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There’s no denying the impact that hip hop has had on the world as we know it. And as hip hop turns 50 this year, everybody’s joining in the celebration. The music industry, cities, brands, and even local businesses are all taking the time to show some love to the music and artists who continue to change the world. The 65th Grammy Awards, for example, celebrated 50 years of hip hop with iconic performances from hip hop legends from the old school to the new school. 

Mastercard joined in on the celebration during Grammy Week where they kicked off the first in a series of activations they have planned for this year celebrating women in hip hop and Black women entrepreneurs. Whether it’s your favorite award-winning hip hop icon, like MC Lyte, or an emerging new sound, like Coi LeRay, Black women are always at the forefront of excellence in the music industry. 

Mastercard took a moment to shine a light on the legacies of artists and Black businesswomen with the three-part series, She Runs This: Celebrating Entrepreneurship in Business and Hip Hop. What’s the common link? Both paths are all about building a brand. For decades, Black women have been trailblazers in hip hop, shaping the industry as we know it.

In partnership with Femme It Forward, Mastercard bridged the gap between legacy artists and entrepreneurs by “passing the mic” to their emerging counterparts in a cross-industry panel. We heard from MC Lyte, Lil Kim, Misa Hylton, Leslie Jones, and Rhonda X before performances from DJ Jadaboo and Jozzy. Singer, songwriter, and producer, Jozzy, learned that two of the albums she contributed to as a songwriter were nominated for the Album of the Year category at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Not only that, Jozzy became the first artist to sign with Sean “Diddy” Combs’ R&B imprint Love Records. 

“[I]n this next step of my life, I want to write less for other artists and focus on me. At first, I was like ‘Yo, I want to do both,’ but talking to [my friends] made me realize that this is my time to be selfish, and to totally devote everything to Jozzy as an artist,” says Jozzy. 

The festivities continued the following evening with “Herstory of Hip Hop,” which featured renowned music executives and artists who discussed how they built their brands from the ground up. By sharing their experiences from working within the industry, Salt-N-Pepa and Rhapsody shared how they created unforgettable brand identities. That was followed by performances from Baby Tate and DeCoteau. 

During one panel discussion, Lil Kim stressed the importance of knowing what you are good at and aren’t good at. “That’s how you build your team,” she said. Lil Kim’s trusted stylist Misa Hylton added to that the importance of putting your business needs first and avoiding hiring friends and family. “Bring aboard people who know about things that you don’t and learn how to express what you want and what you don’t clearly,” advised Hylton. 

The series wrapped up with an afternoon conversation called “Get Money: Building Black Wealth,” which focused on entertainers and Black women in business who have built their brands. There was a special emphasis on how partnering with other women and investors can be key to taking your brand to the next level. We heard insights from legacy artist Yo-Yo and a panel of small business owners, who shared their unique stories, and closed out the event with performances by Coi LeRay and Nneoma. 

In this three-part series of Celebrating Entrepreneurship in Business and Hip Hop, Mastercard highlighted the stories of pioneers in the music industry and shared the stories of entrepreneurship to recognize the contributions of Black women in business. It’s a demographic that Mastercard continues to show commitment to. They’ve been at the forefront of supporting Black business women across industries by investing in their success, providing tools for entrepreneurs and helping them reach new heights with key commitments such as the In Solidarity initiative (which is investing $500 million in Black communities) and Strive USA (which is investing in 5 million small businesses).

Check out a recap of the 3-part series and learn more about Mastercard’s support of Black women small businesses here. And look out for more Mastercard activations throughout the year as the celebration of women entrepreneurs and the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop continues. 

This editorial is brought to you in partnership with Mastercard.