Hip-hop is 50. Its formula for global domination? Staying local

When DJ Kool Herc spun records at a small party in the Bronx in August of 1973, no one would have predicted his unique style would give birth to the most influential and dominant music in the world: hip-hop. In this special episode, we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the genre. NPR Music editors Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Sheldon Pearce are joined by contributor Christina Lee to look at how and why the music has managed to remain a local phenomenon, even as it’s taken hold of the world, and what’s happening in some of the country’s most vibrant scenes.

More on the story of hip-hop at 50:

• All Rap Is Local: A city-by-city guide to hip-hop’s first half century
• Rap at the Tiny Desk: Every hip-hop concert in our long-running series
• Code Switch looks at how hip-hop has gone from “fight the power” to advertising for the power
• The story of hip-hop’s first night: How a party in the Bronx gave birth to the genre