Entertainment

50 photos that showcase the evolution of hip-hop over the past 50 years

Barnaby Lane
2023-08-13T11:00:00Z
Read in app
American rapper Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, aka Chris Wallace (1972 - 1997), rolls a cigar outside his mother's house in Brooklyn, New York, 18th January 1995.
The Notorious B.I.G. Getty/Clarence Davis
  • Hip-hop is now 50 years old.
  • The genre was born in The Bronx, New York City, in 1973.
  • Here are photos from every year since then that showcase hip-hop's evolution. 
Advertisement

An invite to DJ Kool Herc's 1973 party at which hip-hop is said to have been born.

DJ Kool Herc invtitation.
Hip-hop was birthed in 1973. Rock The Bells

Hip-hop's birthplace, The Bronx, New York City, circa 1974.

The Bronx.
The Bronx, New York City. AP
Advertisement

Hip-hop fans in New York City in 1975.

Hip-hop fashion relating to graffiti art, New York, New York, June 28, 1975.
Smurftastic. Getty

A New York subway cart covered in graffiti in 1976.

Riders in a graffiti covered Subway car in1976 in New York City, New York.
Graffiti art was one of the four original elements of hip-hop alongside emceeing, DJing, and breakdancing. Getty/Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives
Advertisement

The 1977 New York City blackout and subsequent riots are credited with helping jump-start the hip-hop movement.

New York City looters.
Looters raid a shop in New York City in 1977. Getty

The Fatback Band, creators of the first commercially-released rap song, in 1978.

The Fatback Band pose for a studio group portrait in 1977 in the United States.
The Fatback Band's 1979 song "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" is regarded as the first commercially-released rap song. Getty/Gilles Petard
Advertisement

The Sugar Hill Gang in 1979.

Sugar Hill Gang.
The Sugar Hill Gang are most famous for their song "Rapper's Delight." Getty/Michael Ochs Archives

Afrika Bambaataa in 1980.

Photo of Afrika Bambaataa.
Afrika Bambaataa was the leader of the Universal Zulu Nation. Getty/Michael Ochs Archives
Advertisement

"The Breaks" rapper Kurtis Blow in 1981.

Rapper Kurtis Blow poses for a portrait circa 1981 in New York City, New York.
Kurtis Blow. Getty/Michael Ochs Archives

Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash amd The Furious Five in 1982.

Rapper Melle Mel (Melvin Glover) of the rap group "Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five" poses for a portrait in circa 1982.
Melle Mel. Getty/Michael Ochs Archives
Advertisement

A group of breakdancers in London in 1983.

A Group of Breakdancers, London 1983.
Breaking it down. Getty/Clare Muller

Run-DMC performing in Chicago in 1984.

Rappers Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) of Run DMC performs at the U.I.C. Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois in 1984.
Run-DMC was made up of Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels. Getty/Raymond Boyd
Advertisement

Grandmaster Flash, one of the pioneers of DJ culture, in 1985.

Deejay Grandmaster Flash from Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five performs at the U.I.C. Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois in January 1985.
Grandmaster Flash. Getty/Raymond Boyd

DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince in London in 1986.

Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Jeff Townes (left) and Will Smith (right), pose for a portrait session at the Holiday Inn hotel, Swiss Cottage, London, 21st October 1986.
Jeff Townes, Will Smith. Getty/David Corio
Advertisement

Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys in 1987.

Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys in 1987.
Ad-Rock fought for his right to party. Getty/Michael Ochs Archives

Ice-T, the forefather of gangsta rap, in 1988.

Ice-T, the forefather of gangsta rap, in 1988.
Ice-T. Getty/Raymond Boyd
Advertisement

KRS-One and the rest of Boogie Down Productions in 1989.

KRS-One and the rest of Boogie Down Productions in 1989.
Boogie Down Productions. Getty/Raymond Boyd

LL Cool J in 1990.

LL Cool J in 1990.
LL Cool J stands for "Ladies Love Cool James." Getty/Rita Barros
Advertisement

Ice Cube, one of the founding members of N.W.A, in 1991.

Ice Cube, one of the founding members of N.W.A, in 1991.
Cube left N.W.A in 1989. Getty/Al Pereira

Sir Mix-a-Lot performing "Baby Got Back" in 1992.

Sir Mix-a-Lot.
Sir Mix-a-Lot. Getty/Tim Mosenfelder
Advertisement

The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, and Redman in 1993.

Rappers Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and Redman pose for a portrait at Club Amazon on July 23, 1993 in New York, New York.
That's some lineup. Getty/Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at a party in New York City in 1994.

New York City, New York: Party given by Interscope/Death Row Records for Snoop Doggy Dogg record "Murder was the Case".
Snoop and Dre are one of hip-hop's most iconic duos. Getty/Mark Peterson.
Advertisement

D'Angelo and Busta Rhymes together in a New York studio in 1995.

D'Angelo and Busta Rhymes at Battery Studio, New York, New York, December 13, 1995.
D'Angelo, Busta Rhymes. Getty/Steve Eichner

Pras, Lauryn Hill, and Wyclef Jean – better known as Fugees – in 1996.

Pras Michel, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean of hip-hop group The Fugees are interviewed backstage at the Park West Theater in Chicago, Illinois in MARCHY 1996.
Fugees released their critically acclaimed sophomore album "The Score" in 1996. Getty/Raymond Boyd
Advertisement

Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard in 1997.

American rap artist ODB (Ol' Dirty Bastard) of the rap group Wu-Tang Clan poses for a February 1997 portrait in New York City, New York.
ODB. Getty/Bob Berg

Gang Starr in 1998.

Rapper Guru (Keith Edward Elam) and DJ Premier (Christopher Edward Martin) of Gang Starr poses for photos at their tour bus outside the International Amphitheatre prior to their performance in Chicago, Illinois in July 1998.
Gang Starr was made up of rapper Guru and DJ Premier. Getty/Raymond Boyd
Advertisement

DMX performing at Woodstock 1999.

DMX during Woodstock '99 in Saugerties, New York in Saugerties, New York, United States.
DMX's Woodstock '99 show is the stuff of legend. Getty/KMazu

Eminem in 2000.

Eminem.
Eminem. Getty/Michel Linssen
Advertisement

Trick Daddy on the set of his "I'm a Thug" music video in 2001.

Trick Daddy in 2001.
Tricky Daddy. Getty/Scott Gries

Missy Elliott in 2002.

Missy Elliott.
Misdemeanor's in the house. Getty/Gregory Bojoquez
Advertisement

Lil Wayne in 2003.

American rapper, Lil' Wayne photographed in March, 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Weezy F. Baby. Getty/Gregory Bojorquez

The Game, real name Jayceon Terrell Taylor, in 2004.

Rapper The Game in July, 2004 in Compton, California.
The Game. Getty/Gregory Bojorquez
Advertisement

50 Cent in 2005, shortly after the release of his sophomore album "The Massacre."

Rapper 50 Cent at the Beverly Hills Hotel in November, 2005 in Beverly Hills, California.
50 Cent. Getty/Gregory Bojorquez

Lupe Fiasco on the set of his "Daydreamin'" music video in 2006.

Lupe Fiasco during Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott on the Set of Lupe Video Shoot Day Dreaming - July 26, 2006 in New York City, New York, United States.
Lupe! Getty/Johnny Nunez
Advertisement

Lil' Kim in 2007.

Lil' Kim.
Lil' Kim. Getty/Paul Redmond

Redman and Method Man, widely regarded as one of the best duos in rap history, on stage together in 2008.

Rappers Redman and Method Man (R) perform during the Rock The Bells Music and Arts Festival on August 16, 2008 in Mountain View, California.
Redman and Method Man. Getty/FilmMagic
Advertisement

MF Doom performing in Chicago in 2009.

Hip hop artist DOOM performs onstage during the Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park on July 18, 2009 in Chicago.
MF Doom. Getty/Roger Kisby

Big Boi of Outkast in 2010.

American hip hop artist, Big Boi of Outkast poses backstage during a promotion for Electronic Arts' racing video game 'Need for Speed Hot Pursuit' at Hordern Pavilion on November 18, 2010 in Sydney, Australia.
Big Boi is also known as Daddy Fat Sax. Getty/Don Arnold
Advertisement

Tyler, the Creator and fellow Odd Future member Left Brain performing at SXSW in 2011.

Tyler, the Creator, Left Brain.
Wolf gang. Getty/Roger Kisby

Mac Miller in 2012.

Mac Miller poses during photo session backstage at Casino de Paris on May 30, 2012 in Paris, France.
Mac Miller passed away in September 2018. Getty/David Wolff
Advertisement

Jay-Z performing in London in 2013.

Jay Z performs on stage at O2 Arena on October 10, 2013 in London, England.
Allow me to reintroduce myself. Getty/Neil Lupin

2014 was the year the world met Bobby Shmurda.

Rapper Bobby Shmurda performs on stage at Power 105.1's Powerhouse 2014 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on October 30, 2014 in New York City.
Bobby Shmurda. Getty/Bryan Bedder
Advertisement

A$AP Rocky in 2015.

A$AP Rocky performs at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on September 22, 2015 in New York City.
A$AP Rocky. Getty/

Drake performing in Chicago in 2016.

Drake.
Drake. Getty/Daniel Boczarski
Advertisement

XXXTentacion in 2017.

XXXTentacion performs during the second day of the Rolling Loud Festival in downtown Miami on Saturday, May 6, 2017.
XXXTentacion was murdered in 2018. Getty/Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald

Kendrick Lamar performing at the Grammy Awards in 2018.

Recording artist Kendrick Lamar attends the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City.
King Kenny. Getty/Christopher Polk
Advertisement

Kanye West in 2019.

Kanye West performs Sunday Service during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019 in Indio, California.
Kanye West now goes by the name Ye. Getty/Rich Fury

Rapper YG speaking during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020.

Rapper YG speaks during the YG x BLMLA x BLDPWR protest and march on June 07, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
YG, real name Keenon Daequan Ray Jackson. Getty/Rich Fury
Advertisement

Takeoff of Migos in 2021.

Takeoff.
Takeoff was shot dead in November 2022. Getty/Rich Fury

Eminem in 2022.

Eminem stands with a microphone in hand during the Super Bowl half time show
Eminem performs at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Advertisement

Travis Scott performs in London in 2023.

Travis Scott performs live on the main stage during day two of Wireless Festival 2023 at Finsbury Park on July 08, 2023 in London, England.
Travis Scott recently released his fourth studio album, "Utopia." Getty/Simone Joyner

Read next

Music Photos
Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.