LANHAM, Md. (CBSDC/WPGC) - Born as Clive Campbell, but better known as DJ Kool Herc, the Jamaican-born DJ is considered a pioneer in Hip-Hop.

In 1970′s New York, Herc used funk records and isolated the instrumental portion, focusing on the beat of the drums, known as the “break.”

Using two turn-tables, Herc would create melodies using these breaks, calling the technique the “merry-go-round.” This style took off and created the popular “b-boy” type dancing.

This type of music was picked up by artists like Grandmaster Flash.

Unlike his famous counterparts, Herc never moved into commercially recorded Hip-Hop.

Check back all month for WPGC’s tribute to Black History Month.

99.1 WNEW’s Cheryl Simone contributed to this report