2023 Hip Hop 50 Summit
FREE Event
Hosted: August 3 & August 4
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center
Entrance At: 45-50 Van Dam Street, LIC NY 11101
The 2023 Hip Hop 50 Summit was a two-day event designed to showcase Hip Hop culture throughout the last 50 years. In honoring Hip Hop’s rich history and depth, the Summit featured a wide range of themes—from Fashion to Economics—that speak to how and why the genre has evolved into the global phenomenon it is today. The Summit’s interactive workshops invited visitors to learn hands-on from artists who specialize in various elements of Hip Hop, including DJs, break dancers, and graffiti artists. Hip Hop pioneers, performers, and scholars led panel discussions about the history of Hip Hop and its cultural significance in many different sectors of society. Queens Public Library and the Summit’s sponsors, supporters, and visitors engaged hip hop enthusiasts of all ages in the shared effort to spread knowledge of and build community within the world’s most influential music genre.
Thursday, August 3, 9:30am-1pm: Hip Hop for Youth
9:30 - 10:00am
DJ Set by Amira & Kayla and DJ Lennox
10:00 - 10:30am
Introductory Speakers Welcome with Special Guest
(Hosted by Ralph McDaniels)
Performance by: LBX Dance Academy and D Cross Beatbox
Special Guests:
Kenneth Adams, LaGuardia Community College President
Dennis Walcott, Queens Public Library President & CEO
Donovan Richards, Queens Borough President
Cindy Landrum, IMLS Deputy Director
10:30 - 11:15am
Hip Hop History, Science, Technology & Innovation
Hosts/Moderators: Aaliyah Duah
Panelists: Phresher, Bianca Bonnie (formerly known as Young B.), DreamDoll, Dr. Brandeis Marshall, Dr. David James
Youth from across NYC are invited to learn and immerse themselves in Hip Hop culture, learn from industry experts, and engage in activities. This session seeks to provide a comprehensive experience that combines education, entertainment, and hands-on learning. By exploring the history, science, technology, and innovation within Hip Hop, the summit aims to empower young people to express themselves creatively, develop their skills, and gain insights into various aspects of the entertainment industry.
11:15 - 11:30am
Performance by: Dr David James, King UpRock and Dowe Twins Freestyle
11:30 - 12:15pm
The Business of Hip Hop, Careers, and Activism
Hosts/Moderators: Aaliyah Duah
Panelists: D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., Lumidee, A.V. Perkins, Deborah Harris of Hush Tours
Hip Hop moves people. The passion around Hip Hop creates opportunities for making money and changing minds. The business of Hip Hop includes music production, artist management, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Hip Hop also plays a big role in activism and politics. Hip Hop impacts the economy, social issues, and politics, while artists use their platforms to raise awareness about important issues.
Thursday, August 3, 2pm-5pm: History and Culture
2:00 - 3:00pm
Paving the Way: Pioneers of Hip Hop
Hosts/Moderators Ralph McDaniels
Panelist: KRS-One, DMC of Run-DMC, DJ Hurricane, MC Sha-Rock, Original Cipha Sounds, Fred "Bugsy" Buggs
We will highlight those who laid the foundation for Hip Hop musically and culturally, particularly those who shaped the genre in NYC. We will honor the ways that past generations have paved the way and what the moguls learned/taught us in the process. Panel discussions will encourage cross-generational dialogue to address how generations past and present connect, where they disconnect, the unique perspectives they each bring to the genre, and how they can work together to advance noteworthy causes.
3:15 - 3:30pm
Fashion Show and DJ Wiz
3:30 - 4:30pm
Switch the Style Up: Fashion in Hip Hop
Hosts/Moderators: Tianni Graham
Panelists: Shirt Kings, Elena Romero, Rikki Byrd, Camille G. Lawrence, Malik Dupri (Hip Hop Fashion Designer), Dave Huie (CEO, PowHerful Apparel)
This section of the Summit will pay homage to the leaders and trends of Hip Hop fashion. Hip hop fashion has indeed undergone various transformations. In the 1980s and '90s, brands like Adidas, Nike, and FUBU became synonymous with hip hop style. Baggy jeans, oversized jerseys, and Kangol hats were popular. Then, in the 2000s, we saw a shift towards a more glamorous and flashy aesthetic, with artists like Jay-Z and Sean Combs promoting luxury brands like Gucci and Versace. Hip hop fashion has had a profound impact on mainstream culture. Today, you see elements of hip hop style in high fashion runways, collaborations between luxury brands and streetwear labels, and even in everyday casual wear. The influence of hip hop fashion extends beyond clothing to hairstyles, accessories, and even the way people carry themselves
4:30 - 4:45pm
Fashion Slide Show
Friday, August 4, 9:30am-4pm: Hip Hop’s World-Wide Impact
DJ Set by Chuck Chillout
Media, Technology, and the Future
Hosts/Moderators: Rocky Bucano, Executive Director, Universal Hip Hop Museum
Panelists: Dj TedSmooth, Dr. Brandeis Marshall, Bruce Jackson, Tuma Basa (Director, Black Music & Culture at YouTube), Datwon Thomas (Editor-In-Chief, VIBE magazine; Vice President of Cultural Media, MRC); Whitney-Gayle Benta (Chief Music Officer, JKBX Music)
This section will acknowledge the ways in which Hip Hop interacts with media and technology in positive and negative ways. We will pay homage to the early Black-owned/centered media outlets, such as magazines and TV shows that showcased Hip Hop culture. Panel discussions may acknowledge “stan” culture, methods of distribution (records, cassettes, CDs, devices, streaming), and concerts. This section may also include the political side of media and technology, such as brand deals, cancel culture, gossip blogs, internet “beef”, and more.
Cash Rules Everything
Hosts/Moderators: Ralph McDaniels
Panelists: Mr. Cheeks, Chubb Rock, Dan Charnas, Paradise Gray
This section will acknowledge Hip Hop as a business and the ways in which business practices can limit or expand its impact. This will highlight the culture of materialistic spending, contrasted with the rise of economically conscious rap that encourages ownership, self-sufficiency, collective bargaining, property, and investment. Panel discussions may also include capitalism, “Black capitalism,” generational wealth, and the concept of giving back.
DJ Set with DJ Stokes
Fight the Power: Social Justice and Education
Hosts/Moderators: Dr. Shango Blake (CEO of TRU SK Consultants)
Panelists: Ajene Watson, Dr. Christopher Emdin, Al Pizarro, Mysonne Linen, Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr. (President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus), Dr. Nadia Lopez
This section will focus on Hip Hop as a legitimate vehicle for social change. It will explore music and music videos as news, commentary, and protest. We will explore how artists have traditionally responded to violence and injustice within their communities and how the world has responded to this. We will highlight specific, high-profile incidents, such as the deaths of Rodney King and Trayvon Martin, but also the overall role and influence of music in politics.
Graffiti Exhibit