The birth of rap as we know it can be directly traced back to the concrete jungles of the Bronx in the late 60's and early 70's, an era now fondly remembered as the old school.

Before the term "hip hop" ever came into vogue to describe this movement, there were outdoor parties in public parks at which a DJ would patch his sound system directly into a streetlight's power box and play records as people gathered around to dance, rhyme over beats, or write graffiti. "It was a form of recreation," recalls Crazy Legs, who went on to become a member of legendary Rock Steady crew. "A lot of these people didn't really have money to join a community center around the way as far as baseball, softball, boxing or things like that."

SOURCE

Vibe History of Hip Hop
edited by Alan Light
$19.25