Hip-hop's 50th anniversary—see how brands are celebrating

It all started with a block party 50 years ago in the Bronx, where DJ Kool Herc began rapping while scratching an instrumental track during his set, paving the way for a new genre of music—hip-hop. Throughout August, block parties are being hosted in honor of that first summer jam in the birthplace of hip-hop. Marketers are also taking part in the celebrations with efforts such as murals, animated shorts, limited-edition products and live concert series. Also read: How hip-hop transformed advertising Here are some of this month’s brand activations: Spotify Most Necessary Live touched down in Houston last night to showcase the rising stars coming out of Texas! #MostNecessaryLive📸: @filmpata pic.twitter.com/ICphDvBNDU— RapCaviar (@RapCaviar) August 3, 2023 Spotify is tapping into both real-life and digital activations around the anniversary. The music streaming platform erected murals and billboards of artists such as Lil’ Kim, T.I. and Pop Smoke in their respective hometowns, depicting different rap scenes across the country. Illustrator and image maker Raj Dhunna designed the ads. Spotify will also debut editorially curated animated shorts with narration from artists that will highlight hip-hop’s influence in at least nine countries. Spotify also developed a hub of more than 40 global hip-hop playlists, reflecting the various eras, regions and trends that make up the genre. In addition to the hub, Spotify has transformed its “Most Necessary Live” playlist, which features emerging artists in hip-hop, into a live concert. The concert kicked off in Houston on Aug. 2 with performing artists DeeBaby, KenTheMan, Mike Dimes, Monaleo and That Mexican OT. “We wanted to acknowledge the anniversary in more than one way,” said Carl Chery, creative director, head of urban music at Spotify. “Three months ago, we kicked off conversations on social media with our Top 50 Hip-Hop lists and are now showcasing how hip-hop’s and Spotify’s history intersects.” Pepsi The soda giant is paying tribute to one of the all-time hip-hop greats, The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Christopher Wallace). Three years ago, Pepsi turned newly discovered audio of Biggie freestyling about his love for Pepsi into an ad. This month, the soda brand is planning a new Biggie campaign featuring virtual and physical experiences—from street art across major cities worldwide to limited edition Pepsi cans. Hennessy The cognac brand, which is name-checked in an untold number of hip-hop tracks, commissioned the rapper Nas to pen a handwritten homage to the past, present and future of hip-hop culture, which was then turned into a minute-long commercial. Hanes The classic white tee was created at the end of World War II as a basic underwear base layer—but hip-hop helped redefine it. Hanes worked with filmmaker Shomi Patwary to offer its thanks to hip-hop and its many artists for taking part in its evolution. iHeart Radio Now in its third year, “Living Black” gathers together rap legends and new artists for a night of performances and insightful conversations around Black culture. Artists Usher, Miguel, Glorilla, NLE Choppa and Coco Jones performed at this year’s live event. iHeart Radio broadcast the special on its hip-hop and R&B stations, along with its YouTube and Facebook channels, on Aug. 2. Vevo All year long, Vevo has been weaving hip-hop into its existing music video series “Footnotes,” which takes viewers behind the scenes of their favorite videos, with greats such as Public Enemy and Cypress Hill speaking about their iconic videos. In another special series, artists will discuss their own personal favorite music videos—content that will run across channels such as Instagram and connected TV. Google Pixel Google Pixel is paying homage to artists, entertainers and fans who make up hip-hop in a minute-long ad promoting the Google Pixel Fold and Google Pixel 7 Pro. Leaning into cultural quips, the narrator raps in the background, “From Sedgwick Ave. to MSG, it’s all G.” Sedgwick Avenue. is where DJ Kool Herc’s first block party was held, while MSG refers to Madison Square Garden. Roc Nation Roc Nation teamed up with the Brooklyn Public Library in New York to curate an exhibition on the life of rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z, who founded and owns the entertainment company. Never-before-seen images and art from the artist's archives can be seen in the free exhibit, titled “The Book of Hov.” The installation, held in the borough where Jay-Z was born, is designed to appear as a book, with the Central Library wrapped in Jay-Z’s lyrics. A large digital cube playing music videos can be seen in the library’s foreground. Brands on the rise A look at up-and-coming brands disrupting their categories Read more here BET Like Vevo, BET’s hip-hop 50 coverage is a year-long effort. On its website and social channels, the network showcased The Roots frontman Black Thought (who also happens to be turning 50 this year) and his love letter to hip-hop. “I think it’s important for us to celebrate hip-hop because it’s an art form, it’s a culture that was created for us by us almost out of necessity,” said Black Thought. The site also includes everyday hip-hop facts, filterable by month and day, and a man-on-the-street interview series, Rap IQ, in partnership with McDonald’s. Timberland Timberland’s iconic boot is also turning 50 this year. To celebrate, the footwear company created a special-edition Hip Hop Royalty 6-Inch Boot, which hit stores in February. The boot pays tribute to the four pillars of hip-hop—DJ’ing, MC’ing, graffiti and breakdancing—and also name-checks hip-hop’s birthplace, Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, according to the company. Sprite Drake concert tickets, a Rolling Loud hat and Diddy-signed vinyl are just a few of the co-branded drops on Sprite's website. Throughout the summer, the soda brand has been partnering with rappers such as Latto, Nas, Glorilla and Rakim to create and release the limited-edition items. A 60-second commercial created in-house for the anniversary sees all the artists rapping with a Sprite. Amazon Music Amazon Music’s “50 & Forever” program, a set of events commemorating the birth of hip-hop, kicked off at J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival in April and Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman Festival & Summit in May. In March, the music platform released “Generational Queens,” the first in an ongoing series of short films about hip-hop. Directed by Fenn O’Meally and in partnership with agency Droga5, the film focuses on rapper Queen Latifah (Dana Elaine Owens) and her groundbreaking, respect-demanding feminist anthem “U.N.I.T.Y.,” which turns 30 this year. “More than music, hip-hop has broken barriers and redefined culture across fashion, sports, film and social movements,” said Tim Hinshaw, head of hip-hop and R&B at Amazon Music. “From art to activism, hip-hop hasn’t just changed history, but is history, and ‘50 & Forever’ pays tribute to the indelible mark that hip-hop has made on the culture.” Mass Appeal We are thrilled to announce @hiphop50 Live: a star-studded concert ft @OfficialRunDMC @liltunechi @snoopdogg @icecube & MANY MORE to be announced! Tickets starting at $50, available for presale on 6/8. Stay tuned for more updates @Yankees and @MLB #HipHop50 pic.twitter.com/YNMQ5fwW2a— MASS APPEAL (@MassAppeal) June 5, 2023 In recent years, hip-hop has seen a wave of up-and-coming female artists making a name for themselves in the industry. Entertainment company Mass Appeal, owned by rapper Swizz Beatz, created a miniseries with Google featuring five up-and-coming female hip-hop artists remaking classic records and album art, photographed on Pixel by emerging female photographers. On Aug. 11, Mass Appeal will throw a massive Hip Hop 50 live concert featuring stars such as Run DMC, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Common. DJ Kool Herc is also expected to DJ at the event. Rémy Martin Cognac brand Rémy Martin released the final edition of its VSOP Mixtape bottle, which includes a QR code linking to curated hip-hop playlists on iHeart Radio. The bottle is part of a campaign that also features a traveling art exhibit spotlighting eight iconic mixtape DJs from five cities across the country. The exhibit, which is powered by augmented reality, was created by illustrator Xia Gordon. Agency Fred & Farid New York handled the creative. “Rémy Martin has been linked to music for decades,” said Amaury Vinclet, global executive director at Rémy Martin in a statement. “With the release of this third mixtape, we are curating a new kind of vintage celebration that puts the living legacy of music and cognac culture forever at the center.” YouTube Introducing "Fifty Deep" – YouTube’s tribute for not just Year 50 of Hip Hop.. but for Year 51, 52, 53… into perpetuity. Check blog below for more info. #FiftyDeep #HipHop50 #Respect @YouTube @youtubemusic https://t.co/WjZTYdzW0q— Tuma Basa (@tumabasa) August 8, 2023 YouTube is rolling Fifty Deep, a brand campaign comprised of a music library and digital activations. With more than 2,000 videos, the Fifty Deep library spotlights videos that have changed the rap game. They will appear across YouTube Music playlists, such as Fifty Deep, Fashion Killas, Sunny Daze, Its The Remix and Street Code. A “Type Beats Yoodle” illustration, running on YouTube’s homepage on Aug. 11, will feature a custom logo paying homage to the world of “Type Beats,” where producers craft future hits and major artists seek inspiration. Multiple songs such as Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” J. Cole’s “Procrastination,” Pop Smoke’s “Welcome to the Party” and Meek Mill’s “I’m a Boss” all have origins from “type beats” found on YouTube. YouTube will also exclusively stream the Hip Hop 50 Live concert at Yankee Stadium on Mass Appeal’s channel, presented by Google Pixel.

Hip-hop's 50th anniversary—see how brands are celebrating

Featured Stories