Since its birth in the Bronx in 1973, hip-hop has been a way for the underrepresented to express themselves in unprecedented ways – whether it was with two turntables and a microphone, a sheet of linoleum flooring, or a paint marker and an aerosol can.

As the genre celebrates its 50th anniversary, we’ve compiled a collection of unique apps – from MasterClass to Twitch – that can help everyone experience, create, and explore hip-hop through music, fashion, dance, visual art and more.

‣ Remarkably, hip-hop has consistently held its position as the singular chart-topping music genre over the last 50 years. Apple Music’s dedicated radio stations – Hip-Hop, Classic Hip-Hop and Golden Age Hip-Hop – cover the biggest hits across decades. Check out Apple Music’s super rooms for mixes, interviews and more.

For current and constantly updated rosters showcasing the forefront of hip-hop culture today, listen to Apple Music’s Rap Life playlist, home to heavy hitters like Pulitzer Prize–winning rapper Kendrick Lamar, charismatic rap royalty Nicki Minaj and other contemporary artists in the hip-hop vanguard.

‣ Indie streaming service SoundCloud helped launch the careers of Chance the Rapper, Travis Scott, Juice WRLD and others. To discover the best up-and-coming artists, check out the app’s “Hustle: Rap & Hip-Hop” playlist.

‣ Ever find yourself hitting rewind to listen back to a verse? Lyrics app Genius has crowdsourced annotations of your favourite tracks.

‣ The Rap Radar podcast, hosted by journalists Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller, dives into the creative process of artists like Snoop Dogg, trailblazer Nipsey Hussle and poetic lyricist Ab-Soul.

Or tune into Dan Runcie’s podcast Trapital for a breakdown of hip-hop’s industry-shattering business deals, from the $100 million launch of Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty cosmetics line to Beyoncé’s management strategy (currently taught at Harvard Business School).

‣ Powered by artificial intelligence, the Apple Design Award–winning Djay can sync two tracks, isolate a beat and loop it, let you try virtual scratching and much more.

‣ Want to learn from a legend? Multiplatinum and Grammy-winning producer Timbaland teaches how to build beats, layer samples, and craft a breakdown in MasterClass. Or learn lyrical rhyme schemes, poetic techniques and how to overcome storytelling challenges from one of the all-time great lyricists, Nas.

‣ Loaded with royalty-free music samples and loops to level up your beatmaking, the multitrack recording app BandLab lets you collaborate with producers, rappers and other artists entirely in the cloud. (The app provides unlimited free storage.) Teenage viral sensation Luh Tyler credits the app for helping him create his hits.

‣ To quickly transform ambient sounds from your environment into percussive and melodic loops, check out the sampling workflow in Ableton Note, a favourite of creators like King Britt.

‣ Find a likeminded and dedicated music community in Discord. Just download the app and tap the link below for an invite to epic producer Kenny Beats’ server, where you can swap notes on beat samples, learn music theory, and soak up all aspects of music production.

‣ Attention, up-and-coming super-producers: Get real-time critiques of your music by checking out the Honest Feedback broadcasts on Twitch, where DJ Hed shares his thoughts on tracks submitted by the community. Or tune into producer Knxwledge’s channel as he streams beats he makes on the fly.

‣ When you’re ready to share your music with the world, fire up UnitedMasters. Founded by industry veteran Steve Stoute, this one-stop shop gives indie artists major-label support and infrastructure – while letting them retain complete control over their work.

‣ Hip-hop is as much about the look as the sound. Marketplace GOAT gives you a second chance to score the streetwear you’ve always dreamed about, while Ntwrk live-streams shopping events hosted by boutiques like L.A.’s Project Blitz.

‣ Created by Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumnus David Alston with the mission to make the “smartest sneaker app ever,” Kickstroid leverages machine learning to predict the resale value of the hottest sneaker releases.

‣ With an A-list clientele that includes GloRilla and Young Thug, luxury streetwear brand Homme + Femme posts exclusive drops of its nostalgia-tinged tees, jeans and hoodies in its app. If vintage and rare are more your speed, browse Grailed for garments from Gucci, Off-White, Louis Vuitton and others.

‣ Relive every hip-hop era in the Hip-Hop/R&B Throwback video playlist on Apple Music, from ballads to bangers.

‣ Beastie Boys Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz tell the intimate, personal story of their band and 40 years of friendship in the live documentary film Beastie Boys Story.

‣ Independent publishing and newsletter subscription platform Substack gives hip-hop’s top music critics, writers, and academics a platform to connect directly with their audience. We love Harmony Holiday’s philosophies on “deep listening,” in which she dissects in her Black Music and Black Muses newsletter. The Nelson George Mixtape newsletter is our go-to for insights on Black history and pop academia.

‣ Dan Charnas’ The Big Payback is a comprehensive history of the business of hip-hop. For a deep dive into the early iterations of street fashion, read Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem, a memoir by the luxury-logo-remix pioneer. And for the full origin story of one of hip-hop’s most formative rappers and entrepreneurs, check out Jay-Z: The King of America by Mark Beaumont.

‣ As one of the four creative elements of hip-hop, break dancing has been around since the very beginning. Check out the video courses in Steezy to catch the beat and show off like a pro on the dance floor.

‣ Use the graphic design app Graffiti Fonts to layer authentic street-style fonts, clip art, and your own images over city silhouettes, brick-wall patterns and other backgrounds.