Happy National Hip-Hop History Month! The origins of Hip-Hop can be traced back to the 1970s, when a dynamic brother-sister duo, D.J. Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell, started hosting DJ parties in the Bronx, New York, centered around Herc’s pioneering, two-turntable style, where he isolated instrumental sections to emphasize the beat, an innovation that sparked an infectious new phenomenon. During Hip-Hop History Month, we celebrate rhythm, rhymes, and a thriving culture that has shaped generations of great music, becoming not just a musical genre but also a powerful tool for self-expression. This month and every month, we commemorate and pay tribute to the legends and music that changed the game.
This year, we are also celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop! To honor these important milestones, we’ve created this special page featuring activations with names from all genres across our #BMIFamily, a playlist of classics that have inspired the new generation of rappers, and more!
“The Intersection” is a video series that illuminates how Hip-Hop has inspired all genres of music with its uniqueness and versatility. Spotlighting an exclusive group of singer/songwriters, we examine how diverse forms, sounds, and traditions have seamlessly intersected Hip-Hop. Join us as we explore the magic that happens when different musical styles collide.
In these videos, songwriters and members of our BMI Team share intimate details of when they fell in love with Hip-Hop.
Over the course of a year, we asked our BMI Family what Hip-Hop means to them and this is what they had to say.
