KRS-ONE – 50 More Years of Hip-Hop (2023)

A tradition in the making; it’s just turned half a century old. Aug. 11, 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. To honor the legacy and influence of this now global culture, GRAMMY.com presents a timeline marking the genre’s biggest moments.

Mosi Reeves | Grammys, August 11, 2023

This year marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a cultural movement that rose from humble beginnings in New York to fuel a worldwide phenomenon.    

Scholars may debate whether its roots precede Aug. 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc debuted his “merry-go-round” technique of playing funk breaks back-to-back to a roomful of teenagers in the Bronx. However, there’s little doubt that this event sparked a flowering of activity throughout the borough, inspiring DJs, breakdancers, graffiti artists, and, eventually, pioneering MCs like Coke La Rock and Cowboy.  

The music industry eventually caught wind of the scene, leading to formative 1979 singles like the Fatback Band’s “King Tim III” — the funk band featured MC and hypeman Timothy “King Tim III” Washington — and the big one: the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.”   

Today, rap music is the most popular genre of music, led by superstars such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Eminem, and many others. Despite its massive success, many artists retain their strong ties to communities of color, reflecting the genre’s origins as a form rooted in the streets. 

[Intro] Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Another session, learn the lesson 50 More years of Hip Hop

[Verse 1] Bronx action, more action Floor crackin’, more passion Feed my people that raw rappin’ House to house like I’m Doordashing Assassin, you askin’, “Who is this?” And I’m still laughin’ Forward thinking, never backtracking Boom-bappin’, never rap lacking Got my people all up in the place Royalty, with a scar on they face Chocolate rap, you can all get a taste Architect, we built this place Vroom, vroom, vroom, time for the chase Chase down traitors invading the space Keeping the pace in a hole likе an ace Or an ace in the holе when I throw in the bass Race? No, you don’t really want to race Chase? No, you don’t really want to chase You don’t want to see me when I come up in the place Lyric after lyric in your motherfucking face Gal [?] scream out “What happened to his face?” [?] Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! That’s what happen, when you spit your rap And your skill are lacking and your beats are whack And you meet the captain that defeats the dragon And your mouth is shut cause you’re eating a magnum!

[Chorus] 50 more years of Hip Hop

[Verse 2] Yeah, listen All I do is spit raw Stick around and you’ll get more This is what I spit for That other shit I ignore Show up at the spot, go off the top like a wig store I give more, rappers looking puzzled like they Jigsaw As you can see, we rising Like from the 3rd floor to 6th floor 1520 Sedgwick Ave, come do a quick tour Ven aqui, stop listening to hip-hop cultures enemies And go to the website: birthplaceofhiphop.nyc You know that this is where the truth at Everybody that was old school was one time a New Jack So think about where you at And the future look at you back Are you going to be able to school cats Or be where them fools at? I’m coming again with the boom bap Many just can’t do that So I bring my raps and effects when I’m swingin’ on these New Jacks All you hear is boom, crack You still askin’ “Who’s that?” Well it’s the teacher, Newark New Jersey That’s where the school’s at Listen, they switching up your whole position Popeyes went from eating spinach now to frying chicken You better listen Knowledge Reigns Supreme, the other shit’s weird shit This that original, foundation, old grey beard shit Yeah, I see the ice, but where them vocals at You see the double metaphors I express on these local cats I bring the focus back This shit here is hot We spittin’ after 50 years of Hip Hop What we want?

[Chorus] 50 More Years of Hip Hop We reppin’ every block, we are never gonna stop, We got 50 More Years of Hip Hop Breakin’, MCin’, writin’, beatboxing, DJ-ing, we got 50 More Years of Hip Hop The best and no less, relief the stress, and stay fresh, We doin’ 50 More Years of Hip Hop

[Outro] You see we all here, we goin’ 50 more years