Will Smith, Queen Latifah and Public Enemy Have fun Hip-Hop in Star-Studded ‘Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop’: TV Assessment

Because the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop involves an in depth, the Recording Academy has one final trick up its sleeve to honor the pillars of the tradition.

The Academy joins forces with CBS for “A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop,” an aural spectacular that’s as a lot an ode to the tradition as it’s a documentation of it. All through the two-hour particular (airing Sunday night time from 8:30-10:30 p.m. ET/PT, with stay and on-demand streaming on Paramount+), rappers and DJs from all walks of life come collectively to have fun what began within the Bronx within the Nineteen Seventies and unfold the world over, charting its influence by way of a powerful lineup of rappers, beatboxers, dancers, DJs and presenters.

Extra from Selection

The particular, filmed at Inglewood’s YouTube Theater on Nov, 8, incorporates a laundry checklist of performers spanning each many years and areas. Just a sampling of the artists: Queen Latifah, Frequent, Public Enemy, Rakim, Doug E. Fresh, MC Lyte, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Jermaine Dupri, YG, Too Brief, E-40, De La Soul, Akon, Black Thought, Nelly, Gunna and Likelihood the Rapper every take turns rocking the mic, dropping a verse or two throughout medley performances that convey the breadth in model and substance in rap music.

One of many extra notable moments comes on the finish, when Will Smith — aka the Fresh Prince — reunited with DJ Jazzy Jeff for a medley of each solo and collaborative hits. Questlove, best known as the drummer for the Roots, offers a glowing introduction to the pair, who had been the primary hip-hop act to obtain a Grammy award for hip-hop in 1989 with “Dad and mom Simply Don’t Perceive.”

“In a 12 months and an evening stuffed with hip-hop moments, it is a large one,” says Questlove. “I grew up idolizing these two from my hometown of Illadelpho. They had been the primary artist to ever obtain a Grammy award for hip-hop. Again then, they weren’t invited to carry out or settle for their award on digital camera, which led to the hip-hop group sitting issues out that 12 months. However fortunately, a 12 months later, their hip-hop invitation did present up they usually did turn out to be the primary hip-hop group to ever carry out on the Grammy Awards. And tonight, as a fan, as a good friend, from approach again in Philly, let’s welcome to the Grammy stage, the incomparable, the superb, the legendary, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Recent Prince!”

With Jazzy Jeff poised behind the turntables on an elevated podium, Smith kicks issues off with “Model New Funk,” a minimize off their 1988 sophomore album “He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper.” Decked in an all-red ensemble with a Philly’s cap to match, Smith offers a short tour of his discography, flanked by backup dancers for “Gettin’ Jiggy With It” and “Miami.” As he performs, his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith and kids Willow and Jaden watch from the viewers. It wouldn’t be a replete retrospective and not using a rendition of the theme music to his TV present “The Recent Prince of Bel-Air,” and the duo retains it temporary with a concluding efficiency of “Summertime,” their highest-charting single, which earned them their second Grammy in 1992 for greatest rap efficiency by a duo or group.

However the particular packs extra than simply its marquee finisher. Flowers are given to the early queens of hip-hop, who kick off the present with a who’s who of veterans and newcomers. Latifah, who seems quite a few occasions all through the printed, joins Monie Love for his or her 1989 single “Girls First.” What follows is one thing of a historical past lesson: Sha-Rock’s verse from Funky 4+1’s “That’s the Joint,” J.J. Fad’s “Supersonic,” Roxanne Shante’s “Roxanne’s Revenge” and MC Lyte’s “Cha Cha Cha.” They sprinkle a little bit of extra fashionable fare into the combo, with Remy Ma ripping by way of “All of the Manner Up” and Latto delivering “Put It on Da Flooring.” To the music title’s credit score, all of the rappers come out on the finish to hitch Latifah for “U.N.I.T.Y.,” an empowerment anthem addressing the inequity of and disrespect in direction of ladies in on a regular basis society.

The eye quickly turns to the south. “Fifty years in the past, when hip-hop began, it was all in regards to the East Coast and West Coast,” says presenter Chloe Bailey. “However then, the soiled South entered the chat.” Curated by Jermaine Dupri, whom Bailey known as “the perpetually mayor of the ATL,” the efficiency swings the highlight across the rappers who helped outline and propel Southern hip-hop into the mainstream. Jeezy, T.I. and Three 6 Mafia all run by way of verses from a few of their greatest hits, whereas UGK’s Bun B shout out the late Pimp C throughout “Int’l Gamers Anthem.” GloRilla and Boosie Badazz take part earlier than 2 Stay Crew’s Uncle Luke shut it out with “Scarred” and “I Wanna Rock.”

Public Enemy has its own moment, deservedly so, with an introduction from host LL Cool J. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement nominees are joined by Questlove on the turntables throughout a few of their greatest hits, together with “Combat the Energy,” “Deliver the Noise” and “Don’t Consider the Hype.” Taste Flav and Chuck D carry the identical impassioned hearth that they’ve had since debuting within the mid-Eighties.

The medleys carry on coming. Seth Rogen introduces a West Coast section, which options probably the most sturdy lineup of the night. With DJ Battlecat on the decks, Warren G kicks it off along with his basic “Regulator” earlier than passing the mic to Luniz for “I Obtained 5 on It.” The hits simply carry on coming, with Girl of Rage, YG, Tyga, Rody Ricch, DJ Quik, Yo-Yo and Cypress Hill performing a few of their greatest songs. The medley ends within the Bay, with Too Brief’s “Blow the Whistle” and E-40’s “Inform Me When to Go.”

The particular, which additionally features vignettes of Lin Manuel-Miranda and Jelly Roll speaking about once they first fell in love with hip-hop, pays homage to the Native Tongues, a unfastened collective of artists within the Eighties and ‘90s that leaned on progressive ideology and jazz-inflected beats. Towards the backdrop of a library, the performers sit at tables awaiting their flip to take the lead. What follows is a spotlight reel of the motion’s touchstones: Frequent’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” Arrested Individuals’s “Individuals On a regular basis,” Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That),” Black Sheep’s “The Selection Is Yours,” Talib Kweli’s “Get By,” Latifah’s “Wrath of My Insanity,” the Pharcyde’s “Runnin’” and De La Soul’s “The Bizness” with Frequent.

Actress Regina Hall tees up a performance from Massive Daddy Kane, Black Thought and Rakim, whereas Akon leads the cost for a global section with renditions of “Locked Up” with Types P and “Soul Survivor” with Jeezy. Blaqbonez makes an look midway by way of for “Like Ice Spice,” surrounded by dancers who dressed like Variety cover star Spice with a pink afro, inexperienced tube high and cutoff jean shorts, simply as she wears within the video for “Munch (Feelin’ U).”

Doug E. Recent beatboxes his approach by way of a celebration of the lives of people who hip-hop tradition has misplaced, naming DMX, Nipsey Hussle, Tupac Shakur, Mark the 45 King and De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove. Machine Gun Kelly introduces the following slate of artists with a private anecdote. “The best factor to occur to me apart from me turning into a father is hip-hop,” he says. “It was there for me after I was unhappy, after I was mad on the world, and most significantly, within the seventh grade when a woman determined to bop on me to ‘Sizzling in Herre’ by Nelly. Thanks. To me, hip-hop has all the time been the lifetime of the celebration, and the celebration is simply getting began.”

And the celebration continues, with one more medley, this time led by 2 Chainz for “Birthday Music,” little doubt a reference to the anniversary at hand. Gunna, Coi Leroy, Nelly and Rick Ross share the stage earlier than Likelihood the Rapper brings again out 2 Chainz for the ebullient “No Downside,” with the aforementioned rappers reemerging on stage.

The night ends on a positive note from Harvey Mason Jr., who appears to be like again on the occasion to contextualize it within the framework of the tradition that introduced them right here. “Now it’s no coincidence that we’re all right here at the moment with a lot stress and a lot division and ache on the planet, however this music is the antidote,” he says. “This music is the drugs. This music is the common language that even probably the most divided of us can perceive. But it surely additionally has the facility to disrupt and alter. It has the facility to interrupt by way of even the loudest noise and unify. And so let’s acknowledge that there isn’t a music with out hip-hop proper now. The music enterprise isn’t what it’s with out hip-hop. Tonight, we’ve celebrated, however extra importantly, we’ve completely cemented the legacy, the influence and the contributions of this music, of our music, to the tradition and to the world perpetually.”

Better of Selection

Join Variety’s Newsletter. For the most recent information, comply with us on , , and .