IN THE FIVE DECADES SINCE DJ Kool Herc MC’d over a James Brown breakbeat and gave kids a celebratory reprieve from the harsh realities of life in the Bronx, hip-hop has been the “CNN of the ghetto,” giving voice to the voiceless and amplifying the biggest issues facing Black America. This month, on the 50th anniversary of this cultural revolution, Men’s Health revisits the key moments in the intersection of hip-hop and Black men’s health using six global superstars as our guides. Men’s Health photographed Busta Rhymes, Method Man, 50 Cent, and Common, in New York City and Wiz Khalifa and Ludacris in Los Angeles. Read their stories below.
To read the rest of the stories in our Hip-Hop Is Life series, click here.
Senior Editor
Keith Nelson is a writer by fate and journalist by passion, who has connected dots to form the bigger picture for Men’s Health, Vibe Magazine, LEVEL MAG, REVOLT TV, Complex, Grammys.com, Red Bull, Okayplayer, and Mic, to name a few.