On Tuesday (April 11), Swizz Beatz took to social media to announce a new EP titled Hip Hop 50: Vol. 2, which will be released in conjunction with Mass Appeal in celebration of the culture’s semicentennial anniversary. The project will consist of five tracks (all of which are produced by the Ruff Ryders alum) and a wealth of appearances from Nas, Lil Wayne, Benny the Butcher, Jadakiss, Fivio Foreign, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and more.
The forthcoming effort follows 2022’s Hip Hop 50: Vol. 1, another five-song body of work that saw DJ Premier handling beat duties. That release boasted contributions from the likes of Joey BADA$$, Remy Ma, and Run The Jewels.
Just prior to Vol. 1‘s arrival, Mass Appeal and Live Nation Urban unveiled their #HipHop50 campaign with plans for a series of events that will range from live DJ sessions to full-on festivals throughout 2023.
“We are thrilled to partner with the world’s leading live entertainment company to bring fans one-of-a-kind experiences in celebration of hip hop’s 50th birthday,” said Mass Appeal CEO Peter Bittenbender as reported by Billboard. “We are planning to celebrate all facets of the culture and globe via this dynamic partnership.”
Live Nation Urban VP of Business Development and Operations Brandon Pankey added, “Live Nation Urban was founded to redefine culture. To celebrate 50 years of hip hop with Nas, Peter, and the Mass Appeal team is absolutely the type of partnership that our company is excited to form to continue to tell the stories about our culture globally.”
Check out Swizz Beatz‘s aforementioned announcement and the tracklisting for Hip Hop 50: Vol. 2 (out April 21) below. A portion of the proceeds from the EP will go to the Universal Hip Hop Museum.
Hip Hop 50: Vol. 2 tracklist:
- Nas — “Runaway”
- Lil Wayne — “This S**t Right Here”
- Jadakiss, Benny the Butcher, and Scar Lip — “Take ‘Em Out”
- Fivio Foreign and BandmanRill – “City Sound Like”
- Lil Durk and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie – “Say Less”