iHeartMedia has announced iHeartRadio Presents: 50 Years of Hip-Hop, a year-long look at the impact of hip hop music on society and culture.
iHeartMedia will dedicate its multi-plaform assets, including radio, streaming, podcasting and its nationally-recognized events and reach, to share the story of artist and creators who defined the hip hop genre and its sound, as well as the iconic artists who followed afterward to dominate music and culture today.
A new podcast will be the cornerstone of the initiative, called 50 Years of Hip-Hop. The show will debut in February and distributed in twelve parts throughout 2023.
“Over the last five decades, hip-hop has evolved from a burgeoning fringe genre to one of the biggest selling formats in music and a leading force in global culture,” Doc Wynter, the president of hip hop and R&B programming for iHeartMedia, said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout the year with the artists and creators that shaped this genre”
Other initiatives include:
- Custom vignettes and spots with top hip-hop artists, including 50 Cent, Diddy, E-40, French Montana, GloRilla, Ice Cube, NLE Choppa, T.I., Toosii, Young Dro and more, who will share personal stories of what made them fall in love with hip-hop that will air across its broadcast stations and on the iHeartRadio App.
- During the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards in March, iHeartRadio will pay a special tribute to Def Jam Records, the world’s first Hip-Hop record label.
- Also in March, iHeartRadio will shine a light on the women of hip-hop as part of its celebration of International Women’s Day, set to air on March 8, 2023.
- Throughout the spring and summer, and in conjunction with Black Music Month in June, iHeartRadio will produce vignettes highlighting how hip-hop has inspired some of today’s biggest artists to air across broadcast stations and the iHeartRadio App.
- In August, “iHeartRadio’s Living Black!” returns, celebrating the power of Black culture and its impact on the world. The celebration culminates with an hour-long special produced by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning, Rikki Hughes. The event will be promoted on over 550 stations, honoring the Black community and paying homage to modern day history makers and trend setters who have shaped culture, along with performances from some of the biggest names in music.
The year-long celebration of hip-hop music will conclude with a special tribute to the genre at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in September and the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour in December.
