Key Takeaways

• Hip-hop began as a local New York City subculture before evolving into a globally influential music genre.
• Early innovators like DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash shaped hip-hop’s core techniques and culture.
• Commercial breakthroughs such as “Rapper’s Delight” helped bring hip-hop to mainstream audiences.
• The four pillars of hip-hop – MCing, DJing, breaking, and graffiti – define the genre’s creative foundation.
• Firsthand journalism and historical records preserve the cultural impact of hip-hop’s formative years.

Simone Monasebian’s long and distinguished career in law, human rights, and international justice began with an early chapter that connects directly to hip-hop’s formative years.…