Hip hop and reggae-dancehall to unify at FAAWUD

Rock The Bells and Bowery Presents are in collaboration with Impulse Nation, Kool Herc Productions, King Addies and the Jamaica Music Conference to deliver the most iconic hip hop 50th celebration of the entire year, dubbed 'FAAWUD'.

The event will bring the Jamaican diaspora, the Caribbean community and their hip hop family together to highlight arguably the most overshadowed aspect of early hip-hop culture.

An inclusive cultural celebration of hip hop's 50th anniversary, King Addies' 40th Anniversary and the Jamaica Music Conference's 10th Anniversary, FAAWUD will bring the hip hop and reggae-dancehall community together to explore and highlight Jamaican sound system culture's influence on hip hop, for the first time.

Although the topic has been informally discussed by music icons individually, this shared legacy has never been celebrated by both the hip hop and Jamaican music industry in one event. FAAWUD will honour key hip hop and reggae-dancehall influencers like 'Father of hip hop' DJ Kool Herc, 'First Lady of hip hop' Cindy Campbell, and foundation toaster Big Youth.

Kicking off with a sound system exhibit, the one-day programme will feature various icons who will take an international audience of music fans and aficionados on a cultural journey. There will be a panel discussion featuring hip hop and Jamaican music icons and journalists. The event will also showcase various aspects of sound system and DJ culture, such as a sound system quality showcase, a turntablist exhibition, and a toasting cypher featuring both hip hop and Jamaican icons.

Taking place at New York City's Webster Hall on August 10, the event will usher in the official 50th anniversary of Cindy Campbell and DJ Kool Herc's legendary hip hop party that took place at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on August 11, 1973.

Rock The Bell's President James Cuthbert said, "Jamaican and Caribbean artistes have had an incredible impact on the birth and growth of hip hop, and their influence has been overlooked for too long. In this 50th year of hip hop, if we're going to honour the culture and the icons that created it, we have to do it right. I can't wait for the fans to experience the depth and power of the culture with us."