Tech Thursdays: Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop & Its Tech Evolution!

Join us for Tech Thursdays as our first installment celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop and explores the evolution of technology in one of the world's most versatile and culture-impacting genres. According to the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop and Rap, this genre is America’s most ‘tech-savvy’ of all. From Hip Hop’s earliest start using vinyl record players, turntables in the 70s, cassette tapes, synthesizers and boomboxes in the 80s, to the popularization of MP3 and portable CD players in the 90s, and now to autotune, AI-created tracks, and cloud-based streaming – Hip Hop has always been on the cutting edge of technology. Tech Thursdays guests will have the rare treat of seeing the handwritten track sheet used to produce Queen Latifah’s hit song, Ladies First, before digital technology was even a notion. From mixing and sampling to the unique composition of rhythmic beats, Hip Hop created a revolution of music production that remains unmatched to this day.

During this networking mixer, we invite you to celebrate the music that changed the lives of multiple generations. We’ll play hit songs from Hip Hop pioneers such as Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Caz, Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC, Salt N’ Pepa, Dougie Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew, Slick Rick, Roxanne Shante, LL Cool J, Chuck D, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, and Big Daddy Kane…just to name a few! Okay...okay...we'll play some music that the later generations grew up on from artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop, Nas, 50 Cent, Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, and 2PAC. Not to worry, we'll include hits from the ladies of Hip Hop and some of today's most popular Hip Hop artists. This is one event you won’t want to miss!

Grab a friend and hang out with us as we dance, reminisce, laugh, and appreciate the wonderful sounds of authentic, original Hip Hop music.

Guests enjoy complimentary beer, wine, soft drinks, appetizers, and great company with fellow aspiring and current tech professionals from Delaware and the Philadelphia region. Parking validated for the Community Service Parking Garage located next to Tonic at 111 W. 11th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.

See you at Tech Thursdays on June 22nd at 5:00pm!

Host or Publisher Delaware IT Industry Council