Paying Tribute to DJ Kool Herc
There’s no dispute that DJ Kool Herc is one of the founding fathers of Hip Hop. Now, Netflix has created a new show called The Get Down that documents what was going on in The Bronx through the mid to late 1970s.
The show is fictional, and so are the characters. But, there’s no denying that the events depicted are based on real events. The question, then, is which fictional character represents which real person? Like all fiction (or even documentaries based on real events), it’s really hard to tell how much is embellishment and how much is actually true.
One of the show’s characters, Grandmaster Flash, is real. He’s also one of the creative consultants to the show. The other real person featured is DJ Kool Herc. He’s even got a cameo at the end of episode 4. The show does play with the facts, though. The intent is to put across the general feeling of what was happening in that place at that time, and not an actual or true record.
If you have a chance to catch the show, let us know what you think of it.
1 comment
Great show!!!! Having grown up in Mt. Vernon, NY during that time being in !st & 2nd grade growing with the events. Hearing about what was going on in the Bronx & the battles was priceless. It brought back memories of having to listen to the radio in order to hear the newest jam… Those days are gone now… The DJ & The M.C. is a must in Hip Hop!!! They eliminated the DJ with the producer & they replaced the M.C. with auto-tunes… We don’t have to go back in time, just respect where it came from & respect the simple law of joining a dope beat with dope lyrics!!!