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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 1/14
If we said we were about to write about the Asian influence in rap music, and your first thought was the Wu-Tang Clan, that would be understandable. However, the story we will explore takes place much earlier than that. #Jamaica #ChineseJamaicans #AAPI #AAPIHistoryMonth {#id:458783#} {#id:462433#} #WuTang
A BMP infographic showings drawings of African drums and a Chinese dragon filtering into a funnel. The accompanying text: If we said we were about to write about the Asian influence in rap music, and your first thought was the Wu-Tang Clan, that would be understandable. However, the story we will explore takes place much earlier than that — at the origin of the music (or at least one of the origin points). And that brings us to Jamaica and the Chinese Jamaican community there.
10:46 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 2/14
After slavery's abolition in Jamaica in 1838, plantation owners encouraged Hakka Chinese to emigrate to work as indentured servants. By the 1950s, the Chinese and African diasporas had blended to form the Chinese Jamaican community on the island. #Jamaica #ChineseJamaicans #AAPI #Hakka {#id:458783#}
A BMP infographic ft a photo of a Chinese Jamaican record shop run by Patricia Chin, aka Miss Pat, with VP customers, circa 1960. The accompanying text: After the abolition of slavery in Jamaica in 1838, Hakka Chinese were brought to the island as indentured servants to work on sugar plantations. By the 1950s, the Chinese and African diasporas had blended to form the Chinese Jamaican community on the island. They owned small businesses like laundry services, restaurants, and other shops. During the 1950s, many Chinese Jamaican entrepreneurs entered the music business as record shop owners and sound system renters.
10:49 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 3/14
In the early 50s, most Jamaicans were too poor to own record players, so the few who possessed them would rent theirs out for local block parties in the ghettos of Jamaica. These music providers were called "sound systems." #Jamaica #ChineseJamaicans #AAPI #AAPIHistoryMonth {#id:458783#} {#id:462433#}
A BMP infographic ft a whimsical cartoon of a Jamaican sound system party. The accompanying text: In the early 50s, most Jamaicans were too poor to own record players, so the few who possessed them would rent theirs out for local block parties in the ghettos of Jamaica. Sound system block parties were get-togethers where people could socialize, eat, drink, dance, and listen to local music.
10:51 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 4/14
Music historians trace sound system culture's beginnings to Chinese-Jamaican Tom Wong, the Berry Gordy of sound system producers. #Jamaica #ChineseJamaicans #AAPI #HakkaChinese #AAPIHistoryMonth {#id:458783#} {#id:462433#} #TomWong #soundsystem
A BMP infographic ft a photo of Chinese Jamaican, Tom "The Great Sebastian" Wong. The accompanying text: Music historians trace sound system culture's beginnings to Chinese Jamaican Tom Wong, the Berry Gordy of sound system producers. In 1950 Tom Wong built a "sound system" business known as "Tom The Great Sebastian" from his meager beginnings by investing in powerful amps and hiring sound engineers, music selectors, and emcees.
10:52 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 5/14
Jamaican emcees were known as "toasters" because they rhymed and chanted over records in a melody of boasts, whimsical sayings, and toasts. They adapted this technique from American radio R&B DJ's "jive-talk" at the start of records. {#id:462464#} #emcee #dj #Jamaica {#id:462478#} {#id:458783#}
A BMP infographic ft a Jamaican toast emcee entertaining the audience at a sound system party. The accompanying text: These emcees became known as "toasters" because they would rhyme and chant in a melody of boasts, short, whimsical sayings, and toasts to the party attendees at the intro of records or completely over instrumentals. American R&B radio DJs inspired Jamaican toasters by talking up record intros before the vocal in a song dropped (known as "hitting the post.") This DJ banter was called "jive-talking."
10:53 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 6/14
The Jamaican jive-talker who conceived toasting was Winston Cooper, aka Count Matchuki. #Jamaica #storyBMP #threadBMP #toasting #CountMatchuki #jivetalk #ChineseJamaican #AAPI #TomWong #soundsystem
A BMP infographic ft a photo of Count Matchuki. The accompanying text: The Jamaican jive-talker who conceived toasting was Winston Cooper, aka Count Matchuki. Count Matchuki began his toasting career emceeing for Chinese Jamaican Tom the Great Sebastian's sound system crew.
11:00 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 7/14
Jamaican radio ignored local genres at the time, mainly playing US R&B. By the late-60s and early-70s, #soundsystem parties became more popular than radio and live bands by showcasing skillful toast emcees, homegrown acts, and new genres such as #ska #Rocksteady and #reggae . #storyBMP
A BMP infographic ft a photo of a Jamaican sound system party from the 1970s. The accompanying text: Jamaican radio ignored local genres at the time, mainly playing US R&B. By the late-60s and early-70s, sound system parties became more popular than radio and live bands by showcasing skillful toast emcees, homegrown acts, and new genres such as ska, rocksteady, and reggae.
11:01 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 8/14
We could end the story here with the satisfying conclusion of how Chinese Jamaican Tom Wong's entrepreneurship and creativity in developing sound system culture led to the growth of reggae and other Jamaican genres... #AAPI #ChineseJamaicans #Jamaica #TomWong #soundsystem #reggae
11:04 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 9/14
In 1967, a 13-year-old Jamaican boy named Clive Campbell immigrated with his family to the Bronx, New York City. #Jamaica #storyBMP #threadBMP #dj #emcee #CliveCampbell #Bronx #NYC #toasting #MusicHistory
A BMP infographic ft a cartoon of a Pan Am flight flying over the Bronx. The accompanying text: In 1967, a 13-year-old Jamaican boy named Clive Campbell immigrated with his family to the Bronx, New York City. Clive attended sound system parties in his hometown of Kingston and remembered the toast emcees he witnessed. Less than ten years later, Clive would put those memories to use when his little sister, Cindy, asked him to DJ a party where she could sell tickets to help raise money for new school clothes.
11:06 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 10/14
To DJ his sister's party, Clive promoted himself as "DJ Kool Herc." Herc's set-up included boxes full of records, two turntables, and a microphone. #DJKoolHerc #twoturntables #CliveCampbell #MusicHistory #storyBMP
A BMP infographic ft. a photo of the original 1973 flyer for DJ Kool Herc's party. The accompanying text: To DJ his sister's party, Clive promoted himself as "DJ Kool Herc," adopting the "Kool Herc" from the tag he used as a graffiti artist. DJ Kool Herc's set-up included boxes full of records, two turntables, and a microphone. The two turntables allowed him to extend the instrumental breaks of songs by repeatedly playing the same section and switching between them. Herc described this technique as the "merry-go-round." This extension of the "breakbeats" drove the dancers wild.
11:08 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 11/14
Herc's party was a success, and he began hosting other events. Herc applied his Jamaican-learned toasting skills to encourage the dancers, who he named "b-boys" and "b-girls," and their dance style was called "breakdancing." #Breakdancing #dance #hiphop #Bboys #DJKoolHerc #rap #MusicHistory
A BMP infographic ft cartoon dancers done in a style reminiscent of graffiti artist, Keith Haring. The accompanying text: DJ Kool Herc's party was successful, and he began hosting others. He applied his Jamaican-learned toasting skills to encourage the dancers who showed up for the breakbeats with rhymes and chants like "to the beat, y'all!" etc. Herc named these dancers "b-boys" and "b-girls," and their dance style was called "breakdancing." Toasting became more creative as others elaborated with combinations of pre-written and spontaneous "raps."
11:10 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
A
thread 12/14
Herc soon became a local legend and influenced other young people. Clive Campbell just wanted to help his little sister raise some cash for new school clothes; he had inadvertently launched a music revolution. #raphistory #hiphop #rap #DJKoolHerc #hiphophistory #raproots #blackmusic #storyBMP
A BMP infographic ft a photo of DJ Kool Herc from the 1980s. The accompanying text: DJ Kool Herc soon became a local legend and influenced other young people who attended his parties to follow in his footsteps as DJs and emcees—kids like Joseph Saddler. Joseph attended Herc's shows and began DJing independently using the name "Grandmaster Flash." On August 11, 1973, in the Bronx, Clive Campbell just wanted to help his little sister raise some cash for new school clothes adapting the sound system skills he learned in Jamaica; he had inadvertently launched a music revolution.
11:11 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
A
thread 13/14
#DJKoolHerc is "The Father of #hiphop " Herc innovated the skills he learned in Kingston, which #ChineseJamaicans like #TomWong developed. This blend of African & Chinese diaspora creativity exemplifies the #musicaldialog with its roots in #Africa . "Lesson Learn'd." #WuTang #rap #storyBMP #AAPI
A BMP infographic that depicts a mix of ingredients from Africa, China, Jamaica, and the Bronx, NYC that helped create reggae and hiphop. The accompanying text: DJ Kool Herc is "The Father of Hip-Hop" because he innovated the toasting skills he learned at sound system shows in Kingston, which Chinese Jamaicans like Tom Wong developed. This mix of African and Chinese diaspora creativity, blended in Jamaica, and innovated in the Bronx, exemplifies the "musical dialog" with its roots in Africa. Now that you know the Asian influence in hip-hop is older than Wu-Tang, we'll end this borrowing from one of their song titles: "Lesson Learn'd."
11:14 AM - May 31, 2023
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Black Music Project
@blackmusicproject
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thread 14/14
If you're interested in learning more, please check out this article. #rap #hiphop #MusicHistory #storyBMP #AAPI #Jamaica #soundsystem #toasting #DJKoolHerc #Bronx #ChineseJamaicans
rockthebells.com
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How DJ Kool Herc Used Jamaican Sound System Culture to Create Hip-Hop

Hip-Hop is often unpacked using sampling as the primary example of how the sound was shaped by peripheral genres. However, the infancy of Hip-Hop reveals an unexpected connection to both Jamaican sound system culture, and the immigrant, DJ Kool Herc, who helped launch it in the Bronx.

11:15 AM - May 31, 2023
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