History of hip hop：5 surprising facts you might not know

David Nixon

嘻哈音樂在誕生與發展的歷程中經歷了哪些事呢？

體裁 文章詞數 難度 建議用時說明文 440 ★★★ 7′

海詞積累

1.showcase v.充分展示

2.cadence n.（說話時語調的）抑揚頓挫；起落

3.spotlight n.聚光燈

4.catalyst n.催化劑

5.scorching adj.酷熱的

6.infamous adj.臭名昭著的

7.arson n.縱火（罪）

The roots of hip-hop culture can be traced back to the 1970s in South Bronx，New York.Though it has nowadays become one of the most popular music genres（類型）around,generating millions of dollars in sales each year,there are still many unknown things about it.

No.5:August 11,1973

On August 11,1973,a young boy named Clive Campbell,also known as Hercules,threw a back-to-school party,where he showcased his skills on the turntables.Nowadays,this date is widely regarded as the birth date of the hip-hop genre. Hip hop has surely come a long way since then.

No.4:The origins of the term hip hop

Throughout its early years,hip hop pretty much evolved （發展）without having a name.The term hip hop came along when Keith Wiggins,one of the first MCs of the genre,was teasing a friend of his who had just joined the army,and it was the phrase he used to imitate the sounds made by a marching soldier's cadence.Some way or another,the phrase made its way to the stage and it slowly grew until it was eventually used to describe the subculture as a whole.

No.3:Initially,the DJs were the stars

In the early stages of hip hop,the MCs or the rappers were not the center of attention.As a matter of fact,rapping didn't become common until the late 1970s.In the beginning,it was the DJ who took the spotlight for his mixing abilities and gained the applause of the crowd.The second biggest attraction?The break dancers.

No.2:The first records used live bands

When the first bands and artists started recording their songs,sampling technology was too expensive for anyone without support from a top company.Because of this,artists employed the services of small bands that could come up with the right sounds.The first rapper to start using the sampling technique was Kurtis Blow in the early 1980s.

No.1:The New York City Blackout of 1977—The main catalyst for the hip-hop culture

In the scorching summer of 1977, New York City was left in the dark for almost 24 hours,during the most infamous electricity failure in its history.Assaults （襲擊）,arsons,and robbery all soon followed.However,despite the violence breaking out in New York,for the hiphop culture,the blackout provided the breakthrough needed by numerous aspiring DJs.Poor kids who otherwise would not have been able to afford the necessary equipment,now had access to only high-end merchandise. Prior to the blackout,there were only 5 known DJs in the entire city.After it,there was one on very single block.

Reading Check

1.When is the birth date of the hip-hop genre?（3 words）

2.Who named the term hip hop?（2 words）

3.When did rapping become common?（no more than 6 words）

4.Who was the first rapper to start using the sampling technique?（2 words）

5.What can be the more important catalyst for the hip-hop culture?（no more than 9 words）

Language Study

Complete the following phrases according to the text.