(Last update: April 6, 2023)
Amazon Music pays tribute to the monumental influence of hip-hop on music, culture and society with 50 & Forever, a program celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, which will unite fans to honor the undeniable legacy of hip -hop and champion the artists writing the next 50 years of hip-hop history. Created by Rotation, Amazon Music’s hip-hop and R&B brand, 50 & Forever will give hip-hop its much-deserved blossoms, with curated events, live streams, playlists, original content and… new music, spanning Amazon Music, Twitch, Audible, Prime Video and Amp.
The celebration will feature some of the biggest names in hip-hop, from hip-hop’s golden era to the present day, including J. Cole and Dreamville, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, Jeezy, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Jadakiss, DJ Drama, Jodeci, Free Marie and Kenny Burns. Many more featured events and artists will be announced throughout 2023.
To kick off 50 & Forever, Amazon Music today launched Generational Queens, the first in a series of shorts that will be released throughout the year on Amazon Music. Directed by Fenn O’Meally and featuring an all-black female cast, the film centers on the first lady of hip-hop, Queen Latifah, and her groundbreaking and demanding feminist anthem “UNITY,” which turns 30 this year. . . The film captures the journey of musical discovery and shows that when hip-hop fandom begins at home, it continues for generations. See the short film here.
Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit Livestream, May 12-13
This May, Grammy- and Emmy-winning artist and Oscar-nominated artist Mary J. Blige returns to Atlanta for the second annual Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit, featuring four days of music, comedy, women’s empowerment and community building. To bring as many hip-hop and R&B fans as possible to celebrate the holiday, 50 & Forever will be live streaming a special event, Mary J. Blige B-Sides: A Celebration of HipHop50 with Special Guestsat State Farm Arena on Friday, May 12. Hosted by Kenny Burns and DJ E-Class, the evening will feature music spanning the career of Mary J. Blige and include special appearances by legendary artists like Jeezy, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Jadakiss, Jodeci, and d other special guests.
On Saturday, May 13, 50 & Forever will also livestream the series of panels and workshops from the summit, aimed at empowering women in the BIPOC community. Organized by Strength of a Woman’s Black, an all-female team, these talks will cover wellness, finance, beauty, technology and music. The summit will also feature live recordings of podcasts like Angela Yee’s Lip service, don’t call me white girlAnd Earn your leisure.
Rap Rotation Rewind featuring Free Marie and other 50 & Forever original content and playlists
Throughout 2023, 50 & Forever delivers highly curated original content, playlists and programming for hip-hop fans young and old. Available today, fans can experience Rap Rotation Rewind in DJ Modea new listening experience hosted by legendary radio/TV personality Free Marie (106 & Park, Power 105.1). Available to stream now, Rap Rotation Rewind in DJ Mode is an immersive listening experience that delivers a constant stream of iconic music from five decades of hip-hop, curated by Amazon Music’s team of experts and drawn from customers’ listening habits.
Throughout the experience, Free Marie will share intimate stories and untold anecdotes about classic hip-hop records, as well as interviews with the artists who created them. Fans can find out Rap Rotation Rewind in DJ Modehere or by saying “Alexa, play Rap Rotation Rewind in DJ mode”.
Fans will also be able to revisit and explore some of hip-hop’s most defining tracks via [RE]DISCOVER, Amazon Music’s catalog brand, which has carefully curated a series of playlists for each of the genre’s formative eras. Fans can listen The 2010s: Hip-Hop, The 2000s: hip-hop, The 90s: Hip-HopAnd 80s hip hop to explore the genre’s most influential music. Fans can listen to all 50 & Forever playlists and stations on Amazon Music here.
More 50 & Forever activities honoring hip hop’s most important artists and milestones will be announced throughout 2023. Stay tuned for more announcements throughout the year.
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