What’s good, Hip Hop History community: HP here with a hefty challenge today!

Back when hip-hop was in its infancy, it wasn’t about the MC, but the DJ. They were the crate diggers, the beat makers, the innovators- unmatched on the wheels of steel, pushing the limits of records beyond anything that had come before.

And we whisper their names now, those who birthed this creative music-making: Grandmaster Flash, Marley Marl, DJ Kool Herc, the creator himself. From Jam Master Jay to Spinderella, the DJ always occupied a prominent part of rap groups in the early 80s, a nod to hip hop’s origins and the specific skills of the artists who kept the vibes going.

In this contemporary era, the DJ is more likely to be well known not only for their skill, but who they work with. They still command the imagination and respect of not only hip hop fans but rappers, who know that the DJ is the true architect of hip hop.

Many DJs are also producers. Some are MCs. Some are celebrated for their technical skills and primarily work solo. DJs have shaped the flow of hip hop history behind the turntables, on the radio, and in record stores, crafting and curating incredible music that stands the test of time, of the dance floor, and our headphones.

Here’s some early wizardry from Jazzy Joyce, here DJ’ing with MC Sweet Tee. Yep, it’s ‘Funky Drummer’, but the thing I find fascinating about this track in particular is the way that the MC continually raps about what the DJ is doing, the equipment she’s using, etc. Early hip hop was for the DJs-the rapper wasn’t necessarily the main attraction just yet..

We can hear the echoes of the work of DJs in works like this, from the brilliant Georgia Ann Muldrow:

Ok, put em on, lace ’em up, and bring em out!

1.) The tricky/fun thing about this 30 day ‘challenge’ is that you get one choice (see, it’s a challenge! If you’ve already mentioned a producer or artist or album, etc in a previous day, it’s cool- just pick a different song, and talk to us about the DJ! 🙂

2.) In order to keep the thread from borking, please limit yourself to one YouTube/media link per post. If someone ‘beats you to it’ and posts a song you would’ve posted, reply under their post saying why you like this song/why it was your pick as well, etc. Let’s not give Disqus a reason to make the thread hard to navigate for those of us listening to the songs! If you want to mention some others, of course that’s fine!

3.) Let’s keep this as positive as we can. Don’t yuck anyone’s yum, don’t snark on someone who may not be as familiar as others, don’t ‘Um, actually’ people, etc. Remember that it’s not always possible to know what a song or artist means to someone, and try to give grace around that. Ain’t nobody earning any Internet Points out here.