Rock the Bells and Mass Appeal, the media entity backed by LL’s fellow Queens-bred rap trailblazer, Nas, were both instrumental in many of the yearlong celebrations around Hip-Hop 50. They partnered with the Universal Hip Hop Museum for a sponsored tour, brought in brands to curate events centered around the cultural milestone and funded the institution’s permanent home, which will house and preserve much of its treasured memorabilia and stories.
Both were also strategic in the selection of brand partners, aligning with companies with existing track records of engagement with the community such as Cîroc (which sponsored both the museum tour and the Hip-Hop 50 Live concert at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx) and Rémy Martin, which sponsored the museum’s fundraising gala and collaborated with them on the “Mixtape Street Art Museum,” a stunning artistic homage to the legendary DJs of the era.
These other notable brands were best in class in honoring both old- and new-school creators this year:
Amazon Music
Created by Rotation—the hip-hop and R&B brand from Amazon Music and spanning the platform’s Amazon Music, Twitch, Audible, Prime Video and Amp apps—the yearlong “50 & Forever,” campaign features a curation of events, livestreams, playlists, original content and new music tailored to hip-hop fans of all ages. The campaign kicked off with Generational Queens, a short film directed by Fenn O’Meally in which two Gen Z girls discover their mother’s memory box, and subsequently, Queen Latifah’s empowering anthem, “U.N.I.T.Y.,” which celebrates its own 30th anniversary this year. The brand also sponsored J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival, and Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman Festival, and hosted City Sessions concerts in New York and Atlanta. In addition, the brand sponsored the Black Footwear Forum at The Pensole Lewis College, an HBCU dedicated to design, and the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, and released a documentary on the intersection of hip-hop and Latin culture.
Google Pixel has also had a busy year in the name of hip-hop. Among its many initiatives, the brand partnered with Live Nation and Mass Appeal to “bring 50 years of hip-hop to life for fans by telling its story” through immersive activations dedicated to Hip-Hop 50 at music festivals, sponsoring the star-studded Yankee Stadium concert, and partnering with Sony Music’s Certified label to launch “Pixel RePresents,” a full 360 campaign and content series that included exclusive merchandise. The campaign aimed to “elevate the underrepresented voices of women in hip-hop music and celebrate their diversity and creativity.” Google also partnered with Black media outlets such as Ebony.com for exclusive content and the Ntwrk platform to release a limited-edition Google Pixel Hip Hop collection, which included a Pixel Fold phone and accessories encased in a Victrola record player with accompanying music, a watch and custom “bling” designed by Simone Smith, wife of LL Cool J. The brand made a $100,000 donation to Femme It Forward’s Next Gem mentorship program in support of female students pursuing a career in entertainment.
