WHEREAS, August 11, 1973, marks the birth of hip hop when Clive Campbell (better known as DJ Kool Herc) and Campbell’s younger sister threw a back-to-school party in the recreational room of an apartment building in the Bronx in New York City and became the pioneer of modern hip hop; and

WHEREAS, Hip hop music and culture began during the 1970s in New York City as an outlet and voice for African Americans and peoples of Latin American and Caribbean origin; and

WHEREAS, Hip hop music became a mainstream genre by 1979 as artists such as the Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, and Kurtis Blow began producing records for commercial release; and

WHEREAS, Sugar Hill Records was an American record label specializing in hip hop music that was founded in 1979 by husband and wife Joe and Sylvia Robinson, who are responsible for some of the earliest hip hop artists and helped establish the burgeoning hip hop genre’s credibility within the music industry; and

WHEREAS, The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex musical styles, social commentary, and international influence; and

WHEREAS, The year 1983 marked the second wave of hip hop and the introduction of new-school hip hop, which was characterized by its assertive and minimalist delivery of socio-political commentary, pioneered by artists such as Run-DMC, Queen Latifah, and LL Cool J; and

WHEREAS, The 1990s marked the “golden age” of hip hop, which is characterized by the music’s diversity, quality, and innovation during this period, and focused on the violence and poverty experienced by inner-city African American youth; and

WHEREAS, Hip hop made its mark in mainstream culture in the 1980s, and women had to battle for recognition in a male-dominated industry, influencing Queen Latifah and Monie Love in 1989 to write the classic single “Ladies First,” which celebrates the lyrical prowess and talent of women in the industry, as well as U.N.I.T.Y, which focused on confronting disrespect of women in society and slurs against women in hip hop culture; and

WHEREAS, As hip hop evolved, Salt-N-Pepa took it in a new direction, embracing the sex-positive revolution of the 1990s, while preaching feminist values and speaking out against assault and discrimination, influencing some of today’s top female hip hop artists; and

WHEREAS, West coast hip hop gained immense popularity at that time, and N.W.A’s record Straight Outta Compton became the first blockbuster gangsta rap album, established west coast hip hop as a vital genre, and made California rival to hip hop’s long-time capital of New York; and

WHEREAS, West coast hip hop dominated music in the form of radio play and sales during the 1990s with the emergence of record labels such as Ruthless Records, Death Row Records, Doggy style Records, and Aftermath Entertainment; and

WHEREAS, Hip hop artists from California such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and others revolutionized the genre and influenced generations of artists who followed; and

WHEREAS, Elements of hip hop continue to be assimilated into other genres of popular music, such as rock, metal, dance, and jazz; and

WHEREAS, In 2017, hip hop became the most popular and financially successful music genre in the United States; and

WHEREAS, In the past 50 years, hip hop has grown from the underground music scene of the east coast to a global movement of music, dance, fashion, and language; and

WHEREAS, California artists, entrepreneurs, fashion designers, and producers have had, and continue to be, a monumental force and influence in the history and culture of hip hop; now, therefore, be it