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Laban Carrick Hill

Theodore Taylor III

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop (Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent) Hardcover – August 27, 2013

by Laban Carrick Hill (Author), Theodore Taylor III (Illustrator)

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A John Steptoe New Talent Award Winner

Before there was hip hop, there was DJ Kool Herc.

On a hot day at the end of summer in 1973 Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school party at a park in the South Bronx. Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks―the musical interludes between verses―longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, Laban Carrick Hill's book tells how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5–As a child in Jamaica, Clive Campbell aspired to be a DJ. At 13, he moved to the Bronx, where he gained the nickname Hercules because he grew to be more than six feet tall. He shortened the name to Herc, added Kool, and is credited as a pioneer of hip hop. He created a new art form for his parties when he plugged in two turntables to create longer breaks for dancing and began chanting the names of his friends during the breaks. Hill's descriptive writing is paired with Taylor's vibrant artwork, which features large crowds dancing, close-up shots of breakdancing, or Herc's hands masterfully spinning the dual turntables. This is a fine introduction to the topic, and the extensive time line, which spans from 1973 to 1986, will help students with reports and show them how this American art form was created.–Glynis Jean Wray, Ocean County Library, Toms River, NJα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

This picture-book biography introduces one of the unsung creators of hip-hop, Clive Campbell, who was born in Jamaica in 1955. He was entranced by the massive dance parties thrown by a neighbor, and when his family moved to the Bronx, he took up the name Kool Herc and created the innovative techniques behind hip-hop DJing. Stacking musical breaks on top of each other to fuel long stretches of dancing frenzy, calling the kids with the best moves “break-dancers,” and sending shout-outs to friends and little offhand rhymes over the music—Kool Herc unique and hip-hop wouldn’t exist without any one of these flashes of inspiration. By the time rap music really took off, in the early 1980s, he was already out of the limelight but not without leaving a massive legacy. Aside from the bouncy bio of the book’s star, Hill also highlights the positive social force of hip-hop and the boundless energy of musical joy. It’s all matched by Taylor’s freewheeling artwork. A treat from an underrepresented corner of music history. Grades 2-4. --Ian Chipman

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Product details

Age Range: 6 - 10 years
Grade Level: 3 - 4
Lexile Measure: AD770L (What's this?)

Series: Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (August 27, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781596435407
ISBN-13: 978-1596435407
ASIN: 1596435402
Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 0.4 x 10.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 43 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3 in Children's Rap & Hip-Hop
- #26 in Children's Musical Biographies (Books)

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Musician

Great History

June 11, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I teach music to kids who don't come from the best homes. I used this book as a jumping off point for dance music and some history. My kids, who wouldn't listen to anything else when I taught them, or other books, listened to this one. They loved it, and it was great for a lot of them because they listen to rap, and so this is a good intro into some history about hip hop and rap.

4 people found this helpful

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clarkemason

Good resource for students, great nostalgia for me

February 16, 2019

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Used this book for a student project on Hip Hop and it was informative, useful and the student was able to learn more about the origins of a great art form. I loved the illustrations and the book was well written. Brought me back to the old days!

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Jaime W. Tae

I LOVE it! Why isn't learning about the TRUE roots ...

July 31, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I bought this for my son but he's a bit too young for it yet, so I read it myself. I LOVE it! Why isn't learning about the TRUE roots of hip hop more mainstream?!?!?!? It's an engaging and educational read about how this cutting edge form of music came to be. I felt like I was watching an animated short film as I was reading because the artwork is so dynamic and vibrant. A smart and gorgeous work of art!

2 people found this helpful

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AlxDD

Perfect for the young music enthusiast

December 27, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great book about the story of hip hop. Nice graphics as well.

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Erica Campos

Great book!

December 10, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book is fabulous! I read it at the school library, but immediately bought one for my husband (a former DJ). He enjoyed reading it. The illustrations fit the book perfectly.

One person found this helpful

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tbj

Excellent

July 24, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Cool. Great pictures. Good story. Loved it.

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alondaray

love this book

June 1, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Entertaining and historically accurate. Vibrant illustrations too. Both my son and I enjoyed reading it. My husband loved it too as this is his Era and thought it is important to make sure everyone knows the real hip hop history

2 people found this helpful

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Anntoinette Angrum

A must for classrooms!

February 24, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Excellent story for everyone!

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