At 50, How Hip Hop Has Shaped Everything Around me

This year, believe it or not, marks the 50th anniversary of hip hop and I am ready to talk about it. Hip hop shaped a generation while it shaped culture, fashion, art, politics and even business. Gen Xers like me were raised on hip hop. It gave disenfranchised youths a vehicle to voice their frustrations and a channel to call for change. And, it continues to be a powerful art form for Black and Brown communities. For me, the golden era of hip hop was the late 80s through the 90s and as a young brown kid of immigrants, I used to blast that music with pride. Hip hop provided sense of? belonging for young people like me who felt isolated and disconnected. It brought together folks from diverse backgrounds and provided a space for us to share our experiences and support each other. It gave a young generation of kids a voice and community where we may have otherwise been overlooked and excluded from mainstream society. But hip hop was more than music, it played a significant role in shaping popular culture around the world, and its influence can be seen in various aspects of modern society from our language to business practices. Here are some ways hip hop has shaped not only culture but business:

1) Branding: Hip hop artists were masters of branding as each had their own unique look and nomenclature and some groups even helped reinvent brands like Adidas to Fila to Puma. These brands saw their popularity skyrocket as a result of their association with hip hop. In many ways, hip hop artists were the first modern day influencers and its influence continues today. Luxury High-end brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada? have been influenced by hip hop streetwear and have all been referenced in lyrics too giving way to younger generations admiring brands that used to be considered stodgy and stiff

2) Advertising: Unlike many other genres, hip hop music and culture have universally been used in advertising campaigns to appeal to younger, diverse audiences. From Pepsi to McDonald's, companies have used hip hop to promote their products and associate their brands with a level of "cool" they couldn't achieve otherwise. Hip hop sounds have even influenced ad jingles and vocal cadences in broadcast.

3) Entrepreneurship: From Jay-Z to Diddy, these hip hop artists have gone beyond making music to producing and creating a diverse portfolio of brands spanning industries, from music to sports, fashion, and tech. Hip hop artists started to crossover into business long before Hollywood celebrities started making their own tequilas.

4) Innovation: As someone who is in the business of producing and protecting innovation, hip hop for me, may be one of the greatest modern innovative forces. Mainly, hip hop revolutionized the way music is produced which drove tech innovations both in sound and video from sampling from remixing, synthesizing and sequencing to digital audio workstations. But hip hop also influenced innovation in mobile apps with a plethora of digital tools that allowed users to create and share their own music and mixes. This innovation has opened up new possibilities for people who may not have had access to traditional music production tools and since it’s a genre that encourages experimentation and creativity, these mobile apps have given power to anyone anywhere with a smartphone or tablet.

5) Social Media: The rise of social media platforms especially Instagram and TikTok has given way to a new wave of hip hop-inspired content, as users can now easily share their music and videos with a global audience. From dance challenges to viral hashtags, hip hop has influenced the way people are creating content. Social media platforms have also provided artists with new avenues for self-promotion and it is changing the way that hip hop is consumed. This shift has led to changes in the way that artists release their music, with many opting for shorter, more frequent releases rather than traditional album rollouts.

While hip hop turns 50, I have no doubt it will continue to play a crucial role in shaping our cultural landscape. I clearly remember saving my allowance to buy my first record when

I was 13 years old. I bought, of course, Run DMC’s self-titled first album, “Run DMC.” I paid for it in cash at Rainbow Records in Daly City. What a time! So before I leave, I would be remiss not to share the top 5 hip hop song that have shaped me and continue to move everything around me:

1. Keep ya head up by 2pac
2. Juicy by Notorious BIG
3. C.R.E.A.M. by Wu Tang Clan?
4. D’evils by Jay-Z
5. If I ruled the world by Nas and Lauren Hill?

Let me know what's your favorite hip hop quote or song.