After explaining how DJ Kool Herc helped birth hip-hop by bringing the Jamaican dancehall culture — and its air horn sounds — to New York City, Cipha explained why he added the sound to his sets.

Cipha Sounds helped turn a party sound into a global icon, blending Jamaican dancehall roots with hip hop radio style to shape the way generations recognize energy in music.

The wheedling bellow of the air horn, when blasted once or many of times in staccato succession, tells all within earshot to get the fuck ready. It is a magically powerful sound.

Born on a B-side of a Bob Marley and the Wailers record, the air horn sound has been associated with reggae and Jamaican dancehall music since the 1960s. What was once a staple of the club scene ...