Fifty years on and hip-hop is at last receiving the recognition it deserves.
Born in 1973 at a house party held in the Bronx in New York City, the genre known for its playful, potent wordplay and innovative musical accompaniments is, arguably, the most popular sound of today. Transforming the lives of generations of African-American artists born in economically disenfranchised communities, hip-hop attracted fans from the world over with anthems expressing local concerns.
This year the popular genre celebrated its jubilee with various events, from the Grammy Awards and Billboard Awards, to a giant open-air concert at New York’s Yankee Stadium featuring pioneers Run DMC, The Sugar Hill Gang, Slick Rick and Lauryn Hill.
Meanwhile, a large hip-hop museum is being built in New York. After a ground-breaking ceremony in 2021, the reported $349 million facility is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and will feature memorabilia and artists' testimonies tracking the genre's evolution.
This month, the celebration extended to Dubai as part of the Sole DXB music and culture festival.
With the latest iteration marking the milestone, The National spoke to some of hip-hop’s most influential artists and thought leaders in attendance about how hip-hop will evolve over the next 50 years.
Revered rapper Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane, viewed as one of hip-hop's first stars, is regarded as "the rapper's rapper" and released the seminal tracks Smooth Operator and Ain’t No Half Steppin'.
The latter 1988 song is one of the most influential rap songs to date.
The complex rhyme scheme, peppered with clever metaphors and stylish narrative influenced generations of artists such as Jay-Z and Nas.
While pleased with hip-hop’s stature as a cultural force, Kane says the genre can maintain that status only if new generations of artists focus more on the quality of their work.
“While in hip-hop today being a lyrical MC is no longer a necessity, I would like to see more well-rounded artists,” he says.
“By that I mean an artist who knows how to make hit records, one that’s focused on what they are saying on the record as opposed to the hook.
“And one that has the kind of look where his fan base wants to dress like them. These abilities will give an artist the longevity to stay in the game.”
Author Vikki Tobak
For more than two decades Vikki Tobak had a front-row seat watching hip-hop's growth, having started her career working for a music label before serving as superstar Jay-Z’s first publicist and then moving into journalism and writing hip-hop history books.
Her latest title, The Streets Win: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Greatness, a collaboration with rapper LL Cool J and author Alec Banks, features first-person career recollection and rare images from genre giants such as DJ Kool Herc, Eminem and Beastie Boys.
Other works include 2018’s Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop, featuring rare outtakes from more than 100 era-defining photoshoots, alongside interviews and essays from industry legends.
Where those books focused on hip-hop’s journey from its origins in New York to Los Angeles, Tobak says the genre has become so international that future discussions regarding its place in US pop-culture will become redundant.
“What hip-hop did was allow people the freedom to be themselves unapologetically and this defining idea is bigger than all of us or any location. This is why you see it being embraced internationally and particularly now in Africa, in places like Nigeria and Ghana, where their unique scenes are informed by hip-hop,” she says.
“Hip-hop is always tied to youth culture so if you ask me where the next capital of hip-hop will be, my answer will be it is wherever young people are creating something new.”
Radio host Big Hass
The Arab world is well placed to be one of hip-hop's global citadels, says Big Hass, providing there is a better understanding of its history.
As the host of pioneering Saudi radio programme Laish Hip-Hop, which celebrated its 12th anniversary this year, Hass – full name Hassan Dennaoui – says the Arabic hip-hop scene is yet to embrace other fundamental facets of the genre.
"One of the biggest things we have to understand is that hip-hop is not only rap – it's a wider culture that also incorporates break dancing and DJing," he says.
"These elements are missing here and we need to do a better job to let people know that there is more to the culture than that."
That said, Arabic hip-hop is fast becoming the most popular form of popular music with artists such as Egypt's Marwan Pablo and Wegz routinely topping regional streaming charts with new releases.
While pleased at the growing recognition, Hass hopes that increasing commercialisation doesn't come at the expense of the fire and passion that made Arabic hip-hop initially so refreshing when it emerged two decades ago.
"At the beginning Arabic hip-hop sounded mostly angry because it dealt mostly with the social issues of the time and now it's moved on to sound more light and fun” he says.
“While I understand that things have to evolve, my personal hope for the future is that Arabic hip-hop doesn’t totally lose that fiery passion that inspired so many of us in the first place.”
Rapper Oddisee
As someone who fluidly melds hip-hop with elements of jazz, funk and even some go-go, American Sudanese rapper Oddisee is predicting the music’s future will sound more eclectic.
“The biggest testament to hip-hop's popularity is that it no longer sounds specifically American,” he says.
“What I have seen is the music evolve from this niche New York sound to becoming international.
“With the invention of subgenres like trap, drill and crunk music, for example, you are seeing more people adding their own cultures to the mix.
“That's why now we are seeing all these new genres coming that are influenced by hip-hop, like Afrobeats and Amapiano from Africa. It’s all going to sound even more globalised in the future.”
Looking forward with hip-hop's subcultures
For all the talk of hip-hop’s future, the New York artist Joey Bada$$ hopes the genre’s stars don’t have to wait another 50 years to receive their acclaim.
"Hip-hop is in an incredible place and, like rock'n'roll, it has created a lot of subgenres – it's so inherently innovative that it will continue on that trajectory," he says.
"But unlike rock'n'roll, hip-hop artists are not honoured in the same way in award shows. Different rock'n'roll genres and different subgenres are awarded, while hip-hop is still limited to one or two very specific awards.
“I would love to see the different branches of this music get the same recognition in the future.”
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Stage result
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:42:34
2. Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
5. Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
6. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar Team
8. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
10. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirate
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Results
Male 51kg Round 1
Dias Karmanov (KAZ) beat Mabrook Rasea (YEM) by points 2-1.
Male 54kg Round 1
Yelaman Sayassatov (KAZ) beat Chen Huang (TPE) TKO Round 1; Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) beat Fahad Anakkayi (IND) RSC Round 2; Qais Al Jamal (JOR) beat Man Long Ng (MAC) by points 3-0; Ayad Albadr (IRQ) beat Yashar Yazdani (IRI) by points 2-1.
Male 57kg Round 1
Natthawat Suzikong (THA) beat Abdallah Ondash (LBN) by points 3-0; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Ahmed Al Jubainawi (IRQ) by points 2-1; Hamed Almatari (YEM) beat Nasser Al Rugheeb (KUW) by points 3-0; Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) beat Yu Xi Chen (TPE) by points 3-0.
Men 86kg Round 1
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) beat Mohammad Al Khatib (PAL) by points 2-1
Men 63.5kg Round 1
Noureddin Samir (UAE) beat Polash Chakma (BAN) RSC Round 1.
Female 45kg quarter finals
Narges Mohammadpour (IRI) beat Yuen Wai Chan (HKG) by points.
Female 48kg quarter finals
Szi Ki Wong (HKG) beat Dimple Vaishnav (IND) RSC round 2; Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Nastaran Soori (IRI) by points; Shabnam Hussain Zada (AFG) beat Tzu Ching Lin (TPE) by points.
Female 57kg quarter finals
Nguyen Thi Nguyet (VIE) beat Anisha Shetty (IND) by points 2-1; Areeya Sahot (THA) beat Dana Al Mayyal (KUW) RSC Round 1; Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Ching Yee Tsang (HKG) by points 3-0.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Read more about the coronavirus
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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6026 - Dh200
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
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Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
