New two-disc compilation raised by Rap: ‘50 Years Of Hip Hop’ is out now in addition to classic re-issues from Run DMC, Nas, of many more

Paying homage to some of the greatest voices of all-time, Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and Certified, the digital destination platform celebrating SME’s R&B and Hip Hop catalogues, will unveil over 50 product releases via Legacy Recordings, Record Store Day, Vinyl Me, Please, Get On Down, Mobile Fidelity, and Urban Outfitters in 2023 to celebrate, commemorate, and honour the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop in partnership with entertainment company Mass Appeal.

This bevy of titles spans new physical configurations, first-time digital releases, and limited-edition vinyl from the genre’s most influential and indelible icons, including Big Pun, Cypress Hill, Nas, Outkast, Q-Tip, RUN DMC, Three 6 Mafia, Wu-Tang Clan, and more.

Kicking off this celebratory season, the first release was Nas’s Made You Look: God’s Son Live 2002 as an exclusive Record Store Day vinyl, which is out now. This sought-after live record graced DSPs for the first-time ever on April 21. It notably captured Nas’s historic sold-out headline show at Webster Hall in New York, NY. Fans have clamoured for its release for years, and it finally drops on streaming platforms in 2023.

On its heels, RUN DMC’s 1988 classic, Tougher Than Leather, arrived on black vinyl via Legacy Recordings on May 12 just in time to celebrate the monumental 35th anniversary. In conjunction, Get On Down has repressed a special edition blue coloured vinyl. This autumn, it will also be featured in Vinyl Me, Please’s Hip-Hop subscription.

Sony’s HH50 campaign is also partnering with Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. In the summer and fall, the label will release audiophile-grade versions of RUN DMC’s iconic albums – RUN DMC (1984), King of Rock (1985), and Raising Hell (1986)-on 180g SuperVinyl LPs. Sourced from the original master tapes, the numbered-edition reissues will be pressed at RTI, housed in Stoughton gatefold jackets, and feature liner notes.

Next up, Nas’ fan favourite The Lost Tapes celebrates its 20th anniversary and gets a vinyl update available now through Legacy Recordings. To accompany the latter, Get On Down is also releasing Nas’ The Lost Tapes on limited edition double coloured-vinyl in a gatefold jacket with numbered OBI limited to 2000 units. The Lost Tapes 20th Anniversary special-coloured vinyl edition is available for pre-order now, exclusively at www.getondown.com.

Serving up a fascinating overview and comprehensive history lesson, SME’s Certified has now just released the brand-new compilation, Raised By Rap: 50 Years of Hip Hop. It is available as a double-LP vinyl with exclusive colour variants at Target and Urban Outfitters.

It traces a roadmap through rap music, curating and collating decades of hits from legendary acts to newcomers including records by 21 Savage, A Tribe Called Quest, Bia, Doja Cat, Fugees, Future, Mobb Deep, Nas, RUN DMC, Wu-Tang Clan, and more.

Mass Appeal and Certified have also developed a new socially driven content series called “Made By Hip Hop” which launched its first video today (watch HERE). The series delves into various Hip Hop subjects through the lens of theSME/Certified repertoire and features influential personalities speaking to Hip Hop’s impact on the culture. Releasing weekly throughout the year, the content series aims to showcase different themes (fashion, science, etc.) and their relationship to Hip Hop.

As part of the program, these luminaries will candidly dive into the legacy of Hip Hop, affirming you can always learn from your favorite rapper.

As part of Sony’s HH50 campaign, multiple albums in Sony’s Hip-Hop catalog will be featured into 2024 as part of Vinyl Me, Please’s Hip-Hop and Essentials Subscriptions. Albums by RUN DMC, Wu-Tang Clan, Boogie Down Productions, Lauryn Hill, Q-Tip, and more will be featured.

The campaign also includes in-person activations in New York City. Launched in January, Sony Music Entertainment/Certified served as a supporting partner of an exclusive preview event launching the new FotografiskaNew York exhibition Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious. Featuring over 200 photographs dated 1972 to 2022, the exhibition traces the rise and proliferation of Hip Hop through five decades of work from the trailblazing image-makers who helped codify Hip Hop as the most influential pop culture movement of its generation. Created in partnership with Mass Appeal and presented in collaboration with Chase Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, it opened to the public on January 26 and finished on the May 21.

Further collaborations and activations from Mass Appeal and SME related to #HipHop50 will be announced in the coming months.

The partnership is the latest announcement surrounding Mass Appeal’s #HipHop50 initiative - a massive cross-platform initiative that celebrates Hip Hop’s momentous anniversary in the most authentic and globally impactful way possible by acknowledging and recognizing Hip Hop as not only a genre but a movement that has impacted the worldwide community.