![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BZVE36EHEVCSLGBJEB42PSJNIY.jpg?smart=true&auth=50ca20f77763faa755dc541a5f48d81503b411d444e40b72a8588dc53f56fa0a&width=400&height=225)
Rapper Kendrick Lamar at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in California. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DNM6NAVPANCADMKJ3DW3NEIZMQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fcac9e067bbedf79b6c2b2877c47c4d2743058db6c88d9f2c39974e883bf2df3&width=400&height=225)
The Sugarhill Gang, from left, Wonder Mike, Master Gee and Big Bank on stage in the late 1970s in New York. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZDSQUL4TUBCB7A2TYKRTTPCT7A.jpg?smart=true&auth=87ffb1bd6048d661443a7f3e648cdacdd20a8d90d5e154679cdf154ee5fe828d&width=400&height=225)
Grandmaster Flash circa 1980. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4NGO6USNFJBVZEYCKRY7NJTQUQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=2ddfee6cb402b3a7ea21fffebf763d2b90929654f9190f32f9acf5889180b6a5&width=400&height=225)
NWA's Dr Dre, Laylaw from Above The Law, The DOC, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella during their Straight Outta Compton tour in 1989. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7YCJDDFHJZCZRGL6XX6TT7FXVE.jpg?smart=true&auth=526e5c127a29fd100e5eb1c66bd656372d7bb216e78b00e534034776151da625&width=400&height=225)
Flavor Flav, with rapper Tupac Shakur, at the 1989 American Music Awards. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/I5224V6CRBHYFFB6E3VUMM3JGA.jpg?smart=true&auth=10b1546cf2ff032636f05550921ac7eb7e32e3f38591350d0e76e2fc42c80c41&width=400&height=225)
Jarobi, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest in New York, 1990. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7AOGUIDDLVFZHABGEX36PVDZMU.jpg?smart=true&auth=493c40f1f73fc992f6683f98a5c7c36ea848b97426762050bdcd89c62e352586&width=400&height=225)
Lauryn Hill, circa 1990. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XGBDKKUESNB5XD5YLZZTFYFGKA.jpg?smart=true&auth=e62697b26ecbcdad5a88433590e04f696054dab3f64718134595929e930f97e9&width=400&height=225)
Nas at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California, 1996. Getty Images
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Missy Elliott is one of hip-hop's most innovative artists. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AH5K52K6VVBSNGLDFEAFMBN7N4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f03a0a763fe3820b9047f51aa080eaee5669b0c42380e18e05f221a6c10194a5&width=400&height=225)
Eminem brought a literal quality to hip-hop with his 2000 hit 'Stan'. Redferns
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EXP5DP3LFRFMLB6RKWFKHB6VHQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=796ca5e3c8ffd2876a50e17e2c077f7d4e2f3269ecb40e70ca2d19ec75959862&width=400&height=225)
Kanye West at the 2003 Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Conference Award ceremony in Florida. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/D5U7BHI3YZAKNIG5MKDJXM32XA.jpg?smart=true&auth=95bda8d073a626c031056732586266bf10c4c7ae2c1bf656dc9393cb36a7ded2&width=400&height=225)
Kid Cudi at the Highline Ballroom in New York City in 2008. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BZVE36EHEVCSLGBJEB42PSJNIY.jpg?smart=true&auth=50ca20f77763faa755dc541a5f48d81503b411d444e40b72a8588dc53f56fa0a&width=400&height=225)
Rapper Kendrick Lamar at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in California. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DNM6NAVPANCADMKJ3DW3NEIZMQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fcac9e067bbedf79b6c2b2877c47c4d2743058db6c88d9f2c39974e883bf2df3&width=400&height=225)
The Sugarhill Gang, from left, Wonder Mike, Master Gee and Big Bank on stage in the late 1970s in New York. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZDSQUL4TUBCB7A2TYKRTTPCT7A.jpg?smart=true&auth=87ffb1bd6048d661443a7f3e648cdacdd20a8d90d5e154679cdf154ee5fe828d&width=400&height=225)
Grandmaster Flash circa 1980. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4NGO6USNFJBVZEYCKRY7NJTQUQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=2ddfee6cb402b3a7ea21fffebf763d2b90929654f9190f32f9acf5889180b6a5&width=400&height=225)
NWA's Dr Dre, Laylaw from Above The Law, The DOC, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella during their Straight Outta Compton tour in 1989. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7YCJDDFHJZCZRGL6XX6TT7FXVE.jpg?smart=true&auth=526e5c127a29fd100e5eb1c66bd656372d7bb216e78b00e534034776151da625&width=400&height=225)
Flavor Flav, with rapper Tupac Shakur, at the 1989 American Music Awards. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/I5224V6CRBHYFFB6E3VUMM3JGA.jpg?smart=true&auth=10b1546cf2ff032636f05550921ac7eb7e32e3f38591350d0e76e2fc42c80c41&width=400&height=225)
Jarobi, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest in New York, 1990. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7AOGUIDDLVFZHABGEX36PVDZMU.jpg?smart=true&auth=493c40f1f73fc992f6683f98a5c7c36ea848b97426762050bdcd89c62e352586&width=400&height=225)
Lauryn Hill, circa 1990. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XGBDKKUESNB5XD5YLZZTFYFGKA.jpg?smart=true&auth=e62697b26ecbcdad5a88433590e04f696054dab3f64718134595929e930f97e9&width=400&height=225)
Nas at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California, 1996. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4KUY5NBLFJGFJKXZKCVOYKYD7I.jpg?smart=true&auth=f9c29b910fc9aa69c0991997f283a0f94554b05d12063764d5a95baea83ccac7&width=400&height=225)
Missy Elliott is one of hip-hop's most innovative artists. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AH5K52K6VVBSNGLDFEAFMBN7N4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f03a0a763fe3820b9047f51aa080eaee5669b0c42380e18e05f221a6c10194a5&width=400&height=225)
Eminem brought a literal quality to hip-hop with his 2000 hit 'Stan'. Redferns
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EXP5DP3LFRFMLB6RKWFKHB6VHQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=796ca5e3c8ffd2876a50e17e2c077f7d4e2f3269ecb40e70ca2d19ec75959862&width=400&height=225)
Kanye West at the 2003 Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Conference Award ceremony in Florida. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/D5U7BHI3YZAKNIG5MKDJXM32XA.jpg?smart=true&auth=95bda8d073a626c031056732586266bf10c4c7ae2c1bf656dc9393cb36a7ded2&width=400&height=225)
Kid Cudi at the Highline Ballroom in New York City in 2008. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BZVE36EHEVCSLGBJEB42PSJNIY.jpg?smart=true&auth=50ca20f77763faa755dc541a5f48d81503b411d444e40b72a8588dc53f56fa0a&width=400&height=225)
Rapper Kendrick Lamar at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in California. AFP
From The Sugarhill Gang to Kendrick Lamar, 50 years of hip-hop - in 12 songs
Looking back on five decades in which the genre left an indelible mark on arts and culture
![Saeed Saeed](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2Fdfd6c0d0-f148-4163-b51c-fe3b293b0f9d.png?smart=true&auth=fbad4a9efbd3b8c272380498534cedd4e4b64afad5f5593a426d913b1da43080&width=70&height=70)
Saeed Saeed
17 February, 2023
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