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More Performers Added To "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" Live Concert Special: Public Enemy, Rick Ross, Tyga, D-Nice, Doug E. Fresh & More Announced
One of hip-hop's biggest nights will take place tonight (Wednesday, Nov. 8) at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. Tickets are available now. "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" will air Sunday, Dec. 10, on CBS and Paramount+.
This article was updated Sunday, Dec. 10, to add the full performer lineup.
The anticipation for tonight's "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" live concert special is buzzing as the lineup welcomes even more rap icons and emerging hip-hop artists to its existing group of star-studded performers. Public Enemy, Rick Ross, Tyga, D-Nice, Doug E. Fresh, Blaqbonez, Boosie Badazz, DJ Diamond Kuts, DJ Greg Street, DJ Trauma, and Kool DJ Red Alert have all been added to tonight's concert. See the full performer lineup.
They join previously announced performers 2 Chainz, T.I., Gunna, Too $hort, Latto, E-40, Big Daddy Kane, GloRilla, Three 6 Mafia, Cypress Hill, Jeezy, DJ Quik, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shanté, Warren G, YG, Digable Planets, Arrested Development, Spinderella, Black Sheep, Luniz, and many others who will perform at the live concert special celebrating hip-hop's legendary 50th anniversary. One of the biggest nights in hip-hop history, the concert and special will feature performances and reunions from GRAMMY-winning artists, hip-hop legends and much more, including a highly anticipated reunion from hip-hop icons DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince — aka Will Smith.
The "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" live concert will take place tonight (Wednesday, Nov. 8) at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. Tickets for the concert are open to the public and available now.
The "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" live concert special will then air on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 8:30 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on demand on Paramount+. This lively two-hour celebration will pay tribute to hip-hop's profound history, while showcasing its vibrant future and monumental impact around the world.
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"A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" Airs Sunday, Dec. 10: Save The Date
Full concert details are below:
Concert:
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023 (tonight)
Doors: 6 p.m. PT
Concert: 7 p.m. PT
Venue:
YouTube Theater
1011 Stadium Dr.
Inglewood, CA 90305
Full List Of Confirmed Performers For "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop":
Battlecat
Black Sheep
Blaqbonez
DJ Diamond Kuts
DJ Greg Street
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
DJ Trauma
^Names in bold indicate newly added artists.
Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com for more news and updates about "A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop."
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Jesse Collins, Shawn Gee, Dionne Harmon, Claudine Joseph, LL COOL J, Fatima Robinson, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson for Two One Five Entertainment serve as executive producers and Marcelo Gama as director of the special.
Hip-Hop Just Rang In 50 Years As A Genre. What Will Its Next 50 Years Look Like?
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Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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Celebrate 40 Years Of Def Jam With 15 Albums That Show Its Influence & Legacy
From the Beastie Boys' seminal 'License To Ill' and Jay-Z's 'Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life,' celebrate Def Jam with 15 of the label's essential albums.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Def Jam Recordings, the New York label that made history in hip-hop, R&B, pop, and even thrash metal since its founding, and continues to do so today.
A label that began out of an NYU dorm room in 1984 quickly became an artistic (and business) powerhouse. Early acts like LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy were raw, adventurous, and risk-taking. Def Jam's roster opened new pathways in a still-young genre, seemingly every few months.
After that initial explosion, the label experienced a brief lull in the early 1990s when one label founder departed and the other expanded into fashion and comedy. Def Jam came roaring back beginning in 1994, and by 1998 the label was home to some of the most popular and influential artists in the game — including burgeoning megastars DMX and Jay-Z. To this day, Def Jam maintains a roster of both commercially successful and critically beloved artists in hip-hop, R&B, and pop.
To commemorate the anniversary of the label that gave us, well, pretty much everyone, here’s a list of 15 of Def Jam’s essential releases. While Def Jam brought audiences plenty of singles, EPs and remixes, this list primarily focuses on albums. Each project has a mix of artistic merit, popularity, influence and longevity, originality, and played a key role in the story of Def Jam as a whole. Think of it as a chronological run through the key albums that built one of the most lasting labels in modern music.
And finally: it must be said that in recent years, a dark shadow has begun to loom over Def Jam’s legacy. Label co-founder Russell Simmons been accused over the past seven years of numerous instances of sexual assault, dating back decades. In spite of these accusations, the label (in which Simmons hasn’t been involved for a quarter-century) remains on top, safeguarding its valuable archive while looking forward to another four decade run as fruitful as the first one.
T La Rock & Jazzy Jay - "It’s Yours" (1984)
The one single on this list is also the first piece of music ever released with the now-famous Def Jam logo. "It’s Yours" was a single produced by Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin — his very first hip-hop production. Instrumentally, it was perhaps only comparable to Larry Smith and Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons’ contemporaneous work with Run-D.M.C. Both "It’s Yours" and D.M.C.’s early work were severely stripped-down, consisting of a few drum sounds, an instrumental stab, and some scratches.
Lyrically, though, "It’s Yours" is worlds apart from "Sucker M.C.’s" — or pretty much anything else going on in hip-hop at the time. T La Rock, the brother of Treacherous Three member Special K, came from a family of educators, and he put every ounce of his erudition into the track. It begins, "Commentating, illustrating/ Description giving, adjective expert" and goes from there.
LL Cool J - 'Radio' (1985)
In the early 1980s, the state of the hip-hop album was very grim. Only a few existed, and they almost exclusively consisted of a few singles mixed with often-confusing filler. Two things changed that. First, Run-D.M.C.’s 1984 self-titled debut, which GRAMMY.com examined in depth a few months ago. Second was LL Cool J’s debut album Radio, the very first full-length album Def Jam ever released.
In many ways, Radio kicked off hip-hop’s Golden Age. The record shows LL, then still in his teens, as a versatile artist who can be boastful, funny, aggressive, lyrical. The album shows many different sides of his personality, and helped set the template for what a rap album could be.
Read more: 20 Iconic Hip-Hop Style Moments: From Run-D.M.C. To Runways
Beastie Boys - 'Licensed to Ill' (1986)
The Beasties would release more complex and enlightened albums than Licensed to Ill, and one of the members would eventually apologize for some of its lyrics. But there’s no denying that it was a smash hit. It was the first rap album to ever top the Billboard 200, got the group onstage with Madonna, and would eventually sell over 10 million copies.
Was some of that success due to their race? Sure. They were a credible group, signed to a hot rap label, at a time when it was still novel for white people to be performers in hip-hop. And yet, that’s not the whole story.
Licensed to Ill is a catchy, unique, energetic album, and the group members show undeniable chemistry. To this day, shout-filled, guitar-heavy anthems like "No Sleep till Brooklyn" and the ubiquitous "Fight for Your Right" can still get the party started.
Read more: The Beastie Boys Provide A License To Party
Public Enemy - 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back' (1988)
There’s not too much you can say about this album that hasn’t already been said in the years of books, conferences, academic papers, and deluxe re-issues. It has ended up at or near the top of many all-time best lists. Its abrasive, collage-like approach to composition was never equalled (and, in light of current laws and practices around sampling, can never even be approached). The comic stylings of Flavor Flav bring just the right amount of levity to balance Chuck D’s takes on life-and-death issues.
Decades after its release, the album still sounds urgent. And sadly, in an America still roiled with tensions over race, incarceration, drugs, and the media, its concerns remain as relevant as ever.
Read more: 5 Things We Learned At "An Evening With Chuck D" At The GRAMMY Museum
Slick Rick - 'The Great Adventures of Slick Rick' (1988)
Slick Rick is the ultimate rap storyteller, and his debut album is the best example of his artistry. "I wrote them like an essay," Rick once said of creating the batch of songs that make up Great Adventures. He also compared it to doing stand-up. So you have exactly what those two reference points imply: stories that are well-constructed, and also frequently riotously funny.
Rick is the master of the telling detail (remember "Dave, the dope fiend shooting dope/ Who don’t know the meaning of water nor soap" from "Children’s Story"?), the humorous twist, the morality tale, the bedtime story, the character voice. His influence lives on in perhaps his most devoted protege, Ghostface Killah, as well as in any rapper who has tried to craft a song with a beginning, middle, and end.
Learn more: Essential Hip-Hop Releases From The 1980s: Slick Rick, RUN-D.M.C., De La Soul & More
Warren G - 'Regulate… G Funk Era'(1994)
A bit of an edge case here, as technically the record was put out by Violator Records and Rush Associated Labels, the latter of which was a sort of umbrella organization Def Jam ran in the mid-1990s. Many albums that could have made this list, including projects by Redman, Onyx, Domino, and Nice & Smooth, were released under the RAL banner. But Warren G’s debut, a giant hit in an era where Def Jam really needed it, became inextricably associated with the label, to the point where an article about the album on Universal Music’s website mentions Def Jam five times in the first two paragraphs.
Regulate is a pop-savvy take on the G-funk sound that was then ascendant. It was a huge success in a year that saw the introduction of tons of amazing rappers into the game. And Warren G being associated with Def Jam meant that the East Coast-centric label had expanded its geographic footprint.
Foxy Brown - 'Ill Na Na' (1996)
Def Jam wasn’t always a friendly place for female artists (despite many of the most important employees being women, including one-time president Nana Ashhurst). In fact, the label didn’t release a rap album by a woman until Nikki D’s Daddy’s Little Girl in 1991. So Foxy Brown’s impact — on Def Jam and on the rap world as a whole — cannot be overstated. Ill Na Na was an album that changed everything for female rappers. It had songs for the clubs, the block, and the radio. Foxy’s sexuality, versatility, and first-class rhyming would have an influence on countless rappers, most famously her number one fan Nicki Minaj, who has been effusively praising Foxy for more than a decade.
Read more: Ladies First: 10 Essential Albums By Female Rappers
DMX - 'It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot' (1998)
No less an authority than Nas referred to 1998 as "The year DMX took over the world." It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot is how he did it. The album set fire to Bad Boy’s so-called "shiny suit era" by embodying its polar opposite: a dark, grimy vision full of gothic synths; raspy, full-throated lyrics; and, sometimes, actual barks. Without DMX, there’s no NYC street rap return: no G-Unit mixtape run, no Diplomats.
The record is consistent and captivating from start to finish, and its thematic centerpiece comes, appropriately, about halfway through with "Damien," which reminds all of us that the most difficult battles we fight are the ones with ourselves.
Jay-Z - 'Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life' (1998)
Jay-Z has made more critically beloved albums than Vol. 2 (Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint both fall in that category). He has made albums with bigger hits (The Blueprint 3 had a No. 1 hit with "Empire State of Mind"). But he has never made a more important LP.
Vol. 2 was the album that made Jay a superstar. Its Annie-sampling title track (produced by the late 45 King) sent him to the stratosphere — a process he actually documented on his follow-up album. But the record wasn’t just a commercial novelty. It showed Jay at the absolute top of his game: cocky, funny, and brilliant. Case in point: his novel approach to storytelling in "Coming of Age (Da Sequel)," where all the important action takes place in just a few seconds, inside the characters’ heads.
Read more: Songbook: How Jay-Z Created The 'Blueprint' For Rap's Greatest Of All Time
Ludacris - 'Word of Mouf' (2001)
Around the turn of the millennium, Def Jam had its sights set on conquering new territory. Specifically, the South. So they set up Def Jam South and hired Scarface to head it up. The entity’s biggest success came from an Atlanta DJ who went by Chris Luva Luva on the air, but began rapping as Ludacris.
Word of Mouf was Luda’s second album, but it was the one that really cemented his stardom with songs like "Rollout (My Business)," "Area Codes," and the immortal "Move Bitch" (the last of which has had an artist-approved second life as a protest chant). The album proved that the South was here to stay, and that Def Jam would have a role in determining its hip-hop future.
Learn more: A Guide To Southern Hip-Hop: Definitive Releases, Artists & Subgenres From The Dirty South
Scarface - 'The Fix' (2002)
Speaking of Scarface and Def Jam South, Face had no intention of dropping music while running the label. But, in his telling, Def Jam exec Lyor Cohen insisted on it, paying handsomely for the privilege.
"There were so many things working in my favor on that album," Scarface wrote in his memoir Diary of a Madman. "For the first time, I was working on an album for a label that believed in me 100 percent and didn’t want anything from me except for me to make the dopest album I could possibly make. And they went out of their way to make that possible."
Def Jam’s history of putting out classics inspired Face on The Fix, he writes in that book. And in the end, the album stands up there with any of them. It is one of only a small handful of rap records to earn a perfect five-mic rating from The Source, and it belongs in that rarified air with projects like Illmatic and Aquemini.
Kanye West - 'The College Dropout' (2004)
Yes, today Kanye West is the worst: a Hitler-loving, Trump-supporting, paranoid, antichoice, antisemite who stands accused of sexual harrassment. But two decades ago, the world met a Mr. West who at least seemed very different.
The College Dropout presented an artist who was already extremely well-known as a beatmaker. But Kanye’s carefully crafted persona as the bridge between mainstream rap and the underground — "First n— with a Benz and a backpack," as he put it — meant that he appealed to pretty much everyone. The College Dropout wasn't West at the top of his rap game, but it did show his skill at developing song concepts, at beats, and at creating an artistic vision so powerful, and so relatable, that it captivated an entire generation.
Cam’ron - 'Purple Haze' (2004)
It’s impossible to talk about Def Jam without discussing Roc-A-Fella. Jay-Z’s label hooked up with Def Jam in 1997, and had a years-long hot streak with artists like Kanye, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, the Young Gunz, and of course Cam’ron’s Diplomats crew — Cam, Juelz Santana, and the overall group all released projects there.
Purple Haze came at the very tail end of Roc-a-fella’s golden age. It has Cam at the absolute peak of his absurdist rhyming powers, keeping computers ‘puting and knocking out eight-syllable multis about Paris Hilton like it was nothing. During the Purple Haze era, it was Cam’s world, and we were all just lucky to be living in it.
Rihanna - 'Good Girl Gone Bad' (2007)
Rihanna’s first two projects were full of Caribbean sounds and ballads. But when her third album came along, she needed a change. Riri wanted to go "uptempo," and history shows that was the right choice. Good Girl Gone Bad began the singer’s transformation into the megastar we know today. It spawned five singles and two separate quickie tie-in albums (Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded and Good Girl Gone Bad: The Remixes).
"Umbrella" was the way forward. Rihanna had a No. 1 record prior, but she’d never made a sensation like this. The song (with a guest verse by then-Def Jam president Jay-Z) not only made it to the top slot, it also won a GRAMMY and was undeniably the song of the summer. The album also contained the sensation "Don’t Stop the Music," a track that kickstarted the EDM/pop hybrid that dominated the late aughts. Without Good Girl Gone Bad, it’s safe to say we’d be living in a very different, Fenty-less world.
Frank Ocean - 'Channel Orange' (2012)
One could fill a whole blurb about Channel Orange simply by quoting the extreme praise it received. "A singular achievement in popular culture." "Landed with the crash and curiousness of a meteor." Two days after its release, Pitchfork was already saying that it "feels like a classic."
And yet, somehow even that kind of acclaim doesn’t do the album justice. You really had to be there when it came out, when Frank looked into his soul and, in doing so, connected deeply with so many listeners
Read more: Frank Ocean Essentials: 10 Songs That Embody The Elusive Icon's R&B Genius
"Channel Orange is the most concentrated version of 2012 in 2012 so far," wrote Sasha Frere-Jones at the time, in one of the most dead-on statements about the album. It expressed the contradictions we all lived in. Its fragmentation mirrored the social media that was beginning to take over all of our lives. Ocean left bits of his biography scattered throughout the album, but they almost didn’t matter. He was speaking for all of us, in the way only great artists can.
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Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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Here’s All The Performers And Songs Featured At "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop"
From MC Sha-Rock and MC Lyte, to Luniz and the Lady of Rage, here’s a list of every performance at "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop." The two-hour special is available on demand on Paramount+.
That’s a wrap for "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop," a once-in-a-lifetime blowout in honor of one of America’s greatest musical exports to the world. But if you missed the initial broadcast on CBS and Paramount+, never fear: it’s still available on demand on Paramount+.
And if you’d like a preview of the festivities, check out a rundown of every performance at "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" — before you revisit it, or experience it for the first time!
LADIES FIRST
With Spinderella as DJ:
Queen Latifah and Monie Love — "Ladies First"
MC Sha-Rock — "It’s The Joint"
Roxanne Shanté — "Roxanne’s Revenge"
J.J. Fad — "Supersonic"
MC Lyte — "Cha Cha Cha"
Remy Ma — "All The Way Up"
Latto — "Put It On Da Floor"
Ensemble Finale — "U.N.I.T.Y."
HIP-HOP SOUTH
Jeezy — "Put On"
T.I. — "What You Know"
Bun B — "Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)"
GloRilla — "Tomorrow 2"
Three 6 Mafia — "Stay Fly"
Jermaine Dupri — "Welcome to ATL"
Boosie Badazz — "Wipe Me Down"
Uncle Luke — "Scarred" / I Wanna Rock (Doo Doo Brown)"
PUBLIC ENEMY
"Don’t Believe the Hype"
"Fight the Power / Welcome To The Terrordome"
"Bring The Noise"
WEST COAST
With Battlecat as DJ, and Mustard as hypeman:
Warren G — "Regulate"
The Luniz — "5 On It"
The Lady of Rage — "Afro Puffs"
YG — "Who Do You Love"
Tyga — "Rack City"
Roddy Ricch — "Ballin’"
DJ Quik — "Tonite"
Yo-Yo — "You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo"
Cypress Hill — "Hand On The Pump" / "How I Could Just Kill A Man"
Too $hort — "Blow The Whistle"
E-40 — "Tell Me When To Go"
INTERNATIONAL
Akon & Styles P — "Mama Africa" / "Locked Up (Remix)"
Blaqbonez — "Like Ice Spice"
Akon — "I Wanna Love You" / "Smack That"
Akon & Jeezy — "Soul Survivor"
LYRICISM
Big Daddy Kane — "Raw"
Black Thought — "Freestyle #087 (Freestyles On Flex)"
Rakim — "My Melody," "I Ain’t No Joke"
CLUB BANGERS
2 Chainz — "Birthday Song"
Gunna — "Hot"
Coi LeRay — "Players"
Nelly — "E.I."
Rick Ross — "Hustlin"/"B.M.F."
Chance The Rapper feat. 2 Chainz — "No Problem"
DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE
"Brand New Funk"
"Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It"
"Welcome To Miami"
Mashup: "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" / "Switch"
"Summertime"
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Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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6 Highlights From "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop": Performances From DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Queen Latifah, Common & More
A multi-generational collective of artists commemorated the culture, sound and influence of hip-hop during a two-hour televised special. Read on for the biggest moments from "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop," which aired Dec. 10.
While 2023 marked hip-hop's 50th anniversary, the year comes to a close with a show that proves the celebration can't, and won't stop. On Dec. 10, the Recording Academy's "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" paid homage to the culture's originators, innovators, and contemporary leaders.
Co-produced by Questlove, the two-hour televised special featured legendary acts and contemporary artists who have cultivated the genre into a pop cultural juggernaut. Icons including LL Cool J, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Jermaine Dupri, Too Short, E-40, De La Soul, DJ D-Nice, Doug E. Fresh and others transformed "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" into an oral and visual commemoration of hip-hop's enduring influence.
From regional tributes to poetic remembrances, the anniversary special was a showcase of adoration for hip-hop's OGs as well as a newer generation of entertainers who are leading hip-hop into a glorious next 50 years.
Read on for six highlights from "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop," which aired Sunday, Dec. 10 on CBS Television Network, and on demand on Paramount+.
Queen Latifah and Monie Love┃Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Ladies First: Honoring The Queens Of Hip-Hop
The audience erupted into thunderous applause the moment DJ Spinderella touched the ones and twos and Queen Latifah graced the stage. As the two went back and forth in a performance of "Ladies First" joined by British MC Monie Love, the tone was set: This was a celebration of and for the women in hip-hop.
As the song closed, early pioneers MC Sha-Rock and Roxanne Shante joined the trio on stage to perform their signature hits. In a continued showcase of women’s evolution in hip-hop, J.J. Fad performed their early crossover hit "Supersonic," while MC Lyte, Remy Ma, and Latto also joined onstage. As a collective, the congregation closed out with a performance of "U.N.I.T.Y."
DJ Paul and Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia┃Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
The South Still Got Something To Say
One could not imagine the impact of André 3000's words at the Source Awards in 1995 when he said "the South got something to say." Since then, rappers from Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Memphis, Miami, and Texas have taken these words as a rallying cry that the East and West coasts aren't the only regions worthy of hip-hop’s crowns.
Aptly described as "The Third Coast," the South was well-represented onstage. Jeezy and Jermaine Dupri showcased the universal power of Atlanta, while Bun B represented the great state of Texas and the legacy of Pimp C in his performance of "International Players Anthem." Memphis took it back with a performance of "Stay Fly" by Three 6 Mafia, while viewers were reminded of the city’s future by an enthusiastic presentation of "Tomorrow" by GloRilla.
Boosie Badazz stole the stage with his rendition of "Wipe Me Down," which highlighted the cities outside of the Atlanta, Houston, and Memphis corridor which contributed to the development and prominence of Southern hip-hop. His energy was enlightened by Miami Luke, the man behind 2 Live Crew, who brought booty shaking Miami bass to stage to round out the intergenerational collective of performers from down South.
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!["A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" Airs Sunday, Dec. 10: Save The Date](https://nomad-content.grammy.com/pmc/0b/0d/19/0b0d19ec-40c2-4681-9167-18c000f8ce04/screenshots/PreviewImage-00-00-00.000.jpg)
"A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" Airs Sunday, Dec. 10: Save The Date
(L-R) Yukmouth and Kuzzo Fly of The Luniz, Yo-Yo, The Lady of Rage, B-Real and Sen Dog of Cypress Hill┃Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
…But The West Coast Remains The Best Coast
The West Coast was among the first to differentiate itself from the East Coast with the invention of G-funk — a musical tradition that blended resurrected funk samples with live instrumentation to create a melodic background for the region’s musicians to rap upon. One of the first hits to crossover was "Regulate" by Warren G, which opened the special’s tribute to the West Coast.
The song was followed by chart topping "I Got 5 on It" by Luniz, a cult classic which received a secondary wave of prominence by Jordan Peele who remixed the song for his film Us. However, it was the performances by The Lady of Rage and Yo-Yo that served as an educational lesson for those who forget about the contributions of women to the growth of the West Coast sound in hip-hop.
Another standout from the West Coast section was Cypress Hill, the Southern California hip-hop group that blended rock, metal, and Latin music in hip-hop. Yet, it was the presence of E-40 and Too Short that solidified the importance of the Bay Area in the lineage of West Coast hip-hop.
Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, T.I., and Chuck D of Public Enemy┃Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
"Salute" Paid Tribute To Those Who Didn’t Make It To 50
Jay-Z turned 54 days before "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" aired, and it was somber to consider his contemporaries who didn't make it to see the culture's golden anniversary.
Names such as the Notorious B.I.G., who grew up with Jay-Z, as well as Nipsey Hussle were shared on screen as DJ D-Nice and Doug E. Fresh paid respect to the legions of rappers who passed before hip-hop’s 50th. Among those honored were Tupac Shakur, his friend and frontman of Digital Underground Shock G, New York drill leader Pop Smoke, TakeOff of the Migos, and Gangsta Boo — all of whom were instrumental in making hip-hop the global force that it is today.
Rick Ross, Chance the Rapper and 2 Chainz┃Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Hip-Hop Got A Big "Happy Birthday"
Hip-hop and party culture have been interwoven since DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell threw the first party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx. It's only fitting that the genre’s 50th anniversary would be ushered in with "Birthday Song" by 2 Chainz. As the Atlanta rapper reminded attendees that the best place to celebrate your birthday is in the city's strip clubs, Gunna graced the stage with his verse of "Hot" from Young Thug’s album So Much Fun.
It was the sample of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s "The Message" that brought hip-hop’s back home to the East Coast with a riveting performance by Coi Leray. Although, Rick Ross, Nelly, and Chance The Rapper reminded the East of the party and chart potential of Miami St. Louis, and Chicago with their rendition of "Hustlin," "E.I.," and "No Problem."
DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith a.k.a. the Fresh Prince┃Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Got Thanks And Praise
It was the advocacy of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince that encouraged bridge-building between the Recording Academy and the hip-hop community. When the duo received hip-hop’s first GRAMMY Award for Best Rap Performance, the rapper/producer elected to boycott the show. Although they attended the following year, the duo displayed a courageous appreciation of their art that continues to be appreciated by their peers.
Questlove introduced his fellow Philadelphians and the duo erupted into a medley of their classics. Soon, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, and others jumped up to pay homage to Jeff and Will, two children from Philadelphia who changed the world.
![Flavor Flav (L) and Chuck D (R) of Public Enemy perform onstage during "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" at YouTube Theater on Nov. 8, 2023, in Inglewood, California](https://i8.amplience.net/i/naras/public_enemy_grammy_salute_50_years_hip_hop_tv_special_watch_live_full_performers_lineup_announced_recording_academy_1817410082.jpg)
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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Full Performer Lineup For "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" Announced: Roddy Ricch, Chance The Rapper, Nelly, Coi LeRay, Akon, Mustard & More Artists Added
The full and final performer lineup for "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" has been announced. Tune in on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 8:30 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT to watch the live concert special and all the groundbreaking performances in full.
We're nearing the home stretch to "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" — and now, we've announced the full and final performer lineup for this star-studded tribute celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. See the full performer lineup below.
"A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" will air Sunday, Dec. 10, at 8:30 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The two-hour live concert special will feature blazing, once-in-a-lifetime performances from hip-hop legends and GRAMMY-winning artists.
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Full Performer Lineup For "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" Announced: Roddy Ricch, Chance The Rapper, Nelly, Coi LeRay, Akon, Mustard & More Artists Added
DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince To Reunite Onstage At "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop"
!["A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" Airs Sunday, Dec. 10: Save The Date](https://nomad-content.grammy.com/pmc/0b/0d/19/0b0d19ec-40c2-4681-9167-18c000f8ce04/screenshots/PreviewImage-00-00-00.000.jpg)
"A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop" Airs Sunday, Dec. 10: Save The Date
Full List Of Confirmed Performers For "A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop":
Battlecat
Black Sheep
Blaqbonez
DJ Diamond Kuts
DJ Greg Street
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
DJ Trauma
^Names in bold indicate newly added artists.
We will see you at this unforgettable tribute to hip-hop music and culture — and don't forget to tune in on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 8:30 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT!
Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com for more news and updates about "A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop."
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Jesse Collins, Shawn Gee, Dionne Harmon, Claudine Joseph, LL COOL J, Fatima Robinson, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson for Two One Five Entertainment serve as executive producers and Marcelo Gama as director of the special.