50 Years of Hip Hop

The 63rd Grammy Awards kicked off the celebration of hip hop’s 50th with a stacked performance of more than 20 performers spanning the genre’s past and present. PRG was honored to provide Full Flood and designer Noah Mitz with lighting for the legendary performance.

The beats of hip hop have reverberated through five decades, with 2023 marking its 50th anniversary. Before the anniversary year comes to a close, we at PRG and our partner company PRG Forum, a global minority-owned production solutions provider, would like to take a moment to express our gratitude for hip hop’s profound impact on music and culture, while also reflecting on the technical production elements that have further elevated the genre. We’ve been lucky to play our part in this history through our work with hip hop artists and their creative teams.

Hip hop's cultural impact is felt profoundly in both the live show and broadcast contexts. There's an interesting duality in worldwide audiences with very different backgrounds all sharing a sense of community and hip hop ethos. PRG and PRG Forum have played an instrumental role in amplifying this impact, supporting highly viewed special events including the halftime show and this month's GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, as well as touring artists such as Nicki Minaj, Drake and Jay-Z as they forge a connection with their audiences around the globe. Through the universal language of music, these performances become powerful vehicles that unite diverse crowds in celebration.

It's been a privilege to provide a platform for so many artists through cutting-edge production. As we express our deepest gratitude for the genre's influence, we also look to the future with a commitment to continue supporting the dynamic intersection of hip hop and production innovation. Here's to the next 50 years of beats, rhymes, and an ever-evolving cultural revolution.

Learn more:
The clock may be winding down on the anniversary year, but hip hop as a cultural movement is just getting started. Discover more about the genre at these suggested links:

• A QUICK READ A Brief History Of Hip-Hop At 50: Rap's Evolution From A Bronx Party To The GRAMMY Stage.
• GO DEEPER 11 Essential Hip-Hop Books: Vulture rounds up their top picks for long form reading.
• LISTEN NPR's All Things Considered explores Hip-hop at 50.
• VISIT The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx celebrates and preserves the history of local and global Hip Hop music and culture to inspire and empower.