August is a very busy month in music history:
- MTV was launched 43 years ago on August 1
- Coolio was born on this day 61 years ago on August 1
- Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott celebrated his 65th birthday on August 1
- Public Enemy‘s Chuck D. celebrated his 64th birthday on August 1
- Butch Vig celebrated his 69th birthday on August 1
- Echo and the Bunnymen‘s first dummer Pete de Freitas was born 63 years ago on August 2
- Metallica‘s James Hetfield celebrated his 61st birthday on August 3
- Collective Soul‘s frontman Ed Roland celebrated his 61st birthday on August 3
- The iconic Louis Armstrong was born 123 years ago on August 4
- Beastie Boys‘ MCA, a.k.a. Adan Yauch was born 60 years ago on August 5
- U2′s The Edge celebrated his 63rd birthday today on August 8
- The incomparable, ebullient and legendary Whitney Houston was born 61 years ago on August 9
- Mark Knopfler celebrated his 75th birthday on August 12
The past few days have been very busy. And somehow I forgot to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the birth of hip-hop. Hip-hop was born at a house party at 1520 Sedgewick Avenue DJ’ed by the pioneering Kool Herc. Since then, hip-hop has become of the most popular and influential genres of music in the entire world.
Much like jazz, the blues, rock ‘n’ roll and other genres and styles, hip-hop has transformed over the past 51 years — but it’s still rooted in emcee, DJ, breakdancing and graffiti. But when I think of hip-hop, I think of Run DMC blowing my mind as a young boy. I adored those brothers so very much. I even begged my folks for pair of Adidas. I think of walking the streets of Frankfurt and seeing breakdancers. I think of a club night at Amsterdam‘s The Sugar Factory, where the DJ’s were playing real, old school hip-hop. And of course, Francophone and Anglophone hip-hop at Montréal‘s Le Belmont.
Long live hip-hop, y’all! Long live hip-hop!
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