# 5480 - 2020 First-Class Forever Stamp - Hip Hop: MCing
US #5480
2020 MC-ing – Hip Hop
• One of four stamps commemorating the creativity and far-reaching influence of hip hop on the world of music
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Hip Hop
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: July 1, 2020
First Day City: New York, New York
Quantity Issued: 20,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To recognize the importance of MC-ing (rapping) to the genre of hip hop music.
About the stamp designs: Pictures a photograph of an MC taken by Cade Martin and accented by digital tinting (yellow, green, red, and black) to make the image appear to be in motion.
First Day City: There was no First Day of Issue Ceremony for these stamps, but the First Day of Issue Cancellation was from New York City.
About the Hip Hop set: Four stamps celebrating the legacy of hip hop music and its influence on American and world popular culture. All picture photographs taken by Cade Martin that have been accentuated by digital tinting (yellow, green, red, and black) to make them appear to be in motion.
History the stamp represents: In hip hop, the MC (Master of Ceremonies) draw in audiences through spoken word performances of clever rhymes and compelling lyrics. This aspect of hip hop has roots that stretch back centuries.
One of the oldest of these is the griots of West Africa. Griots were storytellers who shared their people’s history through rhythmic singing accompanied by drums. These griot traditions provided inspiration for the blues and jazz music of the early 1900s, which are considered the precursors of hip hop.
Rapping (another word for MCing) was born in the 1970s at parties. Initially, MCs made announcements over the music. Over time, they began to embellish their messages into fully formed verses with rhymes. The development of “flow” (rhythm and rhymes) during this period was crucial to the expanding popularity of hip hop, which earned nationwide recognition by the late 1970s. By the 1990s, rap and hip hop were so popular that many other aspects of culture, such as clothing, films, sports, and more, were influenced by it.
Rhyme is perhaps the most important part of rap, as it gives lyrics their musicality. Enunciation and breath control are also important in maintaining the flow. As is being able to rap quickly. In fact, competitions have been held to determine the faster rapper – with one contestant getting in 11.2 syllables per second!
US #5480
2020 MC-ing – Hip Hop
• One of four stamps commemorating the creativity and far-reaching influence of hip hop on the world of music
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Hip Hop
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: July 1, 2020
First Day City: New York, New York
Quantity Issued: 20,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To recognize the importance of MC-ing (rapping) to the genre of hip hop music.
About the stamp designs: Pictures a photograph of an MC taken by Cade Martin and accented by digital tinting (yellow, green, red, and black) to make the image appear to be in motion.
First Day City: There was no First Day of Issue Ceremony for these stamps, but the First Day of Issue Cancellation was from New York City.
About the Hip Hop set: Four stamps celebrating the legacy of hip hop music and its influence on American and world popular culture. All picture photographs taken by Cade Martin that have been accentuated by digital tinting (yellow, green, red, and black) to make them appear to be in motion.
History the stamp represents: In hip hop, the MC (Master of Ceremonies) draw in audiences through spoken word performances of clever rhymes and compelling lyrics. This aspect of hip hop has roots that stretch back centuries.
One of the oldest of these is the griots of West Africa. Griots were storytellers who shared their people’s history through rhythmic singing accompanied by drums. These griot traditions provided inspiration for the blues and jazz music of the early 1900s, which are considered the precursors of hip hop.
Rapping (another word for MCing) was born in the 1970s at parties. Initially, MCs made announcements over the music. Over time, they began to embellish their messages into fully formed verses with rhymes. The development of “flow” (rhythm and rhymes) during this period was crucial to the expanding popularity of hip hop, which earned nationwide recognition by the late 1970s. By the 1990s, rap and hip hop were so popular that many other aspects of culture, such as clothing, films, sports, and more, were influenced by it.
Rhyme is perhaps the most important part of rap, as it gives lyrics their musicality. Enunciation and breath control are also important in maintaining the flow. As is being able to rap quickly. In fact, competitions have been held to determine the faster rapper – with one contestant getting in 11.2 syllables per second!