Rapper Nas is leading the celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary

Record ID: 1701921

  • Title: Rapper Nas is leading the celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary
  • Date: 9th December 2022
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE - FEBRUARY 2022) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** (SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF MASS APPEAL, PETER BITTENBENDER, SAYING: “But really it's about educating this generation about the roots of Hip-Hop and to see - they can see where it started and where it's gone and to see the, the, ever evolving impact. Because
  • Embargoed: 23rd December 2022 16:41
  • Keywords: 50th anniversary culture hip-hop music nas rapper
  • Location: Various
  • City: Various
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Music,North America
  • Reuters ID: LVA00D570109122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: MUSIC NOT CLEARED FOR USE, PLEASE CHECK WITH THE APPLICABLE COLLECTING SOCIETY OR RELEVANT RIGHTS HOLDERS IN YOUR TERRITORY REGARDING CLEARANCE OF ANY SOUND RECORDINGS
    As Hip-Hop prepares to turn 50 in 2023, rapper Nas wants to make sure the world understands its history, relevance and influence.
    “Hip-Hop was never just music,” said Nas.
    “It was always the, the elements of deejaying from deejaying to dancing, to dancing to graffiti art, writing, different fashion. There's so many different things with Hip-Hop, so it always has been multiple things, multiple elements, and now there's so many more things involved with it,” he added.
    Through his company, Mass Appeal, the native New Yorker is helping to spearhead numerous events leading up to the anniversary.
    As part of those efforts, #HipHop50 was created, as a way to mark the milestone through “immersive global activations from original music, live events, documentaries, and digital content - all accompanied by charitable elements."
    Documentary films on the culture of the music genre are being produced in conjunction with Showtime. In addition to a 10-part EP soundtrack produced respectively by Swizz Beatz, The-Dream, Hit-Boy and others.
    “We wanted to create something that was kind of…make people recognize how impactful this world – this culture has been. Not just in America, but globally,” said Mass Appeal CEO Peter Bittenbender.
    Hip-Hop was born in the south section of the New York City borough of the Bronx, in the United States, in the late 1970s. The dancing, rapping and deejaying elements of Hip-Hop grew out of an inner-city environment but it has since evolved into a multi-billion dollar part of mainstream global culture.
    Nas said he was electrified when he first heard Hip-Hop as a child and credits it with saving his life.
    “Hip-Hop has always been a voice for the voiceless,” said Nas.
    “Now more of the voiceless have a platform, and the people feel like they can be a part of it. All over the world, different languages.”
    When asked where he thinks Hip-Hop going in the next 50 years, he was optimistic.
    “I hope that it’s still thriving and staying innovative, and people are in control of their destinies and people are united through Hip-Hop and awaken about the things that are wrong in our societies through the words of Hip-Hop.”
    The company marks the official date of the anniversary as August 11, 2023.
    (Production: Sandra Stojanovic, Rollo Ross, Alicia Powell)
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