The City Will Recognize Hip-Hop's History on Its 50th Anniversary (Hey, That Almost Rhymes! Is It Rap?)

It's hard to imagine any musical genre being as young as 50. Even ska music feels like it's been around forever because pretty much every ska song feels like it takes forever to finish.

However, hip-hop is still a relatively new musical giant compared to other genres, and it has a birthday — Aug. 11, 1973, to be exact. Even though it didn't start in Dallas, the city and the rest of the world will celebrate this momentous milestone just a day before its 50th birthday.

The city's Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) announced that it will be doing a lot more than merely recognizing the date with some dinky proclamation and then, phhhhhbt, it's done. Instead, it's hosting a series of events all month in honor of hip-hop's golden anniversary. The OAC is collaborating with several cultural centers and art and music organizations to host a bunch of shows and exhibitions to celebrate the momentous occasion of this great American artform.

All of these events will be "free and open to the public," according to an OAC statement released on Monday.

The 50th anniversary refers to the momentous gathering in a Sedgwick Avenue apartment building in the Bronx, New York, in 1973. Cindy Campbell threw a historic party in the building's rec room to raise money for back-to-school clothes. Her 18-year-old brother Clive Campbell, aka DJ Kool Herc, stood behind a pair of turntables and created the first "merry-go-round" beat in which two copies of the same record are looped back and forth between beats. The sounds he created built a foundation for a new musical style and movement, according to Grammy.com.

Dallas' 50th anniversary recognition starts at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 10, at City Hall with remarks by OAC director Martine Elyse Philippe and hip-hop historian and Hip Hop Grew Up education agency founder Bavu Blakes. The City Hall event will present live performances by DJ Christy Ray and RockSolid Crew's Dance Cypher, along with an exhibition of artwork from local illustrator, designer and painter Michael E. Johnson, best known for his "Faceblackness style" of artwork, according to his website, and the Sour Grapes Art Collective, known for its murals around the city.

The Texas Theatre will hold screenings of two cinematic classics this month as part of the anniversary celebration. The Oak Cliff movie house will show the 1984 dance drama Beat Street on Wednesday and the cult classic Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo on Thursday, both in their original 35mm format.

The Oak Cliff Cultural Center, next door to the Texas Theatre, will host live performances and discussions about hip-hop's evolution and influence through the latter part of this week. The first, on Thursday, is a conversation on hip-hop's feminist influences with journalist and scholar-activist Rosa Clemente. Then, on Friday at 5 p.m., KNON host DJ EZ Eddie D will host a panel discussion with some "surprise special guests," according to the cultural center's website. At 8 p.m., the cultural center will clear the floor for an open-style break-dancing battle hosted by the hip-hop dance collective Battle Grounds. Finally on Saturday, Money Waters will perform live with DJ Leo J.

These are just a few of the shows, concerts and screenings that are part of the 50th anniversary celebration. Other participating venues include the Bath House Cultural Center, the South Dallas Cultural Center, the Latino Cultural Center, the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library and Top 10 Records in Oak Cliff.

"This celebration will showcase and pay tribute to an outstanding lineup of acclaimed individuals who have contributed to hip-hop,” Philippe said in a released statement. "In commemoration of this milestone anniversary, OAC aims to honor the legacy and cultural impact of hip-hop over the past 50 years."