DJ Kool Herc was the earliest major figure to emerge from the mid-70’s Bronx, New York music scene that would eventually come to be known as Hip-Hop.
Born Clive Campbell in Kingston, Jamaica, Herc immigrated to New York City and was exposed at an early age to both American and Jamaican musical traditions.
Influenced by soul, rock, funk, reggae and dancehall, DJ Kool Herc staged parties that spawned a global youth culture, rooted in the African American experience.