Hip hop legend DJ Kool Herc is to commemorate 50 iconic years of hip hop with a star-studded celebration set to take place in Jamaica in December 2023.

Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell, the Jamaican sibling duo behind this event – set for December 29 and 30 at Plantation Cove in St Ann – have invited some of the biggest names in hip hop and reggae/dancehall for the event.

Together, they do not only intend to honour the 50th anniversary of hip hop, the globally beloved genre, but also pay homage to its Jamaican roots, a release from Reggae Hip Hop Connection said.

The event will also celebrate the induction of Kool Herc and Missy Elliot into the 2023 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Hip hop’s origin traces back to a party hosted by Campbell in 1973 at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx. Her elder brother, Clive ‘DJ Kool Herc’ Campbell was behind the turntables.

DJ Kool Herc has received the prestigious Order of Distinction Commander Class (CD) from the Jamaican Government in recognition of his contributions.

Hip hop has spawned numerous iconic artistes, with luminaries like Jay Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, P Diddy, and Dr Dre achieving billionaire status.

Renowned rapper Busta Rhymes has passionately emphasised the Jamaican roots of hip hop, notably praising Kool Herc as “a true Jamaican” during the recent BET 50th Anniversary hip hop tribute.

Also, Hip hop producer and personality Swizz Beatz has long championed the cause for honouring DJ Kool Herc within the community and among the genre’s devoted fans.

A series of events across the United States have marked the 50th anniversary of hip hop, including a spectacular gathering at Yankee Stadium. Nas, one of the event’s organisers, welcomed a constellation of hip hop luminaries.

The release said it’s important to recognise that hip hop’s sound system techniques were heavily influenced by the trailblazing figures of modern Jamaican music, such as King Stitt, Count Machukie, U Roy, and Big Youth.

Kool Herc, crediting the sound system operators from his time in places like Franklyn Town, eagerly anticipates the grand finale in Jamaica, where it all began.