Officially 50: Happy Birthday HipHop!
Artwork By: @Art_Simpson_
“It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine. Salt-n-Peppa and Heavy D up in the limousine.” These vastly relatable lyrics painted the most accurate vision of the emergence of a culture that would literally take over the world. In the short 50 year lifespan of this global genre, HipHop has birthed not only millionaires but also multi-billionaires. As well as a plethora of award winning actors, actresses, and entertainers. This musical vehicle that started as a means to express the stories of the often overlooked and unheard Black disenfranchised youth became a home for pain, celebration, tragedy, triumph, and even advertisement.
A perfect embodiment of the Black experience HipHop was the underdog on the airwaves. Until it wasn’t. As the scene evolves you find every corner of marketers using, or abusing, the poetic and rhythmic style to sell or insert itself into the culture. HipHop has been folded and molded to build up so many spaces as a “cool” validator in an effort to cement products in the hearts of consumers. It is amazing how the world took to the fashion, the sound, the dance, the stories, the language produced by the authenticity. HipHop has been a peerless door that has built a boundless experience for a world of Black youth, whether artists, executives, enthusiasts or fans.
It is time that we give it the thanks it deserves. HipHop, you have been an inspiration and aspiration for those who thought the stories of their block would or could never matter. You have given the world something to connect with despite the distance between. While it is no denying that your influence is the catalyst for the success of so many, you deserve more than most have to give. Nearly every industry owes you a debt of gratitude for using your heart and soul to sell their products whether for shock value or genuine alignment. By being a gigantic genre you have built massive opportunities that will feed and impact generations to come. “You never thought that HipHop would take it this far.” We at Black Sound Wave thank you, and wish you well sustained years to come! Happy 50th Birthday HipHop!