Music City To Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary During New Year’s Eve Big Bash

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Music City will pay tribute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary at Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve Celebration at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park this year.

The live show will include a 50-minute tribute to celebrate the genre over the decades, and “Music City Hip-Hop 50” will conclude with a guest DJ set by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who has a music degree and did a DJ set at Grimey’s record store during his campaign.

The segment will be curated by Eric Holt, managing partner of The Lovenoise Group and assistant professor of Music Business at Belmont University, and Nashville artist Jason Eskridge, along with guest appearances by artists Tim Gent and Daisha McBride. Eskridge will DJ the segment, with Kenny Smoov of 92Q emceeing.

“For five decades, hip-hop has not only been a cultural force around the world but has grown and flourished in Music City,” says Deana Ivey, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “As we celebrate the history of hip-hop and Nashville’s own vibrant hip-hop scene, we honor the roots, the rhymes, the creators and the collaborations that have found inspiration in Music City.”

Mayor O’Connell says, “I am excited that this event will highlight the diversity of Nashville’s music scene. Our relationship with country music is historic, but we have such a diverse group of creatives that deserve our celebration. It’s a tough assignment to DJ a set surrounded by truly terrific artists like Jason Eskridge, Daisha McBride and Tim Gent, but I look forward to the challenge.”

The family-friendly hip-hop segment will kick off at 5:15 p.m. and will conclude with remarks from Mayor O’Connell, as well as a 10-minute DJ set that he will play and mix. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., and the program is free and open to the public. The early-evening segment gives families a way to celebrate the free Big Bash event with children of all ages.

The tribute will also help mark the 20th anniversary of The Lovenoise Group, an urban promoter that provides performance platforms for local urban artists and a community hub where Black music lovers can come together to experience the power of culture.

Big Bash is partnering with the HERO (Homeless Education Resource Office) Program of Metro Nashville Public Schools to support students and their families who are experiencing homelessness. Through the partnership, Big Bash sponsor Crav’n Flavor will replenish the HERO food pantry for the month of January from scratch. Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola Consolidated and Carl Black Chevrolet will support HERO families by supporting the transportation fund over the next 12 months so that families can access community resources and navigate the work of obtaining stable housing. Additionally, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp will contribute $1 from each official Big Bash event t-shirt sold to support the HERO program. Donations to the HERO Family Fund can be made at BigBashHERO.

Nashville’s Big Bash will feature Thomas Rhett, newly crowned CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd as headliners. The concert is free and open to the public, and the five-hour CBS special will air live on Dec. 31 at 6:30 pm CT on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+.

This will be the 15th annual concert and seventh year at Bicentennial Park. As a live event, the Big Bash generates as much as $38 million in direct visitor spending and attendance of 200,000, with more than half being local residents.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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