Are DJ’s True Artists

9 Pages 2317 Words

nts and evidences to acknowledge DJs as true artists as they affect American music. Your eyes will be opened to how DJs truly create music and don’t merely play records in predetermined consecutive orders. DJs use vinyl records as their tools in an inventive art, as started back in the 70’s. This art has grown to become as musical and innovative as an orchestra, jazz band, or rock group. Through the writings of many respected authors, journalists, and DJs from around the world, this paper will show how DJs have influenced the music industry and American music.
The first point of this paper is that DJs were largely responsible for the discovery and creation of hip-hop. DJs were the original promoters of this style of music and MCs were there to add the words.
Hip-hop was originally created as dance music and dance music only. Hip-hop was apart from the disco era, having roots embedded in the world’s popular music. Its roots consisted from every music style available on vinyl record. Hip-hop was played everywhere, and everyone loved it.
The Latino culture made a specific type of dancing that went alongside this new music style. Break dancing was brand new to the scene and was an acrobatic dance style involving spinning, flipping, and anything else to express the rhythms a song creates. DJs noticed that b-boys and b-girls were becoming more enthusiastic in their dance style when the break or funky drum song portion was played. “[Kool Herc] obtained two copies and started doubling these ‘breakbeats,’ playing the solo from one record immediately after the other one ended… Jamaican-born Bronx resident Kool Herc provided the innovations that elevated DJing to an art form.” (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/hiphop1.html?mail-09-06) Herc was the first DJ to buy the same records and “juggle” them on two turntables, in order to extend a certain song portion.
DJs became known for their “mixing” styles and creative inve...