NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — From the sounds to the beats, creating music is an art Tim Gent is constantly perfecting.
"It's interesting," he said. "I have such a back-and-forth process."
Music was always in and around him when he decided to get serious about his craft in high school.
"My senior year of high school, one of my friends...he just was like, 'Man, let's rap...let's record, let's write songs and stuff like that," Gent recalled.
Now, over a decade later, the Clarksville native has grown as an artist and producer, crediting his success to the genre that is hip-hop.
"When I go out and I'm able to go to L.A. or go to Miami or London, and I get to be a representation of hip-hop, I get to be a representation of African American music, it's a beautiful thing," Gent said.
He'll soon get to share that "beautiful thing" in Music City, which is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop at Jack Daniel's New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash.
"There is talent here, and we're privileged and honored and thankful to have a stage to present just a little bit of that talent," said Eric Holt, an assistant professor at Belmont University.
Holt is helping curate a 50-minute, family-friendly segment celebrating hip-hop and local artists tied to the genre.
"We pulled all of our resources together and tapped into what we felt is kind of the current vibe of the hip-hop scene with Daisha McBride and Tim Gent, and really wanted to showcase all of the different types of music that are here in Nashville," Holt explained.
This segment will also highlight the 20th anniversary of the Lovenoise Group, an urban promotor Holt co-founded that's worked to highlight urban musical artists across Nashville.
"For the past 20 years, we've been focused on Black music in Nashville," he said. "Really helping the city really retain that moniker of Music City in its fullest sense."
As Gent prepares for his performance, he's excited about how he and other Middle Tennessee artists can keep contributing to the next 50 years of hip-hop.
"Whenever the artists here that have been working and building get their opportunity to break surface, it's going to have a real impact on hip-hop around the world," he said.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell is also part of the hip-hop segment, where he will serve as a guest DJ.
The show will kick off Nashville's Big Bash, with the tribute starting at 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31 at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
You can view the full hip-hop segment line up by clicking here.