Thinking About Diversity: Race, Class, and GenderPopular Culture Born in the Inner City:The DJ Scene and Hip-Hop MusicAaron Jerald (AJ) O’Bryant probably never thought he would helpchange U.S. culture. In 1960, he was born into a social worldwhere the odds were stacked against him. His family lived in alow-income, African American neighborhood on the Lower EastSide of Manhattan. Orphaned at thirteen, he moved in with his grandmother, who lived in the South Bronx, close to an intersec-tion that was a known gathering point for local gang members. In the 1970s, the South Bronx was brewing with socialproblems. As factories closed, the area lost thousands ofgood-paying manufacturing jobs, and unemployment andpoverty were on the rise. Drug use, crime, and violencebecame part of everyday life.Not surprisingly, AJ entered his teenage years thinkingthat violence was the way to express his frustration. He gotinto fights on the streets and at school, to the point of beingexpelled for throwing another student through a window.His grandmother enrolled him at a local school for “at-risk”young people, but he found little to like in the classroom. Within a few years, he dropped out of school and began sell-ing drugs, which earned him fast cash as he tried to stay one step ahead of the police.Like young people everywhere, AJ wanted to earn therespect of others. He also had a love for music. As the new“DJ” scene emerged in New York City in the mid-1970s, AJ was captivated by Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flow-ers, and Pete “DJ” Jones. Perhaps most of all, he idolized a young DJ named Kool Herc. AJ remembers the first timehe saw Herc. “People in the Bronx were saying ‘Yo, there’sthis dude named Herc, and this dude is crazy.’ He was at thepark on Sedgewick Avenue. So the next thing is I’m sittingthere watching this dude and he’s drawing a crowd.” AJ washooked on this music scene and wanted to be part of it.AJ didn’t know the first thing about DJing, but he hungout with other DJs. They became skilled at operating aturntable and playing records, figuring out which records toplay and what part of records people wanted to hear, andthey developed a whole set of rules and conventions thatwould define the new DJ scene. In the summer of 1977, AJ did his first public perfor-mance in the local park. Although people from around New York had come to see the main act, a well-known DJ namedLovebug Star Ski, there were also many people from AJ’scommunity who showed up to see him. He knew he wasstarting to make it as a DJ, and as his reputation spread, AJlost interest in drug dealing. He was becoming a local hero.AJ explains, “The guys who own the stores close by the parkwould bring me beer or whatever I wanted for doing my musicbecause it attracted lots of people and made money for them.” AJ’s reputation grew as he took part in “battles,” com-petitions between DJs not unlike the competitions for respect in gang culture. In a battle, DJs would each play for an hour,switching back and forth. The DJ who succeeded in workingthe crowd into a frenzy was the winner.AJ’s big break came as the result of a challenge to battlea DJ named Flash, the star of the South Bronx DJ scene, andto do it in Flash’s territory. At first, AJ refused, thinking hecould never hope to sway Flash’s own neighborhood crowd.But his mentor, Lovebug Star Ski, insisted, and AJ agreed.The night of the battle, more than 500 people packed the Dixie Club in Flash’s neighborhood. Even before the competi-tion started, there were rowdy cheers for Flash. Seeing Flash haul in some new and expensive equipment further intimidatedAJ as he began his set. He started with “Groove to Get Down”by T-Connection, “Catch a Groove” by Juice, and “FunkyGranny” by Kool & The Gang—rhythms that were funky andnew to most of the audience. As he moved from one record tothe next, the crowd began to groove with him. Then AJ pulledoff a wild moment when Lovebug Star Ski jumped up onto thestage to rhyme with AJ’s music. The crowd lost their minds.Flash followed with his own set and he did his usualamazing work. The crowd cheered for their local DJ, buteveryone knew that both men had put on very impressiveperformances. AJ had made it in the larger South Bronx DJscene, a feat that would lead to opportunities that no doubtsaved him from the dangerous social world of drugs andgangs that surrounded him.AJ and many other young people like him did not makeheadlines in the New York papers. But they created a style of musical performance—DJing—that is now popular on campus-es across the United States. And the musical style that emerged from that movement—hip-hop or rap music—has become themost popular type of music among this country’s young people.What Do You Think?1. Is the DJ scene part of popular culture or high culture?Why?2. What does this story tell us about who creates newcultural patterns?3. Can you think of other cultural patterns that were bornamong low-income people?
Thinking About Diversity: Race, Class, and Gender
Popular Culture Born in the Inner City:
The DJ Scene and Hip-Hop Music
Aaron Jerald (AJ) O’Bryant probably never thought he would help
change U.S. culture. In 1960, he was born into a social world
where the odds were stacked against him. His family lived in a
low-income, African American neighborhood on the Lower East
Side of Manhattan. Orphaned at thirteen, he moved in with his
grandmother, who lived in the South Bronx, close to an intersec-
tion that was a known gathering point for local gang members.
In the 1970s, the South Bronx was brewing with social
problems. As factories closed, the area lost thousands of
good-paying manufacturing jobs, and
poverty were on the rise. Drug use, crime, and violence
became part of everyday life.
Not surprisingly, AJ entered his teenage years thinking
that violence was the way to express his frustration. He got
into fights on the streets and at school, to the point of being
expelled for throwing another student through a window.
His grandmother enrolled him at a local school for “at-risk”
young people, but he found little to like in the classroom.
Within a few years, he dropped out of school and began sell-
ing drugs, which earned him fast cash as he tried to stay one
step ahead of the police.
Like young people everywhere, AJ wanted to earn the
respect of others. He also had a love for music. As the new
“DJ” scene emerged in New York City in the mid-1970s, AJ
was captivated by Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flow-
ers, and Pete “DJ” Jones. Perhaps most of all, he idolized
a young DJ named Kool Herc. AJ remembers the first time
he saw Herc. “People in the Bronx were saying ‘Yo, there’s
this dude named Herc, and this dude is crazy.’ He was at the
park on Sedgewick Avenue. So the next thing is I’m sitting
there watching this dude and he’s drawing a crowd.” AJ was
hooked on this music scene and wanted to be part of it.
AJ didn’t know the first thing about DJing, but he hung
out with other DJs. They became skilled at operating a
turntable and playing records, figuring out which records to
play and what part of records people wanted to hear, and
they developed a whole set of rules and conventions that
would define the new DJ scene.
In the summer of 1977, AJ did his first public perfor-
mance in the local park. Although people from around New
York had come to see the main act, a well-known DJ named
Lovebug Star Ski, there were also many people from AJ’s
community who showed up to see him. He knew he was
starting to make it as a DJ, and as his reputation spread, AJ
lost interest in drug dealing. He was becoming a local hero.
AJ explains, “The guys who own the stores close by the park
would bring me beer or whatever I wanted for doing my music
because it attracted lots of people and made money for them.”
AJ’s reputation grew as he took part in “battles,” com-
petitions between DJs not unlike the competitions for respect
in gang culture. In a battle, DJs would each play for an hour,
switching back and forth. The DJ who succeeded in working
the crowd into a frenzy was the winner.
AJ’s big break came as the result of a challenge to battle
a DJ named Flash, the star of the South Bronx DJ scene, and
to do it in Flash’s territory. At first, AJ refused, thinking he
could never hope to sway Flash’s own neighborhood crowd.
But his mentor, Lovebug Star Ski, insisted, and AJ agreed.
The night of the battle, more than 500 people packed the
Dixie Club in Flash’s neighborhood. Even before the competi-
tion started, there were rowdy cheers for Flash. Seeing Flash
haul in some new and expensive equipment further intimidated
AJ as he began his set. He started with “Groove to Get Down”
by T-Connection, “Catch a Groove” by Juice, and “Funky
Granny” by Kool & The Gang—rhythms that were funky and
new to most of the audience. As he moved from one record to
the next, the crowd began to groove with him. Then AJ pulled
off a wild moment when Lovebug Star Ski jumped up onto the
stage to rhyme with AJ’s music. The crowd lost their minds.
Flash followed with his own set and he did his usual
amazing work. The crowd cheered for their local DJ, but
everyone knew that both men had put on very impressive
performances. AJ had made it in the larger South Bronx DJ
scene, a feat that would lead to opportunities that no doubt
saved him from the dangerous social world of drugs and
gangs that surrounded him.
AJ and many other young people like him did not make
headlines in the New York papers. But they created a style of
musical performance—DJing—that is now popular on campus-
es across the United States. And the musical style that emerged
from that movement—hip-hop or rap music—has become the
most popular type of music among this country’s young people.
What Do You Think?
1. Is the DJ scene part of popular culture or high culture?
Why?
2. What does this story tell us about who creates new
cultural patterns?
3. Can you think of other cultural patterns that were born
among low-income people?
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