In the melting pot of 1970s New York, a blend of musical cultures gave rise to something entirely new.

In the late 1970s, New York City was in a financial crisis. The black communities felt it the most, and creative resistance was the only answer. The Bronx, in particular, had a vibrant reggae scene, and this eventually merged with disco and spoken word poetry to create hip hop. People like DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash pioneered record scratching and freestyling.

All these influences culminated in a community that created a new genre that redefined music and culture itself.