In just 50 years, Hip Hop has birthed some of the biggest stars and cultural movements. To celebrate, we’ve put together a list of some of the most pivotal moments in Hip Hop.

1970s

1973: DJ Kool Herc creates the foundational elements of hip-hop: the breakbeat, at a block party in the Bronx. To accomplish this, he plays the same songs on two turntables and alternates between them. This loop format later gives rise to “breakdancing.”

1975: DJ Grand Wizard Theodore accidentally invents the scratching effect used by many DJs today. Additionally, he creates the “needle drop,” or the practice of dropping the needle at the very beginning of a song.

1979: “Rapper’s Delight,” the popular song by The Sugarhill Gang, introduces rap to a wider audience and lands on the national Top 40 chart.

1979: The Sequence becomes the first female rap trio to sign with a major label and go gold. The trio also tours with famous acts like The Gap Band, Confunkshun, and Parliament Funkadelic, eventually getting sampled by music acts like Dr. Dre.

1980s

1982: Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five introduce social and political themes into hip-hop with their song, “The Message.” It moves the genre past topics of partying and covers themes like poverty and urban life.

1983: A radio station based out of Los Angeles creates the first all hip-hop radio station format.

1985: Salt-n-Pepa, one of the most well-known female rap groups, officially forms in Queens, New York.

1988: N.W.A.’s controversial debut album, “Straight Outta Compton,” puts gangsta rap and West Coast hip-hop on the map.

1989: Will Smith and partner in crime, DJ Jazzy Jeff, win the first “Best Rap Performance” Grammy for their song, “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

1990s

1994: Nas raises the bar in hip-hop with his debut album, “Illmatic,” by presenting an album that focuses on lyricism and storytelling.

1995: Outkast’s debut album, “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” is a genre-bending album that changes the landscape of Southern rap by merging Southern funk, soul, and hip-hop.

1996: Master P’s “No Limit Records” sees monumental success as an independent record label, releasing a wide variety of artists, including records from Master P.

1999: Lauryn Hill becomes the first hip-hop artist to win the “Album of The Year” Grammy Award for her work on “The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.”

2000s - Now

2003: 50 Cent dominates the mainstream charts with his commercial hit, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” selling 12 million copies worldwide.

2004: Lil’ Jon and the East Side Boyz put “crunk” music, a Southern-style subgenre of hip-hop, on the map. Their album “Crunk Juice” plays a pivotal role in making this party-style sound popular.

2010: Drake helps usher in a new sound, the fusion of hip-hop and R&B, on his mixtapes and debut album, “Thank Me Later.”

2011: Genre-bending rap collective Odd Future, led by Tyler The Creator, becomes increasingly popular due to their internet success.

2013: The rap trio Migos ushers in the widespread adoption of trap music, a Southern-derived subgenre, with their popular hits “Versace” and “Bad and Boujee.”

2015: The “Soundcloud Rap” era begins, ushering in a new era of artists taking an untraditional route to reach global audiences. Additionally, the music streaming app “Apple Music” launches, solidifying the change in listening habits and the adoption of music streaming.

2020: The rise of social media platforms like “TikTok” influences new music discovery and helps emerging hip-hop artists gain worldwide popularity.

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