On August 11th, Hip-Hop will reach its 50th anniversary. It all started in 1973 when one
of the founding fathers of the genre, DJ Kool Herc hosted a house party in The Bronx.
Herc’s turntables lit a cultural movement where artists, dancers, and other DJs found a
sound that embraced uniqueness and reflected the social, economic, and political
realities of their lives in The Bronx
In celebration of this iconic genre of music, Amazon Music wanted to highlight the
contributors to hip-hop and pay tribute to the history. Starting on July 17th, Amazon Music started a series called “50 & Forever” which includes performances, live streams, discussions, and community bonding across the country, with artists representing their distinct sound and culture. The series made its way to Atlanta, a city with a strong musical impact and is known as the city of trap music. Trap is a subgenre of hip-hop music that originated in the South in the 1990s and emphasizes the synthesis of instrumentals and beats.
The concert featured legendary Atlanta artists Jeezy, T.I., and Young Dro performing
their own hits from various points in time from their respective careers. The performance took place at the iconic Tabernacle venue in Atlanta, and was decked out with merchandise and activities such as free ‘50 & Forever” tote bags and photo booths provided by Amazon Music.
As the start of the concert approached, droves of hip-hop fans excitedly entered and
filled up the intimate venue. Prior to the first performance, a DJ played a variety of hip-
hop hits from different decades, which perfectly hyped up the audience As more and
more hip-hop lovers entered, the environment buzzed with energy as people danced
and vibed with drinks in hand.
Young Dro opened and performed hits such as “Shoulder Lean,” “We In Da City, and
“FDB.” His performance set the tone for the rest of the night and mentioned his
appreciation for his roots, and thanked the crowd for continuing to support him. The
crowd sang along with him, with an extra amount of enthusiasm for “FDB,” especially
since he introduced that song with a short story about how someone asked for a photo
prior to the show and asked their friend to join, but the friend was not aware of who
Young Dro was.
After a short break, T.I followed and showcased his diverse discography with songs like
“Dope Boyz,” “Whatever You Like,” “ASAP,” and “About The Money.” It was definitely a
rollercoaster of a performance, and the crowd matched T.I’s energy the entire time. T.I
also took the time to pay his respect to hip-hop and the pioneers who came before him.
Throughout his set, he repeated the statement that “trap music is Atlanta and Atlanta is
trap music,” which sparked cheers of agreement. He ended the set by bringing out some younger artists under his mentorship, which served as a moment to showcase the
bright future of hip-hop.
Finally, the headliner Jeezy made his way to close out the show. The set was a trip
down memory lane with hits like “Trap or Die,” “Lose My Mind,” “Go Crazy,” and “Put
On.” Jeezy, along with T.I and Gucci Mane, is known as one of the early pioneers of
trap music, so having him close the performance was a fitting choice. The crowd sang
along at the top of their lungs with Jeezy and despite being a Thursday night, it felt like
the weekend in the venue.
Amazon Music’s celebration worked to bring out pioneers and influential hip-hop artists and highlighted different cities and their unique sounds, and Atlanta’s spotlight did not disappoint. Atlanta has a rich and impactful history in hip-hop, and having legends grace the same stage on one night served as a powerful reminder of how far music and culture have come.
