GRAMMYs To Celebrate 50 Years Of Hip-Hop With Historic Segment At

2023 GRAMMYs

Featuring a litany of greats onstage at the 2023 GRAMMYs, the segment will showcase the genre's rich history and continued global influence with electrifying performances .

By Morgan Enos

For half a century, hip-hop has been a boon to the world. Now, the Recording Academy is paying its respects.

The lineup for the 2023 GRAMMYs has expanded with the addition of a historic segment celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop in 2023.

Showcasing the genre's rich history and continued global influence, this portion of the show will feature electrifying performances by Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Mele Mel & Scorpio/Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, The Lox, Method Man, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Rahiem, Rakim, RUN-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort.

LL COOL J will introduce the segment, perform and give a dedication to hip-hop. Questlove will serve as producer and musical director, music will be provided by the Roots and said hip-hop ensemble Black Thought will narrate.

This GRAMMYs segment is produced by Questlove, Jesse Collins, Patrick Menton of Fulwell 73, Creative Producer Fatima Robinson, and Questlove's manager and President of LNU, Shawn Gee.

For five decades, hip-hop has not only been a defining force in music, but a major influence on our culture," said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. "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 year-long celebration of this essential genre of music.”

The all-star performance is part of Paramount Global's companywide initiative to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Paramount announced an extensive slate of new and returning content offerings and initiatives that celebrates the culture across the media and entertainment company's portfolio of leading broadcast, cable, streaming and digital brands.

In partnership with the Recording Academy, CBS will broadcast a special Hip Hop music event later in 2023. More information on the global initiative can be found here.

Don't miss this spectacular showcase at the 2023 GRAMMYs, which will air live on Sunday, Feb. 5, from Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, and it will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET / 5-8:30 p.m. PT

Additionally, don't forget to log on to live.GRAMMY.com for an exclusive second-screen experience.

Samara Joy has shared her Spotify Singles release, featuring a cover of a hit single by Adele and a version of one of Joy’s 2022 releases.

The acclaimed jazz singer put her own spin on Adele’s heartfelt 2011 hit ballad “Someone Like You” as part of the session, reimagining the song with her rich, luxurious vocals over a minimal, poignant organ backing.

Elsewhere, the Spotify Singles release features a live take of Joy’s 2022 cover of Nancy Wilson’s “Guess Who I Saw Today.” The star’s original recording of the song featured on her major label debut album, Linger Awhile.

That record was released last September and provided timeless standards for a new generation courtesy of the 23-year-old. It also scored Joy a nomination for Best Jazz Vocal at the 2023 Grammy Awards, where she is also in the running for Best New Artist. The ceremony will take place on Sunday (February 6) in Los Angeles. Joy will perform during the premiere ceremony, which precedes the televised event.

Following the release of Linger Awhile, Joy followed up the album with a special holiday song, “Warm In December.” The track was originally written by Bob Russell and is relatively unknown and rarely performed by modern artists. Julie London released the most commonly known recording of it in 1956, and Joy’s new version provided a refreshing addition to the holiday song cannon.

In a new interview with CBS, Joy spoke about introducing jazz to a new generation via social media. “People come up to me [and say], ‘I saw you on TikTok, and then I found out you were coming to my city, and I bought tickets immediately just because of how much your voice impacted me,’” she said.

Explaining the response to her voice, she added: “It ranges from ‘I love the way it sounds when I hear you live,’ I get butter and velvet and smooth. People come up to me and are just like, ‘Emotionally, this affected me.’”