The Grammy Awards will be celebrating hip hop this year with a special segment directed by Questlove. It will feature appearances from Run DMC, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah and Salt N Pepa. The Grammys performance will be held on Sunday, Feb. 5 and will be introduced by LL Cool J.
The Recording Academy announced the performance last week and it will be produced by Questlove, who is a six-time Grammy winner. The music will be provided by The Roots and Black Thought will narrate.
This year’s Grammys will also include a special tribute to hip hop, with performances by Bad Bunny, Brandi Carlile, Lizzo, Mary J. Blige and Sam Smith.
Aside from the Grammys, there are many ways to celebrate hip hop’s 50th anniversary this year. The Universal Hip Hop Museum has launched a month-long campaign, “Know Ya Hip Hop,” to educate the public on the genre’s history and encourage citizens to support hip hop culture.
Congress has also recognized the genre’s birthday, establishing August 11 as “Hip Hop Celebration Day” and designating it as a national observance. The Senate has also established August as “Hip Hop Recognition Month” and November as “Hip Hop History Month.”
iHeartRadio will host a yearlong hip hop series, titled “50 Years of Hip Hop,” to highlight the musical movement’s influence on society. Throughout the year, the network will feature interviews with artists and creators that paved the way for today’s iconic superstars.
Questlove highly honored
In addition, the Kennedy Center will host I Am Woman: A Celebration of Women in Hip Hop, a show featuring MCs from across the genre. In honor of the occasion, the organization commissioned local artist Brandon Jennings to create a logo for the event that will tie into the rest of the program.
The upcoming event and the Grammys telecast will be part of Paramount Global’s company wide initiative to honor the 50th anniversary of hip hop. The studio has a number of new and returning content offerings to share this year, including the debut of the documentary “Hamilton” (which won the Best Music Film award at the Grammys).
Grammy awards to remember
On the same note, Paramount is also set to host “The Hip-Hop Experience” on CBS. This is a live-streamed concert that will include performances from a variety of hip-hop artists and will be broadcast worldwide via the broadcaster’s digital platforms.
Additionally, iHeartMedia will launch a series of 12-part iHeartPodcasts called “50 Years of Hip Hop.” The podcast will be hosted by Fab 5 Freddy and will feature a variety of hip-hop legends and artists.
During the Grammys, DJ Khaled will perform his song “God Did” with rappers Friday, Jay-Z and John Legend. The song has been nominated for five Grammys this year, including Song Of The Year and Best Rap Performance.
Meanwhile, The Roots drummer and bandleader Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will direct the 2023 Grammys’ historic hip-hop tribute, which will feature performances from a number of eras of the genre’s biggest stars. The performance will be introduced by LL Cool J, who is a past host of the awards.
What do you think?
Will these Grammy awards be the best yet? Will the winners of these Grammys be racially driven? Is Questlove a legend in hip hop culture? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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