August 11th marked the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the music genre and culture “birthed” in the Bronx that’s taken over the world. adidas, an early player in and adopter of the scene, has celebrated the art and its figures throughout the year, and this year was no different.
The Three Stripes paid tribute to innovators old and new this past weekend. The brand hosted a number of community-oriented events across the five boroughs, including a Sounds Lab program, block parties, and Hip-Hop 50 Live Concert. The weekend celebration kicked off days earlier: New York City Mayor Eric Adams proclaimed August 9th “Run-DMC Day,” honoring the Queens-formed trio for its contributions to hip-hop. Run-DMC has long been associated with adidas, and it’s been commemorated by the brand across special pairs of the Superstar throughout the years.
The Three Stripes also organized a number of block parties throughout the city with the help of ITSALLBLACKMUSIC and the City of New York. adidas delivered pop-up experiences at each party, hosting free giveaways, product customization, and an exhibit of archival product related to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. Music and refreshments also formed part of the 5×5 NYC Block Party Series. In the Bronx, Yankee Stadium saw acts like Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Lil Kim, Trina, T.I., Lauryn Hill, Nas, Ice Cube, Fat Joe, and Run-DMC perform some of their most popular songs. Each act forms part of hip-hop’s legacy, bringing originality to the main stage. Rev Run and DMC performed “My adidas” during the concert on August 11th, revisiting a special moment in hip-hop history. (The Queens trio released “My adidas” in 1986 to much fanfare across the U.S. Executives at adidas noticed a spike in sales for the Superstar around the same time, but didn’t understand the abnormal trend. Sports and Marketing Director and VP of Global Events Angelo Anastasio caught wind of Run-DMC and traveled from Los Angeles to Madison Square Garden to see the group in concert. The story goes that Rev Run told audience members wearing shell-toes to take a shoe off and hold it high to show Anastasio and the brand Run-DMC’s influence. The rest is history.)
The Sound Labs program launched at adidas Broadway promises students and up-and-coming producers across the city the opportunity to develop their musical talents and gain exposure of the music industry. The program launched on August 10th, and will continue into 2024. Lastly, the celebrations came rot a close with Zone6’s Pro-Am Basketball League Championship in Brooklyn. The event was organized with the help of Foot Locker, and resulted in adidas outfitting the winner, Gas Wars Basketball.
Photos by Rob Kim/Getty Images, Xiana Gutierrez courtesy of adidas
