Hip-hop turns 50, reinventing itself and swaths of the world along the way

I’ve been in on the Hip Hop scene since 1982, an Englishman who first heard Whodini and fell in love, became a breaker, writer, rapper whatever like most people did back then, at least tagging or some boddypopping or whatever. I’m from the real old skool, when Hip Hop was universal, not a ‘black’ thing which many later claimed it to be. The author above forget to mention it was both a Black and Hispanic culture in the beginning, the very first graffiti writer being Hispanic. Hip Hop was about peace and love as well as realities of life like poverty etc. No-one was rejected from being in on the scene. Back in the early 2000s I DJ’d on a radio station in Kobe, playing US, UK, German etc. Hip Hop: it felt good to educate Japanese people on the global sense of the culture, particularly as they as well as Americans thought it an American thing only. We never forget the origin of Hip Hop, true, but like all music it evolves. The group I was in in the 80s and 90s produced 7 records, independently, gained a lot of popularity in Germany back then when they labelled our Hip Hop ‘Britcore’ due to its underground hardcore nature. I made three records in Japan, too, solo, in Osaka with an American producer (クリサウンド) as well as performed on stage with some Japanese rappers. Fun times 20 years ago;) Hip Hop is universal and always will be.

Hey FireyRei! German hip-hop? Bist du down?

I didn't know about it, but here's Herc recreating what he started off playing, the famous break from JB's "Give It Up and Turn it Loose" with "Bongo Rock" by the Incredible Bongo Band on the same album as hip-hop/electro super classic "Apache" (released in 1973) and a tune I don't know called "The Mexican".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qwml-F7zKQ

RUN DMC in the house!