In honor of hip-hop’s 50th celebration and Black Music Month, the National Black Arts Festival hosted “Rapper’s Delight: 50 Years of Hip Hop.”
The event, held at Westside Paper in Atlanta, featured an immersive gallery that included multiple installations that highlighted the story of hip-hop from its beginning on August 11, 1973 until its current impact today.
Each installation highlighted specific eras in hip-hop and the most influential artists and DJs of the moment. Guests were given headphones where a silent disco allowed them to hear rap music from different regions and time periods.
There was also an honors ceremony where Atlanta hip-hop pioneers such as Big Oomp Records’ Big Oomp, DJ Jelly, MC Assault and DJ Montay, and Ryan Cameron were recognized for their contributions.
DJ Scratch, Empress Rah, DJ Jelly, and DJ Princess Cut performed live sets during the event.
Carolyn Grady, whose photos of prominent hip-hop artists were featured, shared her thoughts on the event and how she teamed up with NBAF.
“I’ve always attended hip-hop events,” Grady said. “I reached out to NBAF to see if I could be a part of this because I absolutely love hip-hop. I wanted to try highlight many artists that represent different styles of hip-hop. It’s always a difficult thing, but I just try to represent many aspects and styles as possible.”
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