Kool Herc on The Combat Jack Show

[IllmaticDelta]

Update: This part from that interview



has some important info.



some of the clubs and music that Herc witnessed afram dj culture from way before he was a dj

Herd even admitted he got his early playlist from that club/Dj John Brown. Phase 2 the graf artist said the Plaza Tunnel with Dj John Brown is where he first saw people break dancing to breaks back in 1970/1971

Herc said/admitted to this:

When did you start to get involved in it?

Herc - I started to get involved in it right after my house got burned down. I was going to parties back then, see. A place called the Tunnel and a place called the Puzzle, right on 161st Street – that was the first disco I used to party at. Me, guys like Phase 2, Stay High, Sweet Duke, Lionel 163 – all the early graffiti writers – used to come through there. It’s where we used to meet up and party at.

Then, years later, [there was this club] called Disco Fever. Disco Fever used to be right here on 167th. But before Disco Fever there was the Puzzle. That was the first Bronx disco.


So back then you still weren’t playing?

Herc - I was dancing, I was partying. Right around 1970, I’m in high school.

That was when b-boying was starting?


Yeah, people were dancing, but they weren’t calling it b-boying. That was just the break, and people would go off. My terms came in after I started to play – I called them b-boys. Guys just used to breakdance… Right then, slang was in, and we shortened words down. Instead of disrespect, you know, you dissed me. That’s where that came from.

Red Bull Music Academy Daily








the same Tunnel Plaza is where the black spades used to do their "burning" dances while shouting Spade Power!




Coke La Roc confirms the Puzzle was a Spade hangout



One of the OG Spade leaders, Monk talking about the puzzle





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What we now call bboying originated partially in Burning dances of gangs like the Black Spades.

Uprock, or Rocking as it was originally referred to, also known as Rock, is a competitive urban street dance, performed to the beats and rhythms of soul, rock and funk music, but was mostly danced to a specific and exclusive collection of songs that contained a hard driving beat. An example of such a song is the Uprock classic "It's Just Begun" by noted jazz musician Jimmy Castor. The dance consists of foot shuffles, spins, turns, freestyle movements and more characteristically a four-point sudden body movement called "jerk".

Uprock evolved in New York City circa in the late 1960s. A precursor and influence to this form of dance was gang culture.

As Rocking/Uprocking developed, body movements called "jerks" and hand gestures called "burns" (as defined above in this article), would be added to emulate a fight against an opposing dancer. Being skillful in this new dance form, Apache would get the better of his opponents by skillfully using burns. Dancers throughout New York City in all Boroughs continued to invent new movements and gestures to create a street dance. Many gang members began to perform this dance. It became commonplace to see gang members hanging out in corners dancing against each other. Rocking/Uprocking became a competitive dance that caught on very quickly.

Kool D and Tyrone also said there were bboys around in 1970/1971




now, connect the dots....

 

[IllmaticDelta]

 

[Amestafuu (Emeritus)]

all respect and props due to legends but Kool Herc is easily one of the word DJ gigs I heard live. absolutely 0 blended mixes tables skipping like it was the 90's again. dead air, drastic changes.

I was in shock. He killed the selection of music but that was it. I'd find it hard to believe I caught him on a bad day but it could be possible.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Those records Herc said he first heard via Dj John Brown such as:










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are the same records the "N1gga Twins" (early bboys) identified as the cuts Herc played at his parties

 

[IllmaticDelta]

all respect and props due to legends but Kool Herc is easily one of the word DJ gigs I heard live. absolutely 0 blended mixes tables skipping like it was the 90's again. dead air, drastic changes.

I was in shock. He killed the selection of music but that was it. I'd find it hard to believe I caught him on a bad day but it could be possible.

that's his norm.....herc never learned disco djing foundations

Rahiem on Herc's djing skills




Caz on it




Just-Ice talks about here it too