The Grammys have had a long, complicated history with hip-hop. The first award for Best Rap Performance wasn’t handed out until 1989, with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince winning for “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” They boycotted the show because the category wasn’t televised. Over the years, the Recording Academy has come under fire for sometimes favoring mainstream appeal over influential artists and songs. No offense to Young MC’s “Bust a Move,” but do we really think it should’ve beaten out Public Enemy’s iconic “Fight the Power?” Fast forward to this year’s 65th Annual Grammys and there were awards for Rap Performance; Melodic Rap Performance; Rap Song; and Rap Album. The show also featured a standout celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. So it seems like the Grammys have finally come around on the influence and importance of the music.
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More proof of the Recording Academy’s about face on the genre comes in Friday’s announcement about the upcoming special, A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop. The concert will be taped Nov. 8 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, then air Sunday, Dec. 10 at 8:30 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+. The first group of performers include Black Thought; Bun B; Common; De La Soul; Jermaine Dupri; J.J. Fad; Talib Kweli; The Lady Of Rage; LL COOL J; MC Sha-Rock; Monie Love; The Pharcyde; Queen Latifah; Questlove; Rakim; Remy Ma; Uncle Luke; and Yo-Yo.
Let’s talk about how exciting it is to see so many amazing women on this list. It feels like recognizing the contributions of female MCs has been hit or miss throughout this year-long celebration. With both Queen Latifah and Monie Love performing, I’m assuming we’ll get a badass updated version of “Ladies First.” We need a new remix featuring some of these other spectacular women. And I cannot properly explain how thrilled 11-year-old me is to see J.J. Fad will be on the stage. “Supersonic” was my jam. By the way kids, I couldn’t just download it on my phone. I had to wait for it to come on the radio and record it, because that’s how we rolled in the ‘80s.
Shoutout to LL Cool J who was highlighting old school hip-hop long before it was the thing to do. He’s been celebrating the artform on every show this year. As much as I’ve enjoyed hearing “I’m Bad,” “Rock the Bells” and “Mama Said Knock You Out,” where has the essential rap ballad “I Need Love” been? LL was doing love songs before Drake and Childish Gambino were ever born, and I want the whole world to acknowledge him for that.
While hip-hop encompasses a wide variety of styles now, there was a time when it was a very narrow field. It was De La Soul who changed that with their groundbreaking sound, style and lyrics. Even though their early work never won the Grammy it deserved, it’s delightful to see them as a part of this show.
I can’t wait to see who else gets added to this monumental showcase.
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop airs Sunday, Dec. 10 at 8:30 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+.
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