Kamala Harris Throwing House Party To Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Birthday

Kamala Harris is throwing a house party Sept. 9 to celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th birthday, the first time a sitting Vice President has ever hosted such a celebration.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Harris’ celebration will include 20 acts and 400 guests, including actors, cultural trailblazers, industry leaders, and musicians. The event is being put on by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective and Live Nation Urban. Harris will speak at the event, and is expected to highlight her administration’s work toward celebrating the arts.

Common, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, and Jeezy are some of the artists expected to perform at the Vice-President’s house party.

“The Recording Academy and the Black Music Collective have had a tremendous year paying tribute to and honoring the legacy of Hip-Hop in its milestone 50th year,” Recording Academy President and CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a statement. “Taking the celebration to our nation’s capital alongside Vice President Harris is truly something special and I look forward to a historic day.”

The Recording Academy launched its Black Music Collective in 2020 with Color Of Change. Color Of Change recommended that the Academy create a Black music advisory group in addition to several other steps, and thus, the Black Music Collective was born.

“Music plays a profound role in shaping our culture, and Black music has been the cornerstone in the development of the world’s dynamic soundscape,” Valeisha Butterfield Jones, the Recording Academy’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Office, said at the time. “The Recording Academy has entered a new chapter of transformative change, and we are honored to partner with Color of Change as we work together to set new standards to elevate Black music creators and build a more diverse and equitable industry.”

The Black Music Collective’s first event, held in 2022 during Grammy week, honored John Legend, MC Lyte, and DJ D-Nice as well as Black-founded label LVRN or Love Renaissance, which is responsible for Summer Walker, Shelley (FKA DRAM), Dvsn, and 6Lack.

In 2023, the collective honored Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne, and Sylvia Rhone, CEO of Epic Records.