Book Review: When the Beat was Born

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop was written by Laban Carrick Hill. It was a fun find in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library. It's about a block party in the South Bronx in 1973. It's the story of how DJ Kool Herc came to be a DJ and how hip hop came to define a culture. "Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Master Flash, Jazzy Jeff, and dozens of others all wanted to be DJs just like Kool Herc." DJ Kool Herc found a new way of playing music that created dance breaks, allowing break dancing to flourish. I really enjoyed reading this book with my elementary-aged children, and I hope you will too!