Yes, Hip-Hop is one of the most influential sounds of our lifetime and it’s also the most pervasive culture we’ve ever known. Originating from young people who were done with being frustrated, ignored, and fed up with societal and community injustices of being young Black and poor, they flipped the script and created a rhythm-based expression of storytelling that reaches into all facets of our society. And it all started with a party, the founders of Hip-Hop literally threw a party – painted the walls, wrote the words, laid the beats, grabbed the mic, and moved their bodies to say what they needed to say. The sound ignited a culture that knows no bounds and has had a global impact on young people all over the world. Over the past 50 years, Hip-Hop has birthed a range of sounds, shown up across a mix of scenes, and taken on several meanings in terms of its role within culture. The healing effects of Hip- Hop may not be as widely known as the other five elements but they will be soon through the work of Hip Hop Public Health and their “6th Element” experience.

From changes in style, cadence, lyrical content, its shift from underground to mainstream, a pillar of political change and a playmaker in high fashion, Hip-Hop as we know it, and as we have known it, has proven to not only be a cultural chameleon, but a real pioneer in its progression. It’s been tapped into across several industries and gone well beyond where it started 50 years ago.

In this mind-blowing conversation we will call out the most recognizable gifts of the first 50 years of Hip-Hop and have some fun looking ahead at where Hip-Hop might take us in the next century.

Join us for a roundtable with DMC in partnership Hip Hop Public Health.

– Your RSVP does not guarantee admission; Admission is on a First Come, First Served basis for All Events

– All Events are NO RE-ENTRY and any departing guests will have their credentials/bands clipped