Chapter 02 of 10

Old School

1973 — 1983 · The Bronx → Englewood

Park jams to wax. Herc’s merry-go-round, Theodore’s accidental scratch, Bambaataa’s Universal Zulu Nation, and ‘Rapper’s Delight’ — the decade hip-hop becomes a recordable form.

Moments in this chapter

12 of the era · scroll →

1973
Aug 11, 1973
DJ Kool Herc's back-to-school party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue
Marquee
1974
Nov 12, 1974
Afrika Bambaataa forms the Universal Zulu Nation
Marquee
1975
1975
13-year-old Grand Wizard Theodore accidentally invents the record scratch
Marquee
1979
Sep 1979
Sugar Hill Records releases 'Rapper's Delight'
Marquee
1982
Jul 1, 1982
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five release 'The Message'
Marquee
1983
Mar 18, 1983
Charlie Ahearn's 'Wild Style' opens theatrically — the first hip-hop feature film
Marquee
1935
Mar 6, 1935
Sylvia Robinson is born
1958
Feb 16, 1958
Ice-T is born
1959
Aug 9, 1959
Kurtis Blow is born
1962
Aug 8, 1962
Kool Moe Dee is born
1962
Sep 30, 1962
Marley Marl is born
1964
May 31, 1964
DMC is born

On This Day (05-25)

See all 3 moments on 05-25 →

Natural-language Ask ships in Phase 10 (Claude Haiku in a Netlify Function). For now: try the suggestions below or use the section nav.

  • What happened in 1979?
  • Who founded Death Row Records?
  • What's a G-funk record?
  • Drake vs Kendrick chronology?
  • When did hip-hop become the #1 US genre?

Sources we draw from (Tier A — institutional + primary)

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences · Brown University Department of Africana Studies · Carnegie Hall · Library of Congress · NPR · NYC Parks · National Park Service · Peabody Awards · Pulitzer Prizes · RIAA · Recording Academy · Rock and Roll Hall of Fame · TeachRock (Rock and Roll Forever Foundation) · The Pulitzer Prizes · UCLA Department of English · WhoSampled

Updated 2026-05-25. Full source list · how we cite.