Bronx Hip-Hop Youth Scene (1973–1983)

1. Afrika Bambaataa shifts from gang to cultural group

   Jan 1, 1973Labels: Afrika Bambaataa, Black Spades, Bronx River

   • Zulu Nation
   • Bambaataa

2. Kool Herc’s Sedgwick Avenue party sparks scene

   Aug 11, 1973Labels: DJ Kool, 1520 Sedgwick, Cindy Campbell

   • 1520 Sedgwick

3. Zulu Nation forms and organizes Bronx crews

   Jan 1, 1974Labels: Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaataa, Bronx crews

   • Zulu Nation
   • Bambaataa

4. Record scratching spreads as a defining DJ sound

   Jan 1, 1975Labels: Grand Wizzard, DJ scratching, turntable

   • Theodore
   • KOSU

5. Rock Steady Crew forms in the Bronx

   Jan 1, 1977Labels: Rock Steady, breaking, Bronx

   • Rock Steady

6. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five form

   Jan 1, 1978Labels: Grandmaster Flash, The Furious, South Bronx

   • Furious Five

7. Cold Crush Brothers emerge as Bronx performance rivals

   Jan 1, 1978Labels: Cold Crush, performance-crew, Bronx

   • Cold Crush

8. Sugar Hill Records is founded to commercialize rap

   Jan 1, 1979Labels: Sugar Hill, Joe Robinson, Sylvia Robinson

   • Sugar Hill
   • Sylvia

9. “King Tim III” becomes an early rap record

   Jul 25, 1979Labels: The Fatback, King Tim, early-rap-record

   • King Tim III

10. “Rapper’s Delight” breaks rap into the mainstream

    Sep 16, 1979Labels: Sugarhill Gang, Rapper's Delight, Sugar Hill

    • Rapper s Delight
    • 1979 hip hop

11. “Planet Rock” links Bronx hip-hop to electro

    Jun 1, 1982Labels: Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Rock, Soulsonic Force

    • Planet Rock
    • Bambaataa

12. “The Message” shifts rap toward social realism

    Jul 1, 1982Labels: Grandmaster Flash, The Message, The Furious

    • The Message
    • Message album

13. Style Wars documents graffiti and youth conflict

    Jan 1, 1983Labels: Style Wars, graffiti, PBS

    • Style Wars
    • New Yorker

14. Wild Style reaches US theaters, exporting Bronx culture

    Nov 23, 1983Labels: Wild Style, hip-hop-film, real-artists

    • Wild Style