ESPN and The Undefeated are celebrating the conclusion of The Last Dance with a look back at the late 90s. This weekend only, fans are invited to visit the website HouseOf98 for a virtual experience of music and culture of 1998 featuring exclusive content and live experiences.
What’s happening:
- Step back in time and relive the music and culture of 1998 with a visit to ESPN’s House of ’98—a limited time virtual experience presented by ESPN and The Undefeated.
- A dedicated website – complete with the look and feel of vintage internet – launches today as the destination for this nostalgia-filled immersive experience that will take fans 22 years back in time, all from the safety and comfort of home.
- ESPN will host the wayback website this weekend from Friday-Sunday, May 15-17, 2020 featuring exclusive content and live experiences embracing rap and hip-hop music and culture and more.
Culture content from The Undefeated includes:
- Culture critic Soraya McDonald on the haunting prescience of Enemy of the State starring Will Smith
- Culture and sports writer Justin Tinsley on the music of 1998, with a look at how OutKast, DMX, Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Master P and “Vol. 2” from Jay-Z made this one major year in music
- Senior entertainment writer Kelley Carter on the fledging UPN network and shows like Moesha and In the House
- Poet Roger Reeves with a look at Diddy’s inaugural White Party, which first took place in 1998 and continued through 2009, hopping from one exclusive location to the next with a strict all-white dress code
- Writer and essayist Bruce Britt on artists that challenged the late 90’s gangsta narrative in hip-hop, including rap acts like Jay-Z, Master P, and OutKast
- Culture critic Scoop Jackson on how Michael Jordan’s “last shot” with the Bulls in ’98 started with the shoes.
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Date |
Time (ET) |
Platform |
Details |
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Friday, May 15 |
3 pm |
A$AP Ferg – the rapper and songwriter joins columnist Clinton Yates for a one-on-one conversation |
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Saturday, May 16 |
7:30 pm |
BJ The Chicago Kid – a conversation with SportsCenter anchor (and fellow Chicago native and Bulls fan) Elle Duncan, followed by an acoustic performance of popular hits from the late 90’s |
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8:30 pm |
Lupe Fiasco – the Chicago hip-hop legend chats with analyst and reporter Maria Taylor |
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Sunday, May 17 |
6 pm |
Jadakiss – a breakdown of classic 90’s verses and songs of the era |
About ESPN House Franchise:
- ESPN worked with R/GA on the concept and design for “House of ’98.” The ESPN House franchise was first introduced in Nashville at the 2019 NFL Draft.
- ESPN will continue to explore opportunities to bring the ESPN House experience to fans across the country, across key events.
About The Undefeated:
- The Undefeated is ESPN’s multiplatform content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture.
- The digital hub, TheUndefeated.com, which launched in May 2016, combines innovative long-form and short-form storytelling, investigation, original reporting and provocative commentary to enlighten and entertain African Americans, as well as sports fans seeking a deeper understanding of black athletes, culture and related issues.