Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at thejewishnews.com

Hip Hop and 
 Jewish Detroit
D

id you know that the music genre 
“hip hop” just marked its 50th 
birthday? What began in low-
income African American and Hispanic 
neighborhoods in New York City in the late 
1970s is now a mainstream 
American and global art 
form.
I thought I should take 
a look into this massive 
phenomenon. I began with a 
bit of online research about 
hip hop. I discovered that its 
history is not readily defined. 
One account has Clive Campbell (a.k.a. DJ 
Kool Herc) from the Bronx as the point of 
origin on Aug. 11, 1973. His particular mix 
that intertwined instrumental “break” of 
songs into a continuous loop was a novel 
approach. It does appear that, at the least, 
hip hop was born in the environs of New 
York City.
How did the name hip hop evolve? 
There are several theories. One of them 
cites “hip,” which means trendy coupled 
with the leaping nature of the music, the 
“hop.” Another theory is that a member of 
a pioneering rap group was teasing a friend 
who had enlisted in the Army, noting that 
the friend would soon be marching hip/
hop/hip/hop. Others say it came from the 
1979 single “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugar 
Hill Gang. But no one really seems to know 
precisely how the name evolved.
The truth is — I’m out of my league 
in terms of hip hop and rap history. 
What I can tell you is that hip hop has 
had a tremendous impact on our local 
community. I know this after a cruise into 
the William Davidson Digital Archive of 
Jewish Detroit History.
I was surprised that, beginning in the 
1990s, hip hop appears on 735 pages of 
the Davidson Archive. Moreover, there 

are a wide range of stories about the 
contributions of young Detroit Jews 
(some are now middle-aged) to 
the development of hip hop. They 
provide a reader with some insight 
into the genre’s history.
Take Mike Posner, for example. He was 
the cover story for the June 3, 2010, JN, 
which presciently stated that he was “on 
the verge of stardom.” Posner is now one of 
the most prominent Jewish hip hop artists 
in America. Born in Detroit and raised in 
Southfield, he is a rapper, a songwriter and 
producer. His “I Took A Pill In Ibisa” has 
been streamed 1.7 billion times on Spotify 
and was nominated for a Grammy. 
“The Music Maker” is about Jake Bass, 
a “one-man band” who has “worked with 
hip-hop royalty” such as LL Cool J. Jake’s 
father, Jeff, is one of the Bass brothers 
who discovered a young Eminem, one of 
Detroit’s most famous rappers (Sept. 15, 
2022, JN).
“Hip-Hop Jew” is a story about former 
rapper MC Serch (Michael Berrin). This 
story in the Sept. 19, 2003, JN, is about 
Berrin landing a job on local radio at 
WJLB-Detroit. “From the Streets: Jews and 
Hip Hop” is another interesting read that 
speaks to the history of the genre. 
Finally, there are stories about the main 
effect of hip hop music; that is, pure and 
simple listener enjoyment. “Time to Rap” 
and “The Beat Goes On” are two of these 
(July 5 and 14, 2005).
Regardless of some of the controversy 
over certain lyrics or some unsavory 
aspects of hip hop culture, it has musical 
staying power and meaning for millions 
of Americans. It has changed our modern 
world. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, 
available for free at thejewishnews.com.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 61
J
N

