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Saturday

'Fresh Air' celebrates 50 years of hip-hop: Questlove; Chuck D; Diddy

In his new memoir, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson describes his life in music — and how he mimicked beats at just 10 months old. Danny Clinch/Grand Central Publishing hide caption

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Danny Clinch/Grand Central Publishing

Fresh Air Weekend

'Fresh Air' celebrates 50 years of hip-hop: Questlove; Chuck D; Diddy

Fresh Air

Questlove reflects on the Roots and his lifetime in music. Public Enemy's Chuck D discusses politically conscious rap. Hip-hop mogul Diddy says he's always been motivated to be "the best."

'Fresh Air' celebrates 50 years of hip-hop: Questlove; Chuck D; Diddy

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Thursday

Missy Elliott made hip-hop 'Supa Dupa Fly'

Missy Elliot performs at Lilith Fair at Jones Beach, New York, New York, July 16, 1998 Steve Eichner/Getty Images hide caption

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Steve Eichner/Getty Images

Music News

Missy Elliott made hip-hop 'Supa Dupa Fly'

Commentator Kiana Fitzgerald examines hip-hop game-changer Missy Elliott — as we celebrate 50 years of the genre.

Missy Elliott made hip-hop 'Supa Dupa Fly'

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Wednesday

The Culture Corner: Philadelphia's place in hip-hop history

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Rich Fury/Getty Images

World Cafe Words and Music Podcast

The Culture Corner: Philadelphia's place in hip-hop history

As we celebrate 50 years of hip-hop, World Cafe takes a look at the history of the genre in Philly.

The Culture Corner: Philadelphia's place in hip-hop history

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Monday

'Louder Than A Riot' reckons with hip-hop's past and looks to a more inclusive future

Megan Thee Stallion performs onstage during the 2023 LA Pride in the Park Festival. In the first episode of its second season, the Louder Than A Riot podcast examines the backlash Megan faced after being shot by rapper Tory Lanez. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images hide caption

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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Music Interviews

'Louder Than A Riot' reckons with hip-hop's past and looks to a more inclusive future

Fresh Air

Podcast hosts Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael say despite the misogynoir that has plagued the genre, hip-hop is poised for change. "The girls and the gays are running things," Madden says.

'Louder Than A Riot' reckons with hip-hop's past and looks to a more inclusive future

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Friday

Three 6 Mafia turns $4,500 into $45 million with 'Mystic Stylez'

3 members of the Memphis hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia. D.J. Paul (from left), Juicy J and Crunchy Black at MTV's Total Request Live on March 22, 2006, in New York City. Peter Kramer/Getty Images Entertainment hide caption

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Peter Kramer/Getty Images Entertainment

Music

Three 6 Mafia turns $4,500 into $45 million with 'Mystic Stylez'

In 1995, the Memphis hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia took a shoestring DIY approach to recording their debut album, Mystic Stylez. Their example led to a flourishing independent hip-hop scene.

Saturday

Kings and queens gathered for 'Hip Hop 50 Live' at Yankee Stadium

Darryl McDaniels (L) and Joseph Simmons (R) of Run-DMC, closing the Hip Hop 50 Live concert at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. early Saturday morning. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

Kings and queens gathered for 'Hip Hop 50 Live' at Yankee Stadium

An eight-hour concert Friday night was a procession of generations of hip-hop royalty, from the Sugar Hill Gang to current stars like Lil Wayne. Run-DMC gave what was billed as their last performance.

Kings and queens gathered for 'Hip Hop 50 Live' at Yankee Stadium

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Friday

Getting lit for hip-hop's 50th birthday

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NPR

It's Been a Minute

Getting lit for hip-hop's 50th birthday

On August 11, 1973, hip-hop was born at a house party in the Bronx. 50 years later the genre has been reshaped in the image of cities and regions around the world. Brittany Luse and NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce take a tour of those regions and look at where hip-hop might go in the next 50 years.

Getting lit for hip-hop's 50th birthday

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Hip-hop at 50: A history of explosive musical and cultural innovation
Illustration by Jackie Lay/NPR

Music

Hip-hop at 50: A history of explosive musical and cultural innovation

To mark hip-hop's 50th anniversary, NPR's All Things Considered explores five moments that are integral to how the culture grew and evolved.

Hip-hop at 50: A history of explosive musical and cultural innovation

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2023 'til infinity: A vision of hip-hop's next 50 years

Hip-hop's first 50 years have yielded expansion across the globe and domination of digital spaces. As the internet has collapsed physical gaps, major artists from outside the United States, like (clockwise from top left) Little Simz, Drake, Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Rema, have been able to communicate with American rap culture in real time. Paul Bergen / Amy Sussman / Frazer Harrison / Emma McIntyre / Torben Christensen/Getty Images hide caption

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Paul Bergen / Amy Sussman / Frazer Harrison / Emma McIntyre / Torben Christensen/Getty Images

Music Features

2023 'til infinity: A vision of hip-hop's next 50 years

Giving rap the future it deserves means smashing the infrastructure as it is. But with the battle lines drawn, we can still take heart in the artists teasing just how much further the culture can go.

Thursday

The birth of trap music and the rise of southern hip-hop

T.I.'s 2003 album, Trap Muzik, gave a name to a specific flavor of Atlanta rap that reflected the city's street culture. Vivien Killilea hide caption

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Vivien Killilea

Music

The birth of trap music and the rise of southern hip-hop

In 2003, T.I. and other Atlanta rappers created new subgenre of rap: trap music. Twenty years later, its influence is everywhere.

The birth of trap music and the rise of southern hip-hop

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How LA proved hip-hop could go global — by staying thoroughly local

Drakeo the Ruler, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Quik and N.W.A. Collage by Jackie Lay / NPR. Walik Goshorn / Bennett Raglin / Michael Loccisano / Theo Wargo/Getty Images / AP hide caption

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Walik Goshorn / Bennett Raglin / Michael Loccisano / Theo Wargo/Getty Images / AP

Hip-Hop 50: All Rap Is Local

How LA proved hip-hop could go global — by staying thoroughly local

There may be no better case for the power of hip-hop's geographic diversity than Los Angeles, whose sprawl of distinct creative microclimates is a genre unto itself.

2 Live Crew fought the law with its album, 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be'

2 Live Crew in 1989 (Mr. Mixx, Brother Marquis, Luther Campbell & Fresh Kid Ice) Raymond Boyd / Contributor/Getty Images / Michael Ochs Archives hide caption

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Raymond Boyd / Contributor/Getty Images / Michael Ochs Archives

Review

Music

2 Live Crew fought the law with its album, 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be'

In 1989, 2 Live Crew's As Nasty As They Wanna Be became the first album declared legally obscene, and the group's legal battles set a precedent for the rappers that followed.

2 Live Crew fought the law with its album, 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be'

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Hip-hop is 50. Its formula for global domination? Staying local
Jackie Lay & Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR

All Songs Considered

Hip-hop is 50. Its formula for global domination? Staying local

When DJ Kool Herc spun records at a small party in the Bronx in August of 1973, no one would have predicted his unique style would give birth to the most influential and dominant music in the world: hip-hop. In this special episode, we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the genre by looking at how and why the music has managed to remain a local phenomenon, even as it's taken hold of the world, and what's happening in some of the country's most vibrant scenes.

Hip-hop is 50. Its formula for global domination? Staying local

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