Vice President Kamala Harris will celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary Saturday by hosting an all-star celebration at her official residence featuring Common, Jeezy, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante and more. The event is being presented in collaboration with the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective and Live Nation Urban and will welcome “artists, musicians, industry leaders and cultural trailblazers,” according to the announcement. Judging by the lineup, the event seems intended to honor hip-hop’s present and history: Common and Jeezy came up in the 1990s and the ‘00s, respectively, while female rappers MC Lyte and Roxanne Shante are both from the genre’s halcyon days of the early 1980s.
This commemoration will mark the first time that a sitting vice president has ever hosted a celebration of this kind, according to the announcement. More than 400 guests are expected to attend.
In her remarks, Vice President Harris will uplift the monumental impact this genre has on American culture and people across the globe, the announcement states. “The Vice President will also highlight the importance of honoring the contributions of musicians throughout history, demonstrate what music represents for Black Americans, and reinforce the Biden Harris Administration’s commitment to celebrating the arts. As the Vice President has said, hip-hop is a reflection of the incredible diversity and ingenuity of the people of America.”
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr, said, “The Recording Academy and the Black Music Collective have had a tremendous year paying tribute to and honoring the legacy of Hip-Hop in its milestone 50th year. Taking the celebration to our nation’s capital alongside Vice President Harris is truly something special and I look forward to a historic day.”
