The early 20th century popular musicinharlem was ragtime the virtual hip hop music of its day many of the neighborhoods young black and jewish musical talents which included dukeellington george gershwin and richard rodgers where influenced by those evolving rhythms by 1914 harlemwas the second largest jewish community in america with composers like gershwin hammerstein and rodgers working in collaboration with their rising african american neighbors and counterparts wc handy j