DJ Hollywood – The Man Who Taught Hip Hop How To Rap

Long before rap became a billion-dollar industry, the sound was being shaped inside the clubs and streets of New York City. At the center of that story was DJ Hollywood — a Harlem DJ and MC whose smooth, syncopated rhyming style helped redefine what could be done with a microphone.
This documentary takes you back to an era when disco still ruled New York, DJs controlled the party, and rap had yet to become a recording industry. We explore Hollywood’s rise through New York nightlife, his groundbreaking microphone style, and his connections to pioneers including DJ Eddie Cheeba, Lovebug Starski, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Caz, Kurtis Blow, Russell Simmons, Sylvia Robinson and more.
Then came “Rapper’s Delight” and a moment that changed everything. Rap moved from the clubs and parties onto vinyl—and eventually around the world.
But as hip-hop became a global phenomenon, one of the men who helped shape its early sound was largely left out of the mainstream story.

This is the story of DJ Hollywood.