Face Unseen: Reflections on Kool Herc and Hiphop Scholarship

Article by James "True" Peterson
Photo of the author and Kool Herc by April Bartol

Many of the pioneers of Hiphop are often mentioned but rarely seen or heard at public/community events. On an unusually Hiphopographic day last November, the University of Pennsylvania (UP) and Art Sanctuary (a community arts foundation in Philadelphia) collaborated on a full day of Hiphop activities that included an academic conference during the day and a “full-on” celebration of Hiphop culture in the evening.

The conference at UP had its slate of Hiphop scholars and superstars including Nzhinga Stewart, H. Samy Alim, Craig Warner, Kevin Powell, Ras Baraka and James Spady. The participants in the Hip Hop History celebration at Art Sanctuary (AS) were not as well known but important to the genesis of Hiphop. DJ Kuttin Kandi, Stef Renee and Jafar Barron all performed. The Legendary DJ Kool Herc hosted.

Despite the outrageous honoraria granted and what many perceived to be antagonistic behavior from some of the participants, the UP conference was an academic achievement. Participants screened several short films and heard papers from some of the brightest Hiphop scholars.

Many of the presenters were insightful and most folks had a sincere appreciation of Hiphop culture. Yet somehow, the collective spirit of Hiphop was strained in this particular academic setting. Similar to other scholars and professionals across disciplines who require large amounts of funding to contribute their “thoughts” to a “cause”, some of the UP conference participants also revealed themselves as somewhat opportunistic.

This event raised serious questions for Hiphop academics. Who is (and who is not) the best representative of Hiphop culture, knowledge and critical discourse? Can we represent a genuine commitment to it? Should we even want to represent through university conferences?

The Hip Hop Bridges History celebration at AS was nearly a binary opposite. It was community (i.e., the North Philly 'hood) versus campus; grassroots fundraising versus support from mainstream grant money. The signifying difference was the presence of the legendary DJ Kool Herc. The celebration featured local artists who reflected the historical musical aesthetic of Hiphop culture (drumming, jazz, spoken word, Hiphop).

As a Hiphop scholar/journalist, I have had opportunities to interview and work with people considered among the “who’s who” of the Hiphop artistic world. None of these interactions can compare to working with Hiphop’s first deejay. Kool Herc is humble, but exudes a dignity that seems ancient.

His presence is regal. He spoke only when necessary in Jamaican inflected African-American vernacular. He stands about 6 foot 5 inches tall—literally and figuratively a giant in Hiphop. He was a gracious host, blessing the audience with historical anecdotes and establishing direct connections with children, who before attending the celebration most likely did not have any idea who he was.

Kool Herc’s effect on the Hip Hop Bridges History event was the opposite of certain “expert” attendees on the Hiphop conference. Admittedly, the mythology behind Kool Herc’s figuration in Hiphop culture is potent. He took elements of street jams in Jamaica and transformed them into a culture that reclaimed public spaces in NYC. He is a founding father of Hiphop.

We know of Kool Herc for reasons antithetical to the reasons that we know of the most “famous” academicians in Hiphop culture. He is one of the originators of Hiphop culture, yet his presence at the events in Philadelphia required only about a fraction of the resources necessary to bring out any one of the esteemed conference participants. DJ Kool Herc used technology and media to create Hiphop production and to become the first Hiphop deejay.

Most of what we know about Hiphop is dictated by media and driven by technology that threatens to remove the communal sensibilities inherent in early Hiphop culture. You have probably never seen him on television, and even if you have, you probably would not recognize him.

In many ways DJ Kool Herc is the original face-unseen in Hiphop culture; quite possibly the chief of a Hiphop ur-tribe that includes Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Master Flash, Crazy Legs, Lady Pink, Lady B, Roxanne Shante, and many others.

Contact: James Peterson hiphopscholar@msn.com