[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 618 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 618
Recognizing August 11, 2023, as the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 26, 2023
Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Carter of
Louisiana, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Frost, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kelly
of Illinois, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Veasey, Ms.
Williams of Georgia, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Moskowitz, Ms.
Strickland, Mr. Carson, Mr. Horsford, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Brown, Mr.
McGovern, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Ms.
Bush, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Gomez, and Ms. Adams)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing August 11, 2023, as the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
Whereas, on August 11, 1973, Clive ``DJ Kool Herc'' and his sister Cindy
Campbell threw a ``Back to School Jam'' to raise money for new school
clothes in the recreation room of their apartment on 1520 Sedgwick
Avenue in the Bronx, New York;
Whereas ``DJ Kool Herc'' introduced an innovative style of disk jockeying that
engaged the crowd with the master of ceremonies;
Whereas this style would later be known as ``hip-hop'' and the titles of ``disk
jockey'' and ``master of ceremonies'' would be abbreviated to ``DJ'' and
``MC,'' respectively;
Whereas, over the past 50 years, hip-hop has become a lifestyle, woven into
American culture not only through music, but also fashion, art, film,
and dance;
Whereas hip-hop as an art form was created through Black ingenuity and is a part
of not only African-American culture, but American culture;
Whereas blues from the Mississippi Delta to Memphis, Tennessee, jazz from New
Orleans, Louisiana, gospel from Chicago, Illinois, and soul from
Detroit, Michigan, created the foundation that hip-hop emerged;
Whereas, since its origins, hip-hop has evolved and grown over half a century
because of its ability to adapt to the people and region in which it is
reimagined;
Whereas, in New York City, hip-hop's birthplace, east coast hip-hop has produced
artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Grandmaster Flash, Run-
D.M.C., Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and the Wu-Tang Clan;
Whereas, in the 1990s, artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Tupac, and
more recently Nipsey Hussle emerged in California's west coast with G-
Funk, which originally spurred out of the Watts riots in the late 1960s;
Whereas bass and trap music originated in southern cities like Atlanta, Georgia,
and Memphis, Tennessee, with artists such as Project Pat, Three 6 Mafia,
Outkast, T.I., and Mannie Fresh;
Whereas midwestern cities like Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, have
produced artists such as Nelly and Common who have brought their
respective regional influences to the mainstream;
Whereas hip-hop's spread has mixed cultures and traditions from the slowed down
style of Texas artists like UGK and Scarface, to the rhythmic beats of
Miami, Florida, bass made popular by 2 Live Crew, to the Latin influence
and energy of artists like Pitbull and Bad Bunny;
Whereas bounce originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the 1980s, and has
elevated thanks to artists such as Juvenile, Magnolia Shorty, and Big
Freedia who is recognized as the ``Queen of Bounce'' and has helped to
elevate the subgenre to the national stage thanks to collaborations with
Beyonce and other mainstream artists like Rihanna incorporating the fast
tempo sound into their work;
Whereas new school hip-hop continues to dominate the music industry selling out
concert venues and stadiums with artists like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole,
Megan Thee Stallion, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Drake,
Lil Nas X, GloRilla, and Ice Spice;
Whereas artists like MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Lisa ``Left
Eye'' Lopes, Salt-N-Pepa, Lauryn Hill, and Missy Elliot pioneered female
rap, moving hip-hop away from being a male-dominated genre;
Whereas music producers such as Jermaine Dupri, J. Dilla, DJ Khaled, and Tay
Keith have transcended hip-hop with their own styles of creativity,
instrumentation, and deep musical knowledge;
Whereas film directors and producers like John Singleton, Spike Lee, Rick
Famuyiwa, and Yvette Lee Bowser have brought hip-hop and Black culture
to the big screen with hit movies and TV shows like Poetic Justice, Boyz
n the Hood, School Daze, Brown Sugar, and A Different World;
Whereas hip-hop has always been about telling a story, whether it be a story of
pain and struggle, love and romance, religion, or politics;
Whereas hip-hop has always been a creative mouthpiece for all people to share
their own individual realities;
Whereas hip-hop has provided outlets for people all over the world to include
extracurricular activities, youth counseling, analytical thinking,
entertainment, employment;
Whereas hip-hop has had an immense economic impact, and, as an industry,
generates more than a billion dollars annually, further creating
opportunities for economic mobility and wealth creation for Black people
in the United States;
Whereas hip hop has evolved as a platform to advocate for social, political, and
economic needs of all people, including environmental justice,
education, healthcare, and voting rights; and
Whereas, on August 11, 2023, the Federal Government, States, cities, and towns
will observe the 50th anniversary of hip-hop: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the contribution of hip-hop to American art
and culture;
(2) recognizes the 50th anniversary of hip-hop;
(3) encourages Members of the House of Representatives to
plan activities and support the recognition of the 50th
anniversary of hip-hop; and
(4) encourages local governments in the United States to
build partnerships with local hip-hop entities and other
members of creative arts to expand the true essence of hip-hop
culture.
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