Through space and rhyme: How hip-hop uses Afrofuturism to take listeners on journeys of empowerment

The exhibit "Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures" at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., on May 4, 2023. Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images

It is perhaps only natural, as hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, that people look to the genre’s future. But for some rappers, the future has always been part of the story.

Ever since August 1973, hip-hop artists have turned to Afrofuturism – a mix of science fiction, politics and liberating fantasy – to inform their lyrics and their look.