A Brief History of Modern MC-ing

MC-ing (more commonly referred to as rapping) is by far the most well-known element of Hip-Hop culture among the general public, despite being the youngest of the four elements. MC-ing has roots tied to West Africa, where storytellers called "Griots" would tell their stories rhythmically along with drum beats in the background (Rhodes, 1993). Originally, MCs were "masters of ceremonies"; they were the hosts of any gathering, responsible for making sure the crowd was having a good time and for introducing whatever DJ or performer was about to take the stage (Walker, 1997).

The birth of the Hip-Hop MC stemmed from Kool DJ Herc, a Jamaican immigrant who gained popularity in the Bronx and is widely regarded today as the "father of Hip-Hop"(Walker, 1997). Herc would encourage dancing at his parties by saying short and simple rhymes over his music. This was inspired by the Caribbean tradition of "toasting", chanting historic tales of heroism over a beat ("Rapping", 2012). This was a hit with his audience and quickly caught on among other DJs. DJ Hollywood is regarded as the first to weave these short rhymes together to create lengthier ones. He also encouraged crowd participation through chants and crowd response (Walker, 1997).

DJ Kool Herc

 A big advocate for MC-ing and all other things Hip-Hop was Afrika Bambaataa, a DJ and MC from the Bronx. He became the self-appointed spokesperson for Hip-Hop, hoping to replace gangs and drugs with the Hip-Hop culture. In 1975, Bambaataa founded the Zulu Nation, an organization founded in order for Bboys, MCs, DJs, and Graffiti writers to form a stronger sense of community with each other (Rhodes, 1993).

Although it was growing in popularity, rap was still very much an underground movement. MCs were seen just as rebels against Disco, which was the big thing at the time, and popular opinion held that rap was a fad that would soon die out (Rhodes, 1993). The first rap song to catch the public's eye was "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang. The song somewhat popularized Hip-Hop and made way for other MCs to try their hand at rapping for a broader audience. Although MC-ing was still considered a fad, each new hit gave the public a more positive view of Hip-Hop. MCs began developing their own unique styles, ranging from the gangster rap of Ice-T to the political commentary of Tupac. Artists like Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Will Smith, and Vanilla Ice did a lot for bringing MC-ing into mainstream music (Walker, 1997).

Today MC-ing can no longer be considered an underground movement, but the subculture is ever-evolving and doesn't seem to be dying out anytime soon.