The 50th anniversary and cultural impact of hip-hop
The Excerpt
USA TODAY
4.1 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 16 August 2023
⏱️ 14 minutes
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Summary
This year marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a cultural phenomenon that has not only shaped the music industry but also had a lasting impact on society and pop culture. It has, at times, been a controversial catalyst for social change, self-expression, and Black empowerment. Journalist Kiana Fitzgerald takes us on a deep dive into the roots, evolution, and influence of hip-hop over the past five decades.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, and welcome to a special edition of Five Things. |
| 0:05.4 | I'm Dana Taylor. |
| 0:06.4 | Today is Wednesday, August 16, 2023. |
| 0:11.5 | The first Grammy Award for Hip Hop best rap performance was won by DJ Jazzy Jeff and |
| 0:17.3 | the Fresh Prince for their song Parents Just Don't Understand. |
| 0:21.4 | But they, along with other hip hop artists, boy-cotted the Grammys because the rap category |
| 0:26.9 | was not televised. |
| 0:28.8 | That was in 1989, fast forward 10 years to 1999, and Lauren Hill's solo debut, the miseducation |
| 0:37.1 | of Lauren Hill, became the first hip hop album to win the Grammy for album of the year. |
| 0:42.5 | Over the course of 50 years, the cultural reach of hip hop has traveled a winding road that |
| 0:48.6 | now places at front and center in American pop culture. |
| 0:53.1 | Here to discuss the 50th anniversary of hip hop is Keanuf It's Gerald, the journalist |
| 0:58.7 | cultural critic, and DJ. |
| 1:01.4 | Her new book, O To Hip Hop, 50 albums that define 50 years of trailblazing music is on book |
| 1:07.9 | shelves now. |
| 1:08.9 | Keanu, thanks so much for joining me. |
| 1:11.2 | Thank you. |
| 1:12.2 | I'm so excited to be here. |
| 1:13.2 | To like other influential cultural movements, hip hop is not without controversy. |
| 1:19.4 | Despite backlashes to explicit lyrics, sexism, violence, the genre has endured. |
| 1:26.2 | But do non-hippop bands not understand about the music? |
| 1:31.4 | That's a great question. |
... |
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