Last weekend, Creative Justice presented The Next 50 of Hip Hop in partnership with Black Stax, KEXP, Converge Media and several other community partners. The celebration featured workshops, performances and more in honor of the genre’s 50th birthday. Performers included Sa-Roc, Gifted Gab, and more, along with breakdancing, food, and DJs.

The event also featured the Legacy Awards, which honored Elijah Lewis and D’Vonne and Keanna Pickett through awards bearing their names, as well as a Spirit of Hip Hop Award.

Creative Justice builds community with youth most impacted by the school-to-prison-(to-deportation) pipeline. Participants and mentor artists work together to examine the root causes of incarceration, like systemic racism and other forms of oppression, creating art that articulates the power and potential of our communities. You can find out more about Creative Justice at the link in our bio.

Photos by Seattle photographer Jordan Somers on behalf of Converge Media.