversary. In 1979, the Billboard charts were awash in disco grooves ...