Mariah Carey Is Hosting A Madison Square Garden Celebration For The 50th Anniversary Of Hip-Hop

The commonly-acknowledged birth of hip-hop happened on August 12, 1973, when Cindy Campbell threw a basement rec-room party that featured her brother Clive, now and forever known as DJ Kool Herc. That means that hip-hop’s 50th anniversary is coming up. There’s already been an all-star salute to the music at the Grammys. A day before that anniversary, there will also be a gigantic celebration at Yankee Stadium that’ll feature Run-D.M.C., Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, and tons of others, including Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell. Now, the iconic New York rap station Hot 97 has announced its own plans for hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, and it looks… a little different.

Hot 97’s event for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop is happening 9/15 at Madison Square Garden, and it’ll feature a whole lot of artist who don’t necessarily make hip-hop. Mariah Carey and Maxwell will host the show, and it’ll feature performances from the Wu-Tang Clan, Mary J. Blige, EPMD, Tyrese, and Sean Paul. Hot 97’s in-house legend Funkmaster Flex will also DJ.

You might’ve noticed something here. That bill features two legendary rap groups, the Wu-Tang Clan and EPMD. It also features five other artists who make music in different genres — pop, R&B, dancehall. I get what Hot 97 is going for here. These different artists show the impact of hip-hop in different ways. Mary J. Blige is the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, and she proved how both the music and the perspective of hip-hop could translate to R&B. Mariah Carey was a mainstream pop superstar who found sharp and innovative ways to bring hip-hop to her sound. It’s very sad that Ol’ Dirty Bastard isn’t around to perform the “Fantasy” remix with her, but his son Young Dirty Bastard sometimes performs with Wu-Tang, so maybe he can do it. Dancehall and hip-hop evolved in parallel ways, so Sean Paul’s involvement makes sense.

Still, Hot 97 is really courting backlash with this lineup, especially with the more heavily fundamental show happening in the Bronx a month earlier. (Ghostface Killah is on the bill at the Yankee Stadium show, though I’m sure he won’t be the only artist who steps onstage at both.) Are people really going to want to celebrate this momentous anniversary by swaying along with Tyrese’s “Sweet Lady”? I guess we’ll find out.