There are many things up for debate in hip-hop. Could Joey Bada$$ flame 2Pac in a battle if the latter was still alive? Did Remy Ma ether Nicky Minaj on her diss track? Who's the greatest MC: Biggie, Jay Z, Nas or another great rapper? One thing that isn't, though, is the birth of the culture, and Clive Campbell's place within it.

Better known as DJ Kool Herc, his technique of using two copies of a record to elongate the "break" of hard funk and Latin procession-filled songs became the fundamental basis of hip-hop. His first party for his sister's birthday at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx featured both the first hip-hop rhyme ever by rapper Coke La Rock, and b-boys. He influenced two upstarts, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, who took the technique he developed to new commercial heights that, and, without question, changed the world.

His larger contributions to the culture were not recorded or captured on wax, which makes them almost incompatible in a new world that thrives on content. Kool Herc pops up across hip-hop history, though, in many forms and real heads keep his name and legacy alive. The fact that among mostly fictionalized characters in Netflix's "The Get Down" his name and likeness is included adds credibility to the show and added incentive for a new generation to learn more about him, and discover how an 18-year-old kid from the Bronx spawned a cultural revolution and an entire genre.

As a salute to Herc, XXL pulls together a playlist that features artists showing respect to the godfather in their songs throughout the years. Respect the architect.