This Thing Of Ours: Revisit 50 Years Of Hip-Hop With BOSSIP’s 50 Dope Moments In Hip-Hop Culture

Suge Knight, Tupac Shakur, & Dr Dre On 'California Love' Set

Source: Nitro / Getty

Join us as we dig in the archives to Celebrate Hip-Hop turning 50 with our list of 50 dope moments in hip-hop history.

This year is a monumental one for our culture and hip-hop in general. A little genre that started in the Bronx would go on to dominate the world and dictate what’s hot and what’s not worldwide. Often imitated but never duplicated this thing of ours is here to stay. Unfortunately, some of the pioneers left us too soon yet their contributions will live on forever through film and video.

We figured why not take a trip down memory lane and revisit 50 of the most iconic moments in hip-hop. Celebrate the final day of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary over the next five pages.

50 Iconic Moments In Hip-Hop History

These moments are in no particular order but all are significant when we talk about hip-hop. These are the moments that inspired a generation and pushed our culture forward. If you were lucky enough to experience some of these you know just how beautiful they were for something that wasn’t even accepted at first. Furthermore, hip-hop was the underdog and is now the determining factor in what is cool and what isn’t.

Tupac Sign’s To Death Row & Releases The Iconic “California Love” Video After Release From Jail

Young Dolph Survives 100 Shots and Releases Bulletproof

Lil Wayne Released After Serving 1 Year At Rikers Island

Rappers Boycott The 1989 Grammy Awards

DaBrat Makes History Becoming The First Female Solo Artist To Go Platinum

TLC Brings Safe Sex To The Forefront Of Hip-Hop Amid Raising STD Rates


DMX Makes History Becoming The First Only Artist To Release Two No. 1 Hip-Hop Albums In A Year

Kendrick Lamar Wins Pulitzer Prize For DAMN.

Lauryn Hill Wins Five Grammys In One Night

Dr. Dre Sells Beats by Dre To Apple For $3 Billion

Kanye West’s infamous “George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People” statement