NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Universal Music Group (UMG), announced plans for a series of events, including live performances to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip-Hop.
UMG’s 50th anniversary slate kicks off with a special lighting of New York’s iconic Empire State Building in gold to mark the official debut of Hip-Hop in New York on August 11th.
The lighting ceremony, which will take place on August 10th will feature appearances from legendary Def Jam Recordings artists, including Ja Rule, Ashanti and Jadakiss – who all hail from Gotham, followed by a special event in Brooklyn to count in the milestone date.
Along with the lighting ceremony and Brooklyn event, UMG announced the launch of HH50.com, a new dedicated hub where fans can find exclusive and limited merchandise and drops from some of their favorite hip-hop icons, both past and present. Participating artists include Public Enemy, Ice Spice, Rae Sremmurd, Playboi Carti, Lil Wayne, Destroylonely, Ken Carson among others.
The site will also feature curated content and playlists from UMG artists and labels, interactive lenses, a social content aggregator of HH50 related activity and map of HH50 events in the U.S. throughout 2023.
Additional events will be added throughout Hip-Hop’s golden anniversary year.
“Universal Music Group is incredibly excited to continue to support artists in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop. As a cornerstone of art and culture, built by the power and voices of black artists, Hip-Hop’s influence can be felt around the globe. This year we’re reflecting back on those voices who built the genre and shining a light on the next generation of artists who will shape its future with the launch of HH50.com, a new fan-dedicated hub that highlights this historic moment in time, and gives fans an opportunity to look back, participate and interact with the celebrations. UMG is honored that multi-platinum, award winning artists Ja Rule, Ashanti and Jadakiss will commemorate this Golden Anniversary by lighting up the Empire State Building in gold and will be supporting this historic moment with a curated celebration meant to unite artists, influential VIPs, and key innovators in the world of Hip-Hop, followed by a series of other events and activity to support this historic anniversary,” stated Alexandra Hinkle, Chief Marketing Officer, Global Consumer Marketing at UMG.
“We chose New York to celebrate Hip-Hop at 50 because it is the birthplace of the genre and we are honored to light up the Empire State Building with Ja Rule, Ashanti, and Jadakiss. Following the ceremony, we’ll move the celebration across the river to Brooklyn for a special event. This activation is the first of several that UMG will have throughout the remainder of the year to celebrate our artists and labels that have helped shape and redefine the genre over the past five decades,” added Eric Alexander, VP, Head of Marketing Strategy, Global Consumer Marketing at UMG.
