A Grammy Salute To 50 Years of Hip-Hop Celebrates All Era's of Rap
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop almost pulled off the seemingly impossible task of commemorating a five-decade history without noticeably leaving anything out. We discuss it here!
LL Cool J backstage at the Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop Celebration.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop almost pulled off the seemingly impossible task of commemorating a five-decade history without noticeably leaving anything out. The lineup, which included rap acts from almost every region, era, and subgenre, succeeded in doing so. The scene was set for hundreds of Hip-Hop fans to come together in celebration of the culture back in November. At the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, patrons enjoyed food trucks and on-site bars under the moonlight before the show began.
The world was able to enjoy the show as Hip-hop icons were honored by CBS and the Recording Academy®TM last night on CBS Presents "A GRAMMY SALUTE TO 50 YEARS OF HIP-HOP," which aired on the CBS Television Network and now streaming on Paramount+. The live concert special highlighted and commemorated the genre's rich cultural heritage and significant global influence.
LL Cool J hosted the event, which featured performances by Regina Hall and Seth Rogan. Queen Latifah sang a song honoring the women of hip-hop alongside J.J. Fad, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shanté, Latto, Remy Ma, and other artists. Other jams featured the best of the South (Boosie Badazz, Three 6 Mafia, GloRilla, T.I.), and the West Coast (DJ Quik, E-40, Too $hort, YG, DJ Mustard, Warren G, Lady of Rage, Roddy Ricch). Public Enemy, Black Thought, Digable Planets, Black Sheep, De La Soul, Common, Arrested Development (who took home the 1993 Best New Artist Grammy in the hip-hop category), and a host of other artists performed throughout the night.
Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, who became the first to win a Grammy for "Best Rap Performance" in 1989 for their song "Parents Just Don't Understand," were a noteworthy highlight of the evening. Exactly one year later, the pair made history as the first hip-hop group to perform on the Grammy stage. Throughout the show, Smith thanked the other rappers who had helped them the year before and were instrumental in getting them the opportunity to perform on such a grand stage. His remarks came before D.J. Jazzy Jeff launched into a performance of "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson."
A segment of the show that Jennifer Hudson referred to as a tribute to the idea that "Hip-Hop is freedom" takes place during additional performances. With the Jungle Brothers, Kool DJ Red Alert, Common, Queen Latifah, Arrested Development, Talib Kweli, De La Soul, and The Pharcyde shining on the library-themed stage, a celebration of the Native Tongues collective got underway.
DJ D Nice and Doug E. Fresh honored musicians who had passed away by performing together to inspire despite the depressing occasion.
Doug E. Fresh shouted, "Make some noise if you're happy to be alive. "Stand up and honor those who are not present out of respect for them. As a celebration rather than a memorial. We're going to get started and do our thing.”
Performers return to the stage to close out the Grammy’s Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop celebration.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
To close the show the artists returned to the stage where they embraced, rapped, and danced as part of a movement that went beyond music. If you missed it last night, you can still check out the show right now on Paramount+.
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Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan set for 'I Am Legend' sequel
Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan set to star in I Am Legend 2, a sequel promising a new take on the original's alternate ending and a storyline set decades after the 2007 blockbuster. We discuss it here!
Will Smith and Michael Jordan set to star in I Am Legend 2. (Faye’s Vision/Cover Images & Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
By: Joshua Martin
According to reports, Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan is set to star in I Am Legend 2 the official sequel to the hit film I Am Legend that grossed over $585 million dollars at the box office in 2007.
It hasn’t been officially announced what role the Creed and Black Panther star Jordan will portray in the film but it has been confirmed he will sit in the producer’s chair.
If you can recall, Smith played the role of Dr. Robert Neville: a post-apocalyptic survivor that hadn’t turned into seemingly mindless vampiric mutants known as “Darkseekers”. However, Neville dies at the end of the film’s original theatrical cut. Initially the Academy Award winning actor had no interest in a sequel, but changed his mind after becoming aware of Michael’s vision.
“The idea came up. I can’t talk about it yet. But it’s a really, really cool concept, and he was a part of creating the idea. So it was one of those ones I was gonna leave alone, and then I heard the idea. I was like, ‘That might work. I think we can do that.”
Will Smith acting in blockbuster hit I Am Legend in 2007.
The 55-year-old mega star was also kind enough to share an update on the Jordan-assisted film at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia last year.
“The script just came in… I’m probably giving away too much information. You have to be a real ‘I Am Legend’ buff, but in the first one, in the theatrical version, my character died. But for the DVD, there was an alternate version of the ending of the movie where my character lived.”
Despite having interest in creating the film for some time, Warner Bros. hadn’t officially confirmed the production of the film until March of this year. Producer and writer of the film Akiva Goldsman, teased the synopsis of the film a month prior in an interview saying the sequel would take place “decades” after the 2007 movie. Goldsman also shared that the sequel would stick to the original novel where there is an alternate ending.
In an alternate ending made for DVD, Neville makes a peace offering with the Darkseekers by turning over a female mutant that he used as an experiment, realizing he had become a monster to them. Afterwards he leaves New York with Anna and Ethan in search of other survivors instead of dying. However, the novel ends with Dr. Neville accepting that the Darkseekers have created their own society and humanity is extinct.
Here you can watch the DVD alternate ending for the original film below.
I Am Legend (10/10) Movie CLIP - Alternate Ending (2007) HD
I Am Legend 2 has yet to receive an official trailer or release date.
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Chris Rock Addresses Oscars Slap in Netflix Comedy Special 'Selective Outrage'
Chris Rock's comedy special Selective Outrage addresses the Oscars slap incident and tackles topics such as cancel culture, and more. We discuss it here!
Chris Rock Netflix Comedy Special: Selective Outrage
By: Joshua Martin
Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for!!
It's been almost a year since the infamous Oscars slap that stunned the entire entertainment world and had social media in an uproar for almost a week afterwards. Thousands of think pieces surfaced about toxic masculinity, protecting your spouse from an verbal assault and also when joking goes too far.
On March 4th, With the entire world eagerly anticipating Chris Rock’s response, he finally addressed what really happened in his Netflix Live Comedy Special: SELECTIVE OUTRAGE. In this special Rock dives into how his life has changed since the incident, the Kardashains, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, abortion, cancel culture and more.
“Y’all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith.” “It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”
Despite an immense amount of pressure to open up, Rock was adamant on his stance of not being a victim. Declining to go on national talk shows to dissect the incident.
“But I’m not a victim, baby.” “You’ll never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it. Never gonna happen. … No, I took that hit like [Manny] Pacquiao.”
Broadcasting live from Baltimore at the Hippodrome Theatre, the actor/comedian later revealed that the title of the special was inspired by the slap. Proceeding to berate the Smith’s and their highly publicized relationship.
“But Will Smith practices selective outrage.” “‘Cause everybody knows what the fuck happened. Everybody that really knows, knows I had nothing to do with that shit. I didn’t have any entanglements”
Alluding to the “Red Table Talk” episode featuring Will and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, where she admitted to having an affair. Continuing, Rock added he tried to reach out to Smith, saying that, “She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”
Dressed in all white wearing a Prince necklace, Rock explained why he decided not to do anything after the slap. “Because I got parents. I was raised. And you know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people.”
Smith apologized via an instagram post a day after the Oscars and later an additional apology on camera.
Did Chris Rock’s stand up comedy special Selective Outrage live up to the hype??
While not holding up to the standards that Rock has set throughout his career, check out BIGGER and BLACKER - 1999, Selective Outrage deserves a 6 out of 10. With “10” being Eddie’s Delirious or peak Pryor/Bernie and “1” being anything Dane Cook.
Stuttering on a key joke, misplacing Concussion with Emancipation, and the barrage of B-words thrown at the Smith’s will leave a sour taste in your mouth. Also identifying as “BROKE” despite being incredibly rich.
In his biggest public performance since ‘22, Rock did what only a handful of comedians have the ability to do. Take a horrific, traumatizing situation and make light of it for the sake of comedy.
Meet Sharmaine Johnson, Media Correspondent for 247 Live Culture!
Email: Sharmaine@247LCTV.com