Hip Hop Pioneers Come Together To Celebrate Hip Hop's 50th Anniversary

Over the weekend, DJ Cassidy brought out some of the biggest names in hip-hop for Pass The Mic Live — a celebration concert for the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop brought to you by the Black Promoters Collective.

"Tonight is a celebration of hip-hop," the renowned DJ told the sold-out crowd at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. "This is how we celebrate hip-hop 50." He added that the event marked a transformative moment in bridging generations through the spirit of celebration.

iHeartRadio's Power 105.1 sponsored the event, with over 25 icons from hip-hop's "Golden Era" in attendance. The legends commemorated the culture's 50th anniversary by gracing the stage during the epic three-hour concert. The legendary lineup included iconic MCs such as Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Rakim, Slick Rick, KRS-One, and Melle Mel, to name a few.

Christopher Reid —also known as Kid from the iconic hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play — was also in attendance. In an exclusive interview with iHeartRadio's Jazmyn 'Jaz' Summers, the hip-hop legend spoke of his musical legacy, sharing that he believes Kid 'n Play "are a brick in the very vast wall" that represents hip-hop over the last 50 years.

He also discussed his cult classic film, House Party, which he said has become "synonymous with hip-hop culture."

"We love it," he shared. "New generations are always getting exposed to it. It's kind of weird when 12-year-olds are chasing you down, but that's a good thing. That means they are raising these kids right."

Summers also spoke with Treach of Naughty By Nature, who humorously thanked the haters who predicted that hip-hop would only last a few years. "I heard every year from different people [in the industry] that that rap stuff wouldn't last more than five years," he recalled. "Every time they said it, we just went harder, and now it's 50 years." 

"Thank you to all haters," he continued. "We are here for all-time. 50 years [and counting]. We did that!"

Hip-hop legend Rakim also expressed his gratitude for being part of such a momentous occasion, telling Summers, "Hip Hop 50 has been an amazing celebration of the culture. To rock the stage with so many legendary artists was a blessing, and I’m just glad to be a part of it."

If you missed the NYC Show, DJ Cassidy announced that another celebration concert is coming to State Farm Arena in Atlanta on September 2.

Be sure to check out the backstage videos from the NYC show in the video above! (Video shot by Sean Bell @shotsbyseanbell)

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