Credit: Inside the MagicHip-hop, the popular music genre, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
50 Years of Hip Hop: A Genre’s Birthday
Also known as hip hop culture or rap music, and once even called disco rap, 50 years of hip hop marks the celebration of an art form that came from the New York City Bronx. It was born in the BIPOC community.
While it started as an anti-drug and violence niche, the music evolved. Now there is a Universal Hip Hop Museum, and names like LL Cool J, DJ Kool Herc, and Doug E Fresh are regular names for any hip-hop-loving music fan.
Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Fun Facts
During the 50 years of hip hop, it expanded into a global phenomenon. From the Wu-Tang Clan to Snoop Dog, Slick Rick to NY Summer, there are plenty of hip hop culture examples from Los Angeles to Cypress Hill.
Now, it serves as an emblem for underpaid entertainers and ongoing systemic issues with recognition and payment. These issues are already in the spotlight in the Paris, New York, Los Angeles, and Disney Cast Member strikes.
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Disney Celebrates With Profits While Entertainers Go Without Pay
The Walt Disney Company is using the 50 years of hip hop as a way to embrace profits. Entertainers in an internationally renowned city went without pay. Disney has an international presence, and it ranges from theme parks to merch to music.
An increased effort in the “woke war” concept (designed by DeSantis) led to increases in Disney’s inclusion and diversity. It also aligns with the 50th anniversary of hip hop culture.
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Learning About Hip Hop Culture
The hip-hop movement began with the BIPOC community, and it’s hit 50 years in the spotlight. Yet while acts like B-Boy Arsin travel the world with a literal hamper to collect donations, it shows just how hard entertainers struggle.
The “World Stage Dancers” and “USA Break Dancers” member was interviewed by an Inside the Magic reporter, and the conversation revealed a pernicious pattern of underpayment in the industry. Despite the negatives, the hip hop dancer and world traveler advocated unity and having fun.
Exclusive Interview With “USA Break Dancers” Hip-Hopper
Doing an enthusiastic act of comedy mixed with hip-hop, a crowd of hundreds gathered to watch him raise the roof. Yet at the end of the celebration of 50 years of hip hop, the crowd dispersed without much ado. While Disney rakes in profits, real-world entertainers struggle to relay its core message that stems from the Bronx, New York music.
Hip-hop’s 50th anniversary happens to align with the “woke” values of Disney, but it still shows how long hip-hop has been around. Alvaro Gordillo, known as ‘B-Boy Arsin,’ spoke about the hip hop culture journey in an Inside the Magic exclusive.
Gordillo mentioned that while there is no charge to perform, the Busker Festival doesn’t pay for the work of the hip hop artists. However, the entertainer focused more on the celebration of 50 years of hip hop, noting the importance of its values. To an enthusiastic crowd, as part of the act, he infused the attraction with four things: Peace. Love. Unity. Having Fun.
Magic of 50 Years of Hip Hop
Per the USA Break Dancers entertainer, those are the central tenets of hip hop philosophy. Gordillo said to the group and reiterated later, “When we get together in the spirit of love, unity, peace, and having fun, something magic happens.”
That aligns with the spirit of Disney’s promotion, but it’s different in that Gordillo and the troupe actively perform hip-hop. Conversely, the Walt Disney Company is repackaging the greats. According to Gordillo, this enhances the work to raise awareness for the art form and for the value of entertainers everywhere.
Are you celebrating 50 years of hip hop? Let us know in the comments below, and tag your favorite artist!