If you had told anyone half-a-century ago that the unique sound and movement that came out of New York in the early 1970s would go on to conquer the world and remain just as notorious 50-years-later, we’re not sure they would have believed it. In celebration of the genre’s milestone, the UAE’s premiere festival for all things underground and street culture, Sole DXB, is making its annual comeback, from Dec. 8-10, and is set to pay tribute to the once-niche-now-mainstream pocket of music by organizing a carefully-curated birthday party right in Dubai.
This year, the annual event is being supported by a slew of strategic partners including Dubai Design District (d3), Dubai Calendar, as well as its long-time collaborator, Mass Appeal, an American independent record label founded in 2014 by Nasir “Nas” Jones, who notably headlined the festival back in 2018.
“Throughout the past 50 years, Hip Hop has rapidly transformed into a global, cultural force, which has shaped the way people live across the world. A key mission of Mass Appeal’s Hip Hop 50 initiative is to ensure Hip Hop is celebrated globally. We’re excited to partner with Sole DXB in the Middle East and create unique experiences in honor of Hip Hop’s milestone birthday,” said Peter Bittenbender, Mass Appeal’s CEO.
“Over the course of our lives, we’ve seen Hip Hop grow from unlikely underdog to top of the cultural food chain. It’s a global movement that’s changed the course of our lives and how we see the world,” commented Rajat Malhotra, who co-founded Sole DXB alongside Joshua Cox and Hussain Moloobhoy 10-years-ago. “When Peter Bittenbender, CEO of Mass Appeal had the foresight three years ago to build the Hip Hop 50 story, he was kind enough to include us in the conversation, choosing us as their partner for this region. We’re grateful for the opportunity to be part of this cultural moment and understand our responsibility to tell this story authentically,” he added.
Once again, Sole DXB is all set to showcase the best of youth culture with a lineup of exceptional artists, designers, and creatives, and though it’s yet to be announced, given the lineup of previous iterations, we can only expect it to be just as exciting. Promising to offer attendees an immersive and unparalleled experience in music, fashion, and art, guests and streetwear lovers can expect to indulge in a diverse range of performances from top artists, exhibitions, and talks that are meticulously designed to showcase the vibrant and exciting world of Hip Hop across its myriad of interpretations and understandings.
