When was hip hop born?

At the party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, DJ Kool Herc used two turntables to extend the instrumental 'breaks' of funk records, giving dancers longer to move. This technique became the basis of hip hop music, while dancers who performed during the breaks became known as b-boys and b-girls. Hip hop culture grew to include four main elements: DJing, MCing (rapping), breakdancing and graffiti. The Sugarhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight' in 1979 became the first hip hop single to reach mainstream audiences. The genre celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023 and is now one of the most popular genres worldwide.