There’s always been a connection between sports and music. When it comes to the Falcons, hip-hop has played a prominent role since the early1990s when M.C. Hammer would cheer on the team during Deion Sanders’ reign.
It was around that time when Atlanta’s music scene would lay the foundation for what would become one of the more impressive runs in American history.
Fast-forward to 2023 and the nation is celebrating the 50th year of Hip-Hop and Atlanta stands as the epicenter of the genre which was birthed in Bronx, New York.
To pay homage to Atlanta’s impact on hip-hop, AMB Sports and Entertainment and Atlanta Falcons honored Hip-Hop 50 as the team battled against the New Orleans Saints.
Tameka Rish, Vice President, Event and Game Experience for AMBSE, served as the lead on the celebration. Rish reached out to different influential figures in Atlanta’s music industry to help plan the event.
Rish knew that the celebration had to equate to the enormous impact of Atlanta’s culture.
Before the game, a multitude of hip-hop artists, DJs, and producers were honored on the field for their contributions to the genre.
T.I. would rap his hit “Bring Em Out” as the Falcons were introduced pre-game.
Throughout the game, there were performances by multiple artists. Artists from the Crunk music era, Bone Crusher and Pastor Troy, performed their hype anthems “Never Scared,” and “No Mo Play In G.A.,” respectively.
TLC made a surprise appearance to honor Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes with a performance by youth dancers from Atlanta’s Ron Clark Academy.
During the halftime show several artists took the main stage at half-field. Jermaine Dupri opened with “Welcome to Atlanta”; Quavo followed as his performance was filmed as he walked near the roof of the stadium; Big Boi rapped “Kryptonite” and his hit “The Way You Move”; and Jeezy paid tribute to fallen rapper Shawty Lo by performing “They Know.”
The biggest moment came prior to the fourth quarter as Ludacris surprised fans by bungee jumping from the top of the stadium. He rapped “Move B—” while suspended in air.
The moment inspired multiple memes and went viral on social media.
Overall, the celebration proved to have a Super Bowl-like feel as the music nearly eclipsed the game.
Because Atlanta’s Black community has moved the culture forward, there aren’t many teams in the league that could’ve pulled off an equally impressive celebration to Hip-Hop 50.
A group poses for a photo before the Week 12 Game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, November 26, 2023. (Photo by Karl Moore/Atlanta Falcons)
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