The Kennedy Center Unveils Exciting Lineup for Fall 2023 Hip Hop Culture Season

he John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has revealed fall programming for its 2023–2024 Hip Hop season, celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop and the Culture’s genius, beauty, power, strength, and resilience. The Center will present a mix of celebratory concerts, exciting humanities activities—including dynamic Culture Talks with Hip Hop icons and pioneers—film screenings, listening sessions, and more honoring hip hop’s foundation, evolution, influence, and impact across culture and generations. As the season unfolds, the Kennedy Center will continue to announce a series of exciting new partnerships and collaborations, exhibits and installations, as well upcoming programmatic initiatives.

“I am excited to kick-off our year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop this fall. Through these programs, we express our gratitude for the legendary icons who have paved the way, uplift the multi-hyphenates who are shaping our present, and set our sights on the future generations that will usher us into the next 50 years,” said Simone Eccleston, Director of Hip Hop Culture and Contemporary Music. “I hope you’ll join us in celebrating the Culture and its golden anniversary!”

Exceptional Performances

The season launches on September 9 at Wolf Trap with five-time Grammy® winner and founding member of the Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture Council Robert Glasper celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop through the lens of his groundbreaking, genre-bending brand, Black Radio. Black Radio: A Hip Hop 50 Celebration will feature performances by Grammy®-nominated rapper Cordae; Grammy®, Emmy®, and Academy Award®–winning rapper Common; Grammy®–winning rapper Lupe Fiasco; T3 of Slum Village; and Grammy®–nominated and BET Hip Hop Award-winning rapper Rapsody. Then, legendary artist, DJ, photographer, and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member D-Nice, who became the first hip hop artist to headline and sell-out the Kennedy Center Opera House in 2022, returns with Club Quarantine Live. The revolutionary virtual club that safely brought millions together during the pandemic will come offline again for a special three-day celebration of music, life, love, laughter, and community with the Club Quarantine Live Residency. In addition to the return of Club Quarantine Livewith D-Nice (October 7, 2023)—featuring Igmar Thomas’ Revive Orchestra and special guests to be announced—the Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council member also brings the CQ Comedy Showcase featuring the very best in comedy (October 6, 2023) and CQ Praise & Worship (October 8, 2023), a soul-stirring afternoon of gospel music. Comedian Chris Spencer will serve as the host for the weekend.

In November, Grammy®–nominated, multi-platinum, hip hop artist and DMV native Wale makes his Kennedy Center debut in the Concert Hall (November 10, 2023). The concert is presented as part of the Center’s new Hometown Heroes, Global Icons series, which uplifts the DMV’s contributions to hip hop. On November 17, acclaimed Virginia hip hop duo Clipse—featuring brothers Pusha T and No Malice—will perform in the Concert Hall.

Culture Talks, Hip Hop Listening Sessions, and more

Two Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture series, Culture Talks and Hip Hop Listening Sessions, make their highly-anticipated returns this fall with special programs in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Culture Talks, a humanities series that aims to highlight the creative genius behind hip hop artists, creatives, and culture, begins with an intimate conversation about the foundations of the genre with the Father of Hip Hop DJ Kool Herc and the First Lady of Hip Hop Cindy Campbell, moderated by Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council member 9th Wonder, in From 1520 Sedgwick Avenue to the World: A Fireside Chat with DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell (September 29, 2023). Then, multi-platinum Grammy®–winning super-producer Timbaland continues the Hometown Heroes, Global Icons series with Sound Architects: A Producer Conversation with Timbaland (October 29, 2023). The Birth of a Culture: A Conversation and Masterclass with Grandmaster Flash (November 3, 2023) gives audiences an opportunity to join an intimate conversation with one of the originators of hip hop as a musical genre and worldwide cultural phenomenon.

The Hip Hop Listening Sessions, a series of collaboratively generated musical listening experiences, begins with #LifeIn5: Hip Hop 50 Edition (October 18, 2023), in which attendees share their hip hop stories in five songs. The series continues with Iconic Groups Edition (November 1, 2023), exploring the pantheon of iconic hip hop groups, and Ladies First: Queens of Hip Hop Edition (December 6, 2023), celebrating women in hip hop.

On the cusp of the release of his new book, multi Grammy Award® and NAACP Image Award winner, co-founder of The Roots, and founding Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council member Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter returns on November 12 for a special event for his new memoir The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are (scheduled for release on November 14, 2023). In December, Grammy®, Emmy®, and Academy Award®–winning rapper and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member Common returns to the Center in an intimate conversation with writer Marcus J. Moore: I Still Love H.E.R: Hip Hop & The Multi-hyphenate Life (December 16, 2023).  As part of the discussion, Common will reflect on his storied career, hip hop’s 50th anniversary, and the multitude of ways that hip hop has served as the catalyst for his multi-hyphenate life as an artist, activist, producer, philanthropist, and change agent. He will also share about his new social justice initiative Free to Dream.

Extraordinary Cinema

This year, the Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture program will present landmark films in the culture: Style Wars (November 5, 2023), Tony Silver’s documentary on New York City graffiti writers in the 1980’s; the iconic Beat Street (November 19, 2023), directed by Stan Lathan and produced by Harry Belafonte and David V. Picker, which will include a special discussion on the making and impact of the film with Gina Belafonte who worked on the film and Kennedy Center Vice President of International Programming and Dance, former Managing Director of Belafonte Enterprises, Inc., and Beat Street Production Associate Alicia Adams (additional guests to be announced); and hip hop’s first motion picture, Wild Style (December 10, 2023). Style Wars and Wild Style are presented in collaboration with Kennedy Center Social Impact’s Extraordinary Cinema.

As previously announced, National Dance Day, the annual free event celebrating the art form of dance, will take place on September 16, 2023. This popular event will focus on hip hop dance styles as they have changed over the past 50 years and will be co-curated with DMV-based movement artists Lauren DeVera, Ama Law, Chris Law, and Chitra Subramanian, and presented in collaboration with Dance Programming, the Hip Hop Culture Program, hip hop nonprofit Words Beats & Life (WBL) and True School. The Kennedy Center, in association with American Dance Movement and in conjunction with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, will partner for the 13th year. 

FALL 2023 HIP HOP SEASON:

Robert Glasper Black Radio: A Hip Hop 50 Celebration

Featuring Cordae, Common, Lupe Fiasco, T3 of Slum Village and Rapsody

September 9, 2023 at 8 p.m. (Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA)

Five-time Grammy®–winning pianist, composer, producer, and founding member of the Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture Council Robert Glasper celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip hop through the lens of his groundbreaking, award-winning, and genre-shattering brand, Black Radio. This one-night-only concert will feature a host of special guests spanning styles and generations including Grammy®–nominated rapper Cordae; Grammy®, Emmy®, and Academy Award®–winning rapper Common; Grammy®–winning rapper Lupe Fiasco; T3 of Slum Village; and Grammy®–nominated and BET Hip Hop Award-winning rapper Rapsody.

Presented in collaboration with Wolf Trap.

National Dance Day 2023

September 16, 2023 (The REACH)

The Kennedy Center celebrates hip hop’s 50th anniversary as part of National Dance Day! Co-curated with DMV-based movement artists Lauren DeVera, Ama Law, Chris Law, and Chitra Subramanian, and presented in collaboration with hip hop nonprofit Words Beats & Life (WBL) and True School. National Dance Day 2023 will feature free dance classes and performances, WBL’s annual Freshest of All Time 1-on-1 competition, and Fine Lines Mural Jam in addition to headlining DJ sets by True School DJs - DJ Face, Marc Nfinit, and more to be announced. 

Culture Talks: From 1520 Sedgwick Avenue to the World: A Fireside Chat with DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell

September 29, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. (Terrace Theater)

The father of hip hop, DJ Kool Herc, and the First Lady of hip hop, Cindy Campbell, join us to discuss the evolution of hip hop from its origins at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue to becoming a cultural movement that has inspired generations and transformed the world. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to hear their reflections on hip hop over the last 50 years in addition to their hopes for Hip Hop's next 50.

From 1520 Sedgwick Avenue to the World—a Fireside Chat with DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell will be moderated by Grammy®-nominated producer, DJ, College Lecturer, Music Executive, Social Activist and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member 9th Wonder.

CQ Comedy Showcase

October 6, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. (Opera House)

Co-curated by D-Nice and comedian Chris Spencer, the CQ Live Comedy Showcase will feature the very best in comedy. The CQ Comedy Showcase will be hosted by Chris Spencer.

CQ Comedy Showcase is produced by BrandNice and co-presented by BrandNice and the Kennedy Center.

Club Quarantine Live with D-Nice and Special Guests

October 7, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. (Opera House)

After making history as the first DJ and hip hop artist to headline the Kennedy Center Opera House, legendary artist, DJ, photographer, and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member D-Nice brings Club Quarantine Live—his dynamic, multi-genre celebration of music, life, love and community—back for another year. Hosted by comedian Chris Spencer, this creative black tie affair will feature an array of special guests alongside Igmar Thomas’s Revive Orchestra. Past Club Quarantine Live performers have included Too $hort, Faith Evans, EPMD, LeToya Luckett, Digable Planets, Israel Houghton, Eric Benét, DJ Clark Kent, Kenny Burns, and Vinnie/Vin Rock (Naughty by Nature).

Club Quarantine Live is produced by BrandNice and co-presented by BrandNice and the Kennedy Center.

CQ Praise & Worship

October 8, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. (Opera House)

A soul-stirring afternoon of gospel music, CQ Praise & Worship features a dynamic mix of gospel titans and rising stars. CQ Praise & Worship will leave you filled with hope and the spirit. Past performers have included Grammy Award®–winning artist, music icon, and Urban Praise & Worship architect Fred Hammond and Dove Award-winning and Grammy®–nominated recording artist Karima Trotter. CQ Praise & Worship will be hosted by Chris Spencer.

CQ Praise & Worship is produced by BrandNice and co-presented by BrandNice and the Kennedy Center.

Hip Hop Listening Sessions: #LifeIn5: Hip Hop 50 Edition

October 18, 2023 at 7 p.m. (River Pavilion)

A host of special guests join us as we celebrate hip hop’s 50th anniversary with the return of the Hip Hop Culture Program’s #LifeIn5 initiative. Drawing from the “Top 5” concept, participants will create a collaboratively generated musical experience exploring the top 5 songs that tell their hip hop stories. The listening session will be complemented by themed cocktails and facilitated by a host with a live soundtrack spun by one of today’s most exciting DJs. Guests will also have the opportunity to record their #LifeIn5 for sharing on the Kennedy Center’s website and social media platforms.

Come Early: Come early and learn how to make one of the signature cocktails for the evening from our resident mixologist. Attendees will be able to sample the signature cocktail following the demonstration. 

Stay Late: Stay late and party with your fellow listening session attendees as our featured DJ delivers a closing set that will have you on the dance floor. 

Culture Talks: Sound Architects: A Producer Conversation with Timbaland

October 29, 2023 at 8 p.m. (Concert Hall)

Multi-platinum, Grammy Award®–winning super-producer, artist, author, and entrepreneur Timbaland is one of the greatest minds in music history. With more top-ten hits than Elvis Presley or the Beatles, he has taught the world to “say it with sound.” Dubbed the “Emperor of Sound” and ranked number three by Billboard on a list of 50 of the greatest producers of the 21st century, Timbaland is the musical mastermind behind some of the most memorable hits of our times. With over 18 Grammy® nominations, 4 Grammy® wins, and 200+ ASCAP Music awards, his indelible imprint has been stamped on countless hits from some of the most successful and legendary artists in the world. From Jay-Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “Big Pimpin” to Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back” and “Cry Me A River,” Aaliyah’s “One In A Million,” Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It,” Ginuwine’s “Pony,” and One Republic’s “Apologize,” among many others, Timbaland’s credits have established him as one of the most iconic producers in the last 30 years, having produced hits for artists including Kanye West, Bryson Tiller, Madonna, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Sam Smith, Maluma, Nelly Furtado, Keri Hilson, Brad Paisley, Coldplay, Nickelback, The Fray, Destiny’s Child, Ludacris, Jodeci, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Alicia Keys, and countless others. As an entrepreneur, Timbaland is the co-founder of the music tech platform Beatclub, which he created with long time music manager Gary Marella, and the co-creator of pandemic phenomenon Verzuz with music producer Swizz Beatz. Timbaland has released two books, a biography aptly titled The Emperor of Sound, and his children’s book Nighttime Symphony.

Sound Architects: A Producer Conversation with Timbaland will be moderated by Grammy®–nominated producer, DJ, College Lecturer, Music Executive, Social Activist, and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member 9th Wonder.

Hip Hop Listening Sessions: Iconic Groups Edition

November 1, 2023 at 7 p.m. (River Pavilion)

Iconic Groups Edition delves into the pantheon of iconic groups in hip hop: Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, Salt-N-Pepa, Eric B. & Rakim, Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Gang Starr, Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang, N.W.A, Geto Boys, Digable Planets, Outkast, Goodie Mob, The Roots, The Fugees, Slum Village, Black Star, Clipse, N.E.R.D, The Diplomats, The Lox, Bone Thugs and Harmony, UGK, Mobb Deep to Migos, City Girls, Earthgang, and more. Who’s on your list?

Come Early: Come early and learn how to make one of the signature cocktails for the evening from our resident mixologist. Attendees will be able to sample the signature cocktail following the demonstration. 

Stay Late: Stay late and party with your fellow listening session attendees as our featured DJ delivers a closing set that will have you on the dance floor. 

Culture Talks: The Birth of a Culture: A Conversation and Masterclass with Grandmaster Flash

November 3, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. (Terrace Theater)

Join us for an intimate conversation and masterclass with one of Hip Hop's Founding Fathers, Grandmaster Flash. As one of the originators of hip hop and a worldwide cultural phenomenon, he has pioneered the turntables as a musical instrument thus helping to elevate the status of the DJ to a masterful, artistic position. Flash was scientifically inventing and demonstrating methods and concepts he collectively called “The Quick Mix Theory,” including the innovative technique of “Cutting,” eventually laying the foundations for what became known as “Scratching,” “Transforming,” and the use of fingertips for vinyl techniques. In addition, his group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five cut some of hip hop’s most iconic records, including "The Message," a hard-hitting dispatch of socio-political commentary that highlighted the inequalities plaguing their community. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to hear from this living legend and experience how he created his innovative techniques. 

The Birth of a Culture: A Conversation and Masterclass with Grandmaster Flash will be moderated by Musical Storyteller, Award-Winning Producer, Mixtape Master, DJ and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member J. PERIOD.

Extraordinary Cinema: Style Wars

Directed by Tony Silver. Produced by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant.

November 5, 2023 at 3 p.m. (Justice Forum)

In 1983, just a decade after DJ Kool Herc’s historic “Back-to-School Jam,” PBS aired Tony Silver’s groundbreaking documentary on the burgeoning hip hop movement, a lively and richly observant account of the thriving culture of graffiti writers who were making their mark on the early-’80s New York cityscape. 

Wale

November 10, 2023 at 8 p.m. (Concert Hall)

Grammy®–nominated, multi-platinum, hip hop artist and DMV native Wale makes his Kennedy Center debut as he headlines the Concert Hall in a special one-night only performance. An old school lyricist with new school energy, otherworldly hooks, and a sense of irony tailor-made for its own Seinfeld episode, Nigerian-American Wale instantly set himself apart with his distinctive musical blend of hip hop, go-go, afrobeats, reggae, soul, and R&B. With a steady stream of releases that have garnered critical acclaim such as 2008’s inventive Mixtape About Nothing, 2009’s major label debut Attention Deficit, Ambition (2011), The Gifted (2013), The Album About Nothing (2015),  Wow…That’s Crazy (2019), Folarin II (2021) and hits such as “Lotus Flower Bomb,” “Bad,” “The Matrimony,” “My PYT,” “On Chill” and more, Wale has topped the Billboard 200 at #1 twice, achieved four platinum or multiplatinum singles, three gold singles, and two gold albums. He has also graced the covers of magazines such as Complex, Billboard, XXL, and Vibe, and received honors at the BET Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, and Soul Train Awards. Wale also made history as the first rapper to open the State of the Union, gracing the stage with an unforgettable performance before President Obama’s final State of the Union Address and participated in First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Reach Higher” initiative for higher education.

Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter

The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are

Pre-Release Book Talk Event

November 12, 2023 at 2 p.m. (Eisenhower Theater)

From one of our generation’s most powerful artists and incisive storytellers comes a brilliantly crafted work about the art—and war—of becoming who we are. Multi-Grammy Award® and NAACP Image Award winner, co-founder of The Roots, and founding Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council member Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter returns to the Center for a special pre-release event for his new memoir The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are. 

In The Upcycled Self, Trotter doesn’t only narrate a riveting and moving portrait of the artist as a young man, he gives readers a courageous model of what it means to live an examined life. In vivid vignettes, he tells the dramatic stories of the four powerful relationships that shaped him—with community, friends, art, and family—each a complex weave of love, discovery, trauma, and loss. Beyond offering the compellingly poetic account of one artist’s creative and emotional origins, Trotter explores the vital questions we all have to confront about our formative years. This is the beautifully bluesy story of a boy genius’s coming-of-age that illuminates the redemptive power of the upcycle.

All ticket buyers will receive signed copies of The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are.

Clipse

November 17, 2023 at 8 p.m. (Concert Hall)

Acclaimed Hip Hop duo Clipse make their Kennedy Center debut as they headline the Concert Hall in a special one-night only performance. Hailing from Virginia, Clipse—brothers Pusha T and No Malice—were one of the first artists to associate with the Neptunes. The Neptunes' Pharrell Williams first met the brothers in the early '90s, was very impressed by their talents, and decided to help them get a gig. After he hooked them up with the Elektra label, an early single flopped and the group seemed done, even though an album's worth of material had been recorded. Williams was not discouraged and continued to hype the group until Arista finally intervened in 2001. Williams and partner Chad Hugo stepped behind the boards and produced Lord Willin', Clipse's 2002 full-length debut, released through Star Trak/Arista. On the strength of "Grindin'," the album hit the Top Ten of the R&B/Hip Hop and Billboard 200 charts and eventually went gold. The Sony-BMG merger threw the follow-up into limbo and sparked a long bout of legal snags between Clipse and their new parent label, Jive. While the delay was going on, Clipse issued a series of mixtapes and set up their Re-Up label. The label disputes were eventually cleared up, and Hell Hath No Fury—a lean, mean album, featuring the Neptunes and the MC'ing duo at the top of their game—was finally released on November 28, 2006. Almost unanimously hailed by critics, it also reached number 14 on the Billboard 200. Clipse later signed with Columbia for Til the Casket Drops, released in December 2009. The album's list of collaborators included the Neptunes, DJ Khalil, Kanye West, and Keri Hilson. 

Beat Street

Film Screening and Discussion

November 19, 2023 at 2 p.m. (Terrace Theater)

After DJ Kenny Kirkland (Guy Davis), his B-boy brother Lee (Robert Taylor), and graffiti artist Ramon (Jon Chardiet) wow the crowd at the Roxy in Manhattan, composer Tracy Carlson (Rae Dawn Chong) offers to help them achieve their dreams. Yet, an unexpected tragedy stands in their way. The film features legendary dance battles between the famous Rock Steady Crew and New York City Breakers, and musical performances by Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five, Doug E. Fresh, Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force, the Treacherous Three, US Girls, and many others. Directed by Stan Lathan, produced by Harry Belafonte and David V. Picker, and scored by Arthur Baker, Beat Street is an invaluable documentary of early ’80s hip hop culture in New York.

The screening will be followed by a discussion on the making of the film and its impact with Gina Belafonte who worked on the film and Kennedy Center Vice President of International Programming and Dance, former Managing Director of Belafonte Enterprises, Inc., Creative Executive, and Beat Street Production Associate Alicia Adams. Other guests to be announced.

Hip Hop Listening Sessions: Ladies First: Queens of Hip Hop Edition

December 6, 2023 at 7 p.m. (River Pavilion)

All hail the QUEENS! Fresh off the heels of the first female hip hop artist to receive a Kennedy Center Honors, we are celebrating women in hip hop. Whether it’s MC Sha-Rock, Queen Lisa Lee, Roxanne Shanté, JJ Fad, Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Yo-Yo, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Missy Elliott, Eve, Trina, Da Brat, Remy Ma, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Rapsody, Mumu Fresh, Megan the Stallion, City Girls, Leikeli47, Latto, Doechii, Coi Leray, Kash Doll, Ice Spice, Lola Brooke, or another amazing queen in the Culture, come share your favorite songs and let’s listen together.

Come Early: Come early and learn how to make one of the signature cocktails for the evening from our resident mixologist. Attendees will be able to sample the signature cocktail following the demonstration. 

Stay Late: Stay late and party with your fellow listening session attendees as our featured DJ delivers a closing set that will have you on the dance floor. 

Extraordinary Cinema: Wild Style

December 10, 2023 at 3p.m. (Justice Forum)

Widely celebrated as hip hop’s first motion picture, Wild Style tells the story of the subway graffiti writer Zoro, played by the legendary Lee Quinones, and his friend Phade, played by Fab 5 Freddy, as they navigate a scene filled with artistic rivalries and a creative community that’s ambivalent about the interest it is attracting by the commercial art world. A loose narrative film, Wild Style also features appearances from other seminal figures in the era including Lady Pink, the Rock Steady Crew, The Cold Crush Brothers, Queen Lisa Lee of Zulu Nation, and Grandmaster Flash, helping to document the early rise of hip hop.

I Still Love H.E.R: Hip Hop & The Multi-hyphenate Life  

An Intimate Conversation with Common  

December 16, 2023, 7:30pm (Terrace Theater)

Grammy®, Emmy®, and Academy Award®–winning rapper and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member Common returns to the Center for an intimate conversation with writer Marcus J. Moore as he reflects on his storied career, hip hop’s 50th anniversary, and the multitude of ways that hip hop has served as the catalyst for his multi-hyphenate life as an artist, activist, producer, philanthropist, and change agent. From reflections on his iconic hit “I Used to Love H.E.R,” his risk-taking album Electric Circus, and his creative collaborations on wax, stage, and screen, to the launch of his new social justice initiative Free to Dream, this will be one conversation that you won’t want to miss! 

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