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

Review by Ariadna Sánchez

Feel the rhythm

Feel the beat

Music is energy

Music is heat.

I love music! Music creates harmony between my body and my soul. I personally enjoy the rhythm of the beats as the music flows. In the book When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of the Hip Hop written by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Theodore Taylor III shows that music can transform communities.

Clive Campbell lived in Kingston, Jamaica. When he was thirteen years old he moved to New York City. Music and basketball are Clive’s passion. Clive calls himself “cool as Clyde” after his favorite basketball player Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Since Clive’s height is six feet and five inches, his friends call him Hercules. Clive decides to call himself Kool Herc.

DJ Kool Herc transforms a neighborhood using music, which gives the the young community of the Bronx a fresh perspective. DJ Kool Herc does not like fighting; instead he opts for a turntable and some speakers. His ability to mix music is amazing, everyone loves hearing his music. The break-dancers love to dance the breaks. They can make incredible jumps like gymnastics. Some of the most popular moves are: the turtle, windmill, toprock, downrock, and one handed handstand freeze. DJ Kool Herc legacy is a form of expression, which brings together a community to share their talents as one big family. Visit your local library to read this book that will make you dance. Remember that music and reading gives you wings. Hip, hop, hippity hop!