2023 marks Hip Hop’s 50th Birthday! How can one say and even be sure to know what is the date of birth of any musical genre? Well, in Hip Hop culture there is a day, August 11, 1973, a day when Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc held a block party in front of his NY, Bronx apartment, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. It was his sister’s back-to-school party where he tried something new on turntables. DJ Kool Herc extended instrumental break parts on different tracks to let people dance longer and began accompanying rapping. Not many realized that it would be a starting point of a new culture, full of energy and street voice.
Photo source: New York Times
One day, it was all a dream, but gradually, along 5 decades, the whole culture and genre developed, embraced new forms and spread its influence all over the world. The great impact and vast popularity sparked new beginnings in every nation. In Georgia, the earliest crossover with Hip Hop culture and Rap music would happen to be the early 90’s in Kutaisi. The city that fairly claims a spot, a cradle for all alternative musical genres of Georgian music.
Photo credit: Roberto Strauss / Flickr
Artists didn’t have to imitate their American colleagues in any way, cause Georgian Hip Hop had its own sincerity as the genre itself reflects artists’ own unique living reality, everyday life and struggles. Starting from that point, many artists found themselves in Rap music, releasing albums doing collaborative projects and musical experiments. In the late 2000’s, the internet era surely opened new possibilities and made Georgian Hip Hop more diverse, full of unique and outstanding sound. The genre unites well-known and established musicians and newly emerged, talented producers. The interest from listeners grows with every year. More people gather at Hip Hop events to enjoy the delivery of lyrics through different types of flows.
Image credit: Artem Stefanov
Besides different online platforms, there are many live occasions where musicians are able to present their works to a broad audience. Annual festivals like Tbilisi Open Air and 4GB, different clubs and bars all over Georgia are hosting Hip Hop events from time to time, hosting artists and bands representing various styles of Hip Hop.
Photo Credit: Dedaena Bar
One of those spots is Dedaena Bar, situated in the heart of Dedaena Park. They do events everyday except Monday, but there is one specific weekend day, famous among Hip Hop music listeners and it’s Sunday as the bar holds Hip Hop Sunday events on every Sunday already for 5 years. Yeah, we mentioned it three times to make sure you won’t forget. Feel free to join and hope you’ll enjoy it!
