Skip to content
ErasScenesAlbumsBreaksArtistsGearVideosArtifactsStylesGraffitiSubmit
Est. 1973 · The Bronx

Hip hop history,
on record.

The eras, the scenes, the records and the machines that made them. Watch the documentaries, then own the artifacts.

Start with the Golden Age Browse the Artifact Wall
  1. 1973–78Bronx Origins
  2. 1979–85Old School
  3. 1986–94The Golden Age
  4. 1995–99East vs. West
  5. 2000–08The South Rises
  6. 2009+Mixtape & Blog Era
Press play

From the vault

All videos →
VideoD-Nice on Club Quarantine, Obama, Jay-Z, BDP & 40 Years in Hip-HopHOT 97VideoJodeci Opens Up on 35 Years of Forever My Lady & Tupac, Michael Jackson & Prince StoriesHOT 97VideoMayor Zohran Mamdani on SNAP Boost, City Grocery Stores & Election Day BreakdownHOT 97VideoKirk Franklin Defends GloRilla, Reveals Funny Kanye West Story & Owns Who He IsHOT 97
Dig in

Classic records

All albums →
AlbumCuts for Luck and Scars for FreedomMystic · 2001AlbumLionheart: Tussle With The BeastKlashnekoff · 2007AlbumCouncil Estate Of MindSkinnyman · 2004AlbumThe FutureRodney P · 2004AlbumUpwardsTy · 2003AlbumRun Come Save MeRoots Manuva · 2001
Where it happened

Scenes

GeorgiaAtlantaBrazilBrazilNew YorkBrooklynCanadaCanadaIllinoisChicagoOhioClevelandCaliforniaCompton & LATexasDallasMichiganDetroitTexasHoustonJamaicaKingstonEnglandLondonTennesseeMemphisFloridaMiamiLouisianaNew OrleansPennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaNew YorkQueensCaliforniaSacramentoWashingtonSeattleMissouriSt. LouisCaliforniaThe BayNew YorkThe BronxVirginiaVirginia
On this day

Released on November 10

All November 10 releases →
On this day in hip hop, November 10 2014: Big K.R.I.T. released Cadillactica

201412 years ago today

Big K.R.I.T. released Cadillactica

ShareX (opens in a new tab)Facebook (opens in a new tab)Reddit (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)Pinterest (opens in a new tab)

Download the card Square, for Instagram and stories

The source

The breaks behind the beats

All breaks →
Break · 1970Funky DrummerJames BrownBreak · 1970Give It Up or Turnit a LooseJames BrownBreak · 1970The GruntThe J.B.'sBreak · 1971N.T.Kool & the GangBreak · 1971ScorpioDennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar BandBreak · 1972BraCymande
Daily gameName the BreakFive clues from the records that sampled it. One classic break a day.Play today's →
Live right now

Hip hop is global

Born in the Bronx in 1973. Played on every continent since.

From Sedgwick Avenue to São Paulo, Tokyo, Lagos and London, the breaks traveled everywhere. Every dot on this globe is someone digging through the archive right now.

Dress codeHip Hop StyleTimbs and fatigues, Dickies and Locs, Girbauds and buffs: what every scene wore, decade by decade.
Live on eBay

The Artifact Wall

Browse the wall →
MixtapesRIXTAPES PRESENTS UNRELEASED WU TANG #2 NYC HIP HOP CASSETTE MIXTAPE RAREBuy It Now$25.99Vintage teesVintage 90s Oj Simpson Rap Tee You Be The Judge NO DRY ROT Buy It Now$37212-inch singlesIllmatic LP Vinyl Record Album Hip Hop Rap Classic 1990s East CoastBuy It Now$56.98Promo postersGANG STARR- Full Clip Promo Poster 100% ORIGINAL-1999 -RARE- East Coast Hip HopBuy It Now$49.99MagazinesThe Source Magazine Lot Of 2 1992 Geto Boys Fair Condition Hip Hop RapBuy It Now$67.99Show flyers1995 Kid Capri DJ Clue Ron G Clark Kent S&S Starski NYC Rap Show Flyer Hip HopBuy It Now$25.00
The machines

Gear that made the sound

All gear →
GearBehringer B-2MicrophoneGearKorg Electribe EM-1GrooveboxGearDigidesign Digi 002Controller, MixerGearIK Multimedia T-RackSSoftware

As an eBay Partner, Breakbeat Archive may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Videos embedded from YouTube.