For The Love: A Hip-Hop Celebration 50 Years in the Making

Hip-hop defines fashion, dance, music, and culture. It’s the heartbeat of Black culture and continues to inspire and uplift generations. Hip-hop has taken the world by storm for 50 years and, to celebrate, we partnered with one of the most legendary and iconic rap groups of all time: Wu-Tang Clan. 

SiriusXM and Pandora created another unforgettable concert experience in Queens, NYC, the city where it all began. We partnered with Cricket Wireless, Modelo Especial, Martell, The Clorox Company, and Volkswagen to enhance the night with VIP experiences, photobooths, free swag, and more. 

Giving Back To the Community

We kicked off the day with our For The Love: Community Giveback Sponsored by Cricket daytime event. SiriusXM on-air personalities and volunteers assembled backpacks with school supplies for 200+ students from the local Queens chapter of the Boys & Girls Club. The students were invited to celebrate the end of summer while DJs like Superstar Jay, Lil Taj, and DJ Wallah performed live sets along with stellar performances from the Bronx breakdance crew B-Boy Rebels and Double Dutch champions Jazzy Jumpers. 

To add to the fun, students were treated to complimentary food trucks and given the opportunity to participate in dance battles and explore their artistic skills at graffiti stations. For anyone not attending the event in person, we covered it live on SiriusXM’s The Heat and Hip-Hop Nation. Thanks to our wonderful partnering company, Cricket Wireless, we were able to donate $20,000 to the Boys & Girls club of Metro Queens, supporting future generations.

Spotlighting Hip Hop Icons

There were thousands of attendees at the show—two-thirds of them current Pandora or SiriusXM users. The event attracted a diverse audience with a mix of men (48%) and women (47%) of all ages. Events like these are great for brands because fans are open to more than just listening to music. They thoroughly enjoy engaging with our event sponsors—and brand recall and impressions get a boost thanks to the high-energy environment. 

Fans lined up hours before the doors opened, and the excitement was palpable. Once inside The Knockdown Center, SiriusXM’s very own DJ Superstar Jay, from Shade 45’s, played today's latest hits to warm up the crowd as they enjoyed our sponsor giveaways and complimentary activities. 

Lola Brooke, a rising NYC hip-hop star, pumped up the crowd with a 25 minute performance that included her viral TikTok hit “Don’t Play With It.” Lola’s energy proved she’s blazing her way into the hip hop world and an upcoming artist to watch. 

Next, our very own Sway Calloway and cultural icon, Flava Flav, made a surprise appearance to introduce the legendary Wu-Tang. During an incredible hour-long set, Wu Tang gave the audience a champagne shower and performed some of their biggest hits—and the crowd went crazy. 

Leveling up the Fan Experience With Sponsors

We were so excited to share this opportunity with sponsors who add to the unforgettable experience. There was so much to enjoy, like the Volkswagen onsite car display and free swag, the Martell VIP area takeover, The Clorox Company photobooth, the Modelo Especial free swag, and the Cricket onstage check moment and dynamic installation. 

Our hip hop 50 promotions were a hit, and social media generated major excitement before, during, and after the event. Plus, we had 43+ pieces of event coverage from nationwide and local outlets like Rolling Stone, The Source, and ABC 7 NY that reached an audience of 346M! For even more numbers, check out our results and press coverage from the event.

Hosting live events and celebrating huge cultural moments is something we’re proud to do at SiriusXM and Pandora, and your brand can be a part of the hype. Drop us a line and find out when you can sponsor our next event.