Livestream presented National Geographic Live’s “Distant Relatives,” a program that deconstructed and analyzed the seemingly forgotten roots of today’s hip-hop on Saturday, Dec. 12th at 7 pm (EST). The discussion featured renowned recording artists Nas and Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley, as they identified the connection between modernized hip-hop and traditional reggae.
In addition, the other impressive panel members included Kool Herc, Rakim, Daddy U-Roy, King Jammy, Jeff Chang, Pat McKay, Waterflow and DJ Red Alert, with MTV’s VJ Sway hosting and moderating.
Despite hip-hop becoming a multibillion-dollar fixture in the music industry, its origins were much more pedestrian. It started in Africa, and made its way to the Caribbean and America via the slave trade. It became popularized in the mid-to-late-1900’s in New York City, and transformed into the new form and culture it is today.
The replay of “Distant Relatives” will be available for an entire month. If you missed out on the live event, you can watch it at http://www.livestream.com/distantrelatives.
Watch a clip from the event below:
And here are some screenshots of the player:
On National Geographic:
On Facebook:
On Livestream:
