Module 5: When the Beat Was Born by Laban Carrick Hill

Module 5: Coretta Scott King Award Winner

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill
Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

Hill, L. C. & Taylor, T. (2013). When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.

Plot Summary:
Clive always loved music. "Whether it was a wah wah scat of a jiving trumpet, a sorrowful twang of sad voice, or the belting boom of a gospel singer, little Clive loved the way sound thumped and bumped all the way down in his stomach." 

Growing up in Jamaica, Clive had a passion for his favorite DJ, King George. Everyone wanted to go down to Somerset Lane for King George's parties. While Clive was too young to attend the parties himself, he went down to the house the day before to watch them set up. He loved to see the mountains of records. Clive dreamed of being a DJ himself.  

At age 13, Clive moved to New York City to live with his mother. While uncomfortable with living in the Bronx, Clive was able to find another passion: sports. He played basketball, ran track, and lifted weights.  Because of his height, the children on the basketball court would call him Hercules. Clive decided to cut it short to Herc and added "Kool" to it.  In addition to sports, he was now old enough to attend neighborhood house parties and listen to the new music. 

Once day, Kool Herc's dad bought a giant sound system. He hooked it up and enjoyed the BIG sound that it produced. Kool Herc and his little sister Cindy rented out the rec room in their housing project and set up a party with their father's sound system for the music. That's when Kool Herc became DJ Kool Herc.

Everyone loved his DJing and soon he was playing for parties all over the Bronx. The music made everyone happy and all the dancers would come out to the parties for a fun time. Herc brought in a group of his friends to rap behind his DJing, including Coke La Rock. His first group of MCs were called the Herculoids and DJ Kool Herc introduced them to rap. He went on to recruit more MCs and lead to the birth of Hip Hop.

Impressions:
I first saw this book when it was sitting on our 2015 Bluebonnet display. To me, When the Beat Was Born had the most intriguing cover. I was drawn in by the dynamic and artsy depiction of DJ Kool Herc. However, because I am not a giant fan of hip hop, I really didn't have a big need to read it. This week's module gave me an opportunity to stop delaying and jump into this colorful biography. 

It was an interesting jaunt through the birth of hip hop, but because I am not really intrigued by the subject matter I wasn't completely taken by the text. While the topic was not particularly my cup of tea, the illustrations are fabulous. The rich colors and thick lines were reminiscent of a graphic novel. There is a lot of movement and keeps the reader's attention. I loved the use of the blue/green color to accent the music. This book has great visual appeal. 

Reviews:

Demby. G. (2014, January 29) When the Beat Was Born: Hip-Hop's Big Bang Becomes a Kid's Book. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/01/28/267599216/when-the-beat-was-born-hip-hops-big-bang-becomes-a-kids-book

"The book is only 17 pages long, but it includes a bibliography of writing on hip-hop's beginnings. (Herc had no involvement in creating the book, Taylor said.)Before this project, Taylor hadn't done any illustrating for children's books. But now, he says, this is what he wants to focus on going forward. 'I was pretty honored to have a book about him be my first children's book project since hip-hop is a pretty big part of my life,; Taylor said.'I think it's pretty important that people understand the origins,' Taylor told me. 'It's hard to really understand the culture or the music without understanding where it came from.'"

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop [Review](2013, May 20) Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59643-540-7

"Hill walks the fine line between knowledgeable reporter and passionate fan (as is clear in his vivid author’s note), and Taylor does the same, using a meticulous inkline and washes of textured earth tones to convey both a sense of observational precision and a mural-like expressionism. Whether Taylor is zooming in on Herc’s dexterous hands manipulating the turntables or pulling back for a birds-eye view of the first break dance performances, he makes readers feel like they’re present at hip-hop’s inception."

Library Use Suggestions: 

This book is definitely a display item. As I mentioned earlier, the cover really caught my eye and it did the same with many of the young patrons at the library where I work. It flew off the shelves. I would definitely consider using this for a juvenile biography display or a display for Black History Month. It is eye catching and fun. Definitely a striking book.