The 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop Begins Year-Long Celebration

As the world begins to honor the historic 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop on Aug. 11, Legends Recordings and The Brand Liaison have announced a roster of retailers, licensees, brand collaboration partners and events that are celebrating the anniversary and supporting the For the Culture Fund to give back to communities that supported hip-hop for five decades.  

The official festivities will kick off with the Battle Champs competition sponsored by Snipes in Times Square Aug. 13-15. They will crown the Kings and Queens of the MCs, DJs, graffiti artists, breakers and beatboxers as judged by some of the legends in each of these core elements of hip-hop.

Licensing partners include apparel from Marc Ecko/Thread Collective, Ed Hardy, Mitchell & Ness, Wren & Glory, IML, Philcos, Haus of JR, Killer Tees, Da Spot and Brisco Apparel, along with headphones, speakers and other electronics from MiGear, throws and other unique products from Uncanny Brands, fan chains, stickers magnets and lanyards from AtaBoy and Aminco, eyewear from Vontelle and posters from Imageo Art.  

50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop merchandise from these and other suppliers will be featured at Macy’s, Walmart, Hot Topic, Forever 21, Fanatics, Amazon and Threadless, which is also running a dedicated 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop design challenge.  

Related:The 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop Goes International

The 50th Anniversary licensed apparel will also be supported by collaborations with classic brands with a rich history in the hip-hop community, such as Mitchell & Ness, Marc Ecko and Ed Hardy. The program will include a special collection from graffiti artist, Tats Cru, and the NBA, which will drop in late October, right before National Hip-Hop Celebration Month in November.   

The international celebration will start on Oct. 6 at the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop European Headquarters in Berlin with 50 straight weeks of programming, including a pop-up shop, events, receptions, workshops and masterclasses. This global celebration will last a full year until the Universal Hip-Hop Museum opens at the end of 2024.