The Soraya will host “The CIPHER Symposium” on April 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. CIPHER, the Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research, will join forces with the GR818ers, a collection of performers, activists and athletes representing the San Fernando Valley. Activities will include a DJ set, graffiti displays and competitions of hip-hop dance forms like b-boying and b-girling. Everyone will have opportunities to engage and enjoy live music and food trucks.

Special guests attending the event will be music journalists Skyy Hook and Sway Calloway. Hook is a co-host for the radio show “Wake Up Show,” and is currently teaching an expressive culture course at CSUN. Hook will moderate a panel discussion at the event that includes DJs and hip-hop figures such as DJ Revolution, Bishop Lamont, Money-B, Troy Shelton and Adrian Miller. Calloway, a former rapper and host of the radio show “Sway In The Morning,” will have an RSVP-only one-on-one event with fans.

CIPHER was created in 2019 and teaches students about the origins, components and current developments of hip-hop. CIPHER is housed by the college of social and behavioral sciences, led by dean Yan Searcy.