"The origin of one of the most influential cultural movements in recent times—hip-hop—is presented through the story of DJ Kool Herc, the man who “put the hip hip hop, hippity hop into the world’s heartbeat.”

Young Clive fell in love with music as a child in Jamaica, watching a popular DJ unpack crates of records to set up for house parties. When he moved to the Bronx, Clive became Kool Herc, and when he had the opportunity to throw his own dance parties, he became DJ Kool Herc. Herc’s innovative style as a DJ, stretching the breaks in songs from seconds into minutes, allowed the creativity of others to erupt, such as break dancers, rappers and MCs. Hip-hop was born. Hill and Taylor have accomplished something special with this picture book, capturing the energy of the early hip-hop movement and presenting it in a manner that is accessible for children. The rhythm and balance of text make this an engaging read-aloud for young children, while the subject matter and animated style of the full-page illustrations will appeal to independent readers as well.

This effervescent celebration of the roots of hip-hop will make readers feel the beat. (author’s note, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book. 4-9)" www.kirkusreviews.com, A Kirkus Starred Review

This book is about how DJ Kool Herc became to be. It outlines the timeline of his life and his struggles through the Bronx. Starting small, DJ Kool Herc becomes the next big thing on the block. Intended for a middle school audience, I would introduce the history of Hip Hop and the Bronx culture with this book, and use it as a read aloud to get students interested in the content. Personally, I really enjoyed reading this book because the pictures are engaging and the content is interesting. ( )

A walk through music history, this picture-book biography introduces one of the pioneers of hip hop, Clive Campbell, whose legacy of social commentary in rap and contemporary hip hop continues. Author’s Note, Bibliography, Webliograpy, Filmography.

“When the Beat was Born”, was about a little boy named Clive who loved music. He was inspired by a famous Dj from Jamaica. Although Clive moved from Jamaica to New York, he never lost his love for music. As Clive began to Dj when he got older, he created a sound that was unique. He created a sound based on the dancers dancing during breaks in the songs. Through his unique style of music the term break dancers or b-boys were created. ( )