Hip Hop at 50: A Timeline of the Most Influential Genre

DJ Kool Hercs 1973 Bronx party is widely credited as hip hops birthplace. Grandmaster Flash developed turntable technique. Run-DMC brought hip hop to MTV. Public Enemy made it political. NWA defined gangsta rap. Wu-Tang Clan created a business model. Dr. Dre perfected West Coast production. Jay-Z became a billionaire. Kanye West reshaped the sound repeatedly. Kendrick Lamar proved hip hop could be high art. Drake made it global and streaming-dominant. Hip hop is now the most consumed music genre in the United States and arguably the world. Its influence extends to fashion, language, politics, and virtually every other music genre.