Hip-hop is turning 50 in 2023 and Nas is planning a huge ceremony in its honor. The Queensbridge rapper and Sacha Jenkins, the chief creative officer of his company Mass Appeal, are producing a documentary series called “Hip Hop 50,” in partnership with Showtime, highlighting the musical genre’s history and global impact.
“There are so many more stories. I’m opening up with this, but ‘Hip Hop 50’ is a multi-tier initiative, created by Mass Appeal [in partnership with CBS Viacom], and we built this platform to ensure the anniversary of hip-hop is celebrated in a real iconic way, and that everybody should be involved with this,” explained the Grammy winning Nas in a statement to Variety.
“This is something that’s coming up that we don’t want to just pass by like it’s small. This is the biggest birthday in the world. You’re going to see the stories from every element of hip-hop, whether it’s the street stories, whether it’s the MCing. Whatever it is, we want to celebrate and push this birthday party to the max,” the Illmatic MC further commented.
Some of the documentaries that will be part of the series will include an untitled Ralph McDaniels documentary, which focuses on the iconic music video TV show “Video Music Box.” Jenkins also told Variety that a documentary exploring the power of women in hip-hop called “Push It” is part of the lineup. Several podcasts and unscripted shows are in the works as well.
“’73 marks the party that Kool Herc threw for his sister in the basement of a building in the Bronx. ‘77 definitely put a battery in some people’s backs who didn’t have the equipment. Still, a little before people were out in the parks, proto-hip-hop was happening as early as ‘73, and that’s what is going to commemorate this 50th anniversary in 2023,” added Jenkins who’s currently a producer on the Showtime series “Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men.”
Check out the trailer of the “Hip Hop 50” package on the following page.
