In a new commercial for Sprite, Nas, Rakim, GloRilla, and Latto pay tribute to hip hop’s 50th anniversary.
The commercial, which was unveiled on Thursday (June 1), begins with each rapper rapping a section of the Sugar Hill Gang song “Rapper’s Delight.” Before Nas ends it with a fresh bar, Latto and Rakim each rap a few bars from their respective tracks “Big Energy” and “Paid in Full.”
All throughout the year, there have been songs, activities, and performances in honor of Hip Hip’s 50th birthday, which happens to be in August. A variety of Hip Hop icons will conduct events on the audio storytelling platform later this month as part of Audible’s celebration of the landmark.
Snoop Dogg, a pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, will begin the series on June 15 with his Words + Music program, in which he will talk about his journey from Long Beach to the rest of the world and his choice to pursue love and life rather than death and destruction.
After that, Lil Kim will contribute her own Words + Music in which she will discuss how she came to play a significant role in the development of Hip Hop and serve as an example for female rappers. A Dynamic Career in Communications by Yasiin Bey will delve into the Brooklyn-born rapper’s spirituality, religious beliefs, and artistic influences.
Lil Wayne and Tyler, The Creator are two of the superproducer’s sporadic collaborators on DJ Drama Presents: Gangsta Grillz, which explores his volatile reign as a mixtape industry star.
Last but not least, Chuck D’s Can You Dig It? will transport listeners back to the 1970s in the South Bronx of New York, when the genre was just beginning. This is on August 10, the day before Hip Hop’s birthday.
Sheena Lester, a former editor in chief of XXL, will also narrate her book The Greatest Day as part of Audible Originals, while music writer Clover Hope will narrate The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip Hop.