ENG 1101 – D376
Ho Yan Lam
November 8, 2015
Summary of “From Doo Wop to Hip Hop”

The essay “From Doo Wop to Hip Hop: The Bittersweet Odyssey of African Americans in the South Bronx” by Mark Naison discuss the creation of hip hop in South Bronx. Around the time after World War II, Patterson Houses (public housing) was considered to be a better place to be. For less than fifteen years, it was a place of peace, safety, organization, and success. However, that quickly changed when heroine came into the picture. People no longer felt safe walking down the streets and gangs began to form. One thing that reunited the community was music. Hip hop developed at a time where adult presences were not in the life of young people in The Bronx. A Jamaican immigrant, “Cool DJ Herc”, held parties where everyone began attending. Breaking dancing and rapping evolved from the harsh life these people had to live through and although it was nice that many found an escape through music, The Bronx had now become an area for the poor. Public housing is no longer considered a “better place”.