Wheeling YWCA To Celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop
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Hip-hop music now has a 50-year history, and the YWCA Wheeling will celebrate it at an upcoming event.
The YWCA Wheeling will host "50 Years of Hip-Hop" beginning at 8 p.m. Dec. 8 at Waterfront Hall in downtown Wheeling. There will be a discussion of hip-hop music and how it has played a role in each decade.
Local artists also will be called upon to perform many of the songs. Among them will be members of Kaligrafe Music, musicians from the Wheeling Symphony, Mr. Fancypants, Keez, J. Nice, Poetic Peth, Almighty Poe, Kelz and some surprise guests.
The cost to attend is $5. There will be trivia, raffles and door prizes.
Ron Scott Jr., cultural diversity and community outreach director at YWCA Wheeling, explained the YWCA has previously done hip-hop showcases and even hosted a hip-hop awards ceremony "for a couple of years."
"But it's the first time for something like this," he said. "It is multi-faceted. We are going to break down each decade, and what defined it. Then we're going to play songs that defined each decade."
Those in the crowd will also be encouraged to sing along with songs they remember, Scott added.
"I'm going to have a couple of surprises up my sleeve," he said. "There's an element of us just listening and being nostalgic about hip-hop being around for 50 years."
Scott believes those attending will learn things they didn't know about hip-hop music and the artists who create it.
He noted that as he did research for the event he was surprised by what he gathered.
Among the tidbits were that LL Cool J was the first hip hop artist to be honored with a Kennedy Center award, and that Kendrick Lamar won a Pulitzer Prize for his work.
"There's wild stuff when you sit and think about it," he continued.
The Wu-Tang Clan has ties that reach Steubenville, Scott added.
And who is his favorite artist?
"I'm a Jay-Z man, myself," he said.
Scott knows some may wonder whether the event is "family friendly" given some of the adult references in hip hop music.
He said his 9-year-old son will be in attendance.
"We're using clean versions of the songs, but they still will have some substance to them," he explained. "The music is clean if your family is accustomed to hip-hop... If they are not familiar with hip-hop, it may not be as family friendly."