Rock Hall event traces hip-hop's mainstream rise

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame puts an exclamation point on celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with a special lecture Thursday.

The intrigue: Amy Coddington, an assistant professor of music at Amherst College, is in town to discuss her book "How Hip Hop Became Hit Pop."

• It traces the rise of rap music from an underground sensation in New York City to a global entertainment juggernaut.

What they're saying: "Hip-hop is rightly celebrated for its political influence and giving a voice to people who have been marginalized," Coddington tells Axios.

• "But it's also become one of the most dominant influences on pop culture around the world."

Between the lines: Coddington's book takes its name from a line in rap group 3rd Bass' 1991 song "Pop Goes the Weasel," which pokes fun at the commercialization of hip-hop by artists like Vanilla Ice.

• "The book shows two sides," Coddington says. "It's a balance between the incredible journey hip-hop has to go through and at what cost, with white-owned companies often making the most money off the genre."

If you go: Coddington's lecture at 7pm takes place inside the Rock Hall's "The Garage" exhibit and is free with regular admission.

What's next: The event coincides with the closing of the museum's "Holla If You Hear Me: Hip Hop at 50" on the museum's bottom floor, which ends its run on Jan. 6.