For more than two decades, Keith Clinkscales has been working in the media, and throughout that time, he has led the growth of several major companies. Keith Clinkscales most recently served as the CEO of Revolt Media, a multi-platform music network that celebrates hip-hop music.
Although hip-hop didn’t become a cultural movement until the 1980s, the genre was created in New York City in 1973, when Jamaican-born musician Clive Campbell, also known as DJ Kool Herc, played music for his sister’s back-to-school party. Campbell grew up spinning records at parties and realized that many people were waiting for a particular point in a song to dance, so he used two turntables to switched back and forth between two records repeatedly. This extended the short drum break, which crowds seemed to particularly enjoy for dancing.
The resulting “breakbeat” served as the foundation of hip-hop. Meanwhile, DJ Kool Herc’s improvised rapping over the record spurred the creation of modern rap. Other DJs and musicians experimented with turntables and pushed hip-hop into mainstream popularity by the late 1970s. A few years later, a new wave of rappers, including Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, and N.W.A. began pushing the genre even further.
Although hip-hop didn’t become a cultural movement until the 1980s, the genre was created in New York City in 1973, when Jamaican-born musician Clive Campbell, also known as DJ Kool Herc, played music for his sister’s back-to-school party. Campbell grew up spinning records at parties and realized that many people were waiting for a particular point in a song to dance, so he used two turntables to switched back and forth between two records repeatedly. This extended the short drum break, which crowds seemed to particularly enjoy for dancing.
The resulting “breakbeat” served as the foundation of hip-hop. Meanwhile, DJ Kool Herc’s improvised rapping over the record spurred the creation of modern rap. Other DJs and musicians experimented with turntables and pushed hip-hop into mainstream popularity by the late 1970s. A few years later, a new wave of rappers, including Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, and N.W.A. began pushing the genre even further.