The 65th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 5). As part of the ceremony, Questlove executive produced and curated a special tribute honoring the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop.
The segment was introduced by seasoned Grammy host and recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee LL COOL J with music provided by The Roots and Black Thought delivering a dedication.
Ice-T, (a mostly reunited) Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Lil Baby, De La Soul's Posdnuos, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes and Big Boi were among the dozens who took the stage, delivering an era-spanning performance that had the crowd jumping to its collective feet. But two groups were of particular interest—Public Enemy and Run-DMC. The legendary groups haven't performed together in years, making the reunion even more special.
One by one, the spotlight shined on GloRilla, Lil Wayne, The LOX, Method Man, Nelly, Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa with Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz and Too $hort as they sailed through some of their biggest hits.
“For five decades, Hip Hop has not only been a defining force in music, but a major influence on our culture,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said. “Its contributions to art, fashion, sport, politics, and society cannot be overstated. I’m so proud that we are honoring it in such a spectacular way on the Grammy stage. It is just the beginning of our yearlong celebration of this essential genre of music.”
