Rappers have been winning awards and earning plaudits for decades.
The announcement on Thursday (Feb. 2) that the Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, will include a star-studded segment celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop is just the latest in a long series of milestone moments for the genre on awards shows.
LL Cool J will introduce the segment, which will include 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.
“For five decades, hip-hop has not only been a defining force in music, but a major influence on our culture,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “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.”
While this segment is one of the most lavish celebrations of hip-hop to date on an awards show, rappers have been winning awards and earning plaudits for decades. In September 2022, The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent became the first Super Bowl halftime show to win a Primetime Emmy for outstanding variety special (live).
Below, take a look at 31 milestones in hip-hop awards history. We’ll keep adding to this list as more history-making moments happen.
Feb. 9, 1981
Kurtis Blow’s “The Breaks” becomes the first rap single to top the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll in the Village Voice.
The other hits in the top five for the year 1980 were Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Blondie’s “Call Me,” The Clash’s “Train in Vain”/”London Calling” and The Pretenders’ “Brass in Pocket.”
“The Breaks (Part 1)” peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1980.
Feb. 22, 1989
’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” becomes the first hip-hop recording to win a Grammy (best rap performance). But no rap act was invited to perform on the show. A year later, on Feb. 21, 1990, the duo becomes the first hip-hop act to perform on the Grammys. “We’d like to dedicate this performance to all the rappers last year that stood with us and helped us to earn the right to be on this stage tonight,” Smith said before he and D.J. Jazzy Jeff did “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson.”
“Parents Just Don’t Understand” reached No. 12 on the Hot 100 in July 1988. “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson” hit No. 58 on that chart in December 1989.
Feb. 28, 1989
Public Enemy’s sophom*ore album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, becomes the first rap album to top the Pazz & Jop poll.
The other albums in the top five for the year 1988 were Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation, Tracy Chapman’s Tracy Chapman, Midnight Oil’s Diesel and Dust and Michelle Shocked’s Short Sharp Shocked.
Public Enemy’s album reached No. 42 on the Billboard 200 in August 1988.
Jan. 27, 1992
M.C. Hammer becomes the first hip-hop star to host to the American Music Awards. Hammer’s sophom*ore album, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, topped the Billboard 200 for 21 weeks in 1990, still the record for a hip-hop album. His follow-up, Too Legit to Quit, logged two weeks at No. 2 in November 1991.
Feb. 24, 1993
Arrested Development becomes the first hip-hop act to win a Grammy for best new artist. In a thoughtful speech, the group’s front-man, Speech, gave thanks “to our ancestors. Without them we would not have our characteristics and the power to fight as we do. Power to the people.”
The Grammy exposure brought the group’s debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of… to its No. 7 peak on the Billboard 200 in March 1993. It took the sleeper smash 49 weeks to reach its peak.
Dec. 6, 1995
“Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio featuring L.V. becomes the first hip-hop hit to win single of the year at the Billboard Music Awards. The song, featured in the film Dangerous Minds, topped the Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks in September 1995.
Jan. 11, 1999
Smith’s solo debut, Big Willie Style, becomes the first hip-hop album to win an American Music Award for favorite pop/rock album. The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 in July 1998 – in its 31st week on the chart.
Feb. 24, 1999
Lauryn Hill’s solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, becomes the first hip-hop album to win a Grammy for album of the year. Sting and Whitney Houston present the award. “This is crazy because this is hip-hop music,” Hill exclaims.
The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 September 1998 and held the top spot for four weeks.
Sept. 7, 2000
Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady” becomes the first video for a rap song to win video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards. (Note: TLC’s “Waterfalls” and Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing),” which contain hip-hop elements, had won the award in 1995 and 1999, respectively.)
“The Real Slim Shady” was Eminem’s first top 10 hit on the Hot 100. It peaked at No. 4 in June and July 2000.
Dec. 9, 2002
Eminem’s fourth studio album, The Eminem Show, becomes the first rap release to win album of the year at the Billboard Music Awards.
The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 in June 2002 and remained on top for six nonconsecutive weeks.
Jan. 27, 2003
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” becomes the first recording by a rap act to be inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. Ten years later, it becomes the first rap recording to be inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame.
The single, which gave featured credits to Melle Mel and Duke Bootee, had reached No. 62 on the Hot 100 in November 1982.
March 23, 2003
Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile becomes first rap song to win an Oscar for best original song. Eminem co-wrote the anthemic hit with Jeff Bass and Luis Resto. Only Resto was present to accept the award, from Barbra Streisand. “Oh my,” he began. “This all goes to Marshall [Mathers]…It’s a great thing working with Marshall day in, day out. He’s creative. He has symphonies in his head that I’m privileged to put on the tape. He’s a good man, good heart. Here’s to you, Marshall.”
“Lose Yourself” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in November 2002 and remained on top for 12 consecutive weeks – the longest run on top by a rap single to that point.
Feb. 8, 2004
OutKast’s fifth studio album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, becomes the first (and so far, only) rap release to win Grammys for both album of the and best rap album. (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was slotted in the best R&B album category at the Grammys.) The award is presented by Carlos Santana and Faith Hill. Big Boi calls L.A. Reid to join them on stage. “I want to bring Mr. L.A. Reid up here,” he said. “This is the man that’s responsible for our career; our big brother since Day 1.”
The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 in October 2003 and remained on top for seven nonconsecutive weeks.
Feb. 13, 2005
Queen Latifah becomes the first entertainer who started out as a rapper to host the Grammys. By that point she was also an Oscar-nominated actress (for Chicago) and a Grammy-nominated jazz singer (for The Dana Owens Album).
One other rap star followed Latifah’s lead by hosting the Grammys. LL Cool J hosted the show five years running from 2012 through 2016. Only Andy Williams and John Denver have hosted more Grammy telecasts.
April 5, 2005
Public Enemy’s third studio album, Fear of a Black Planet, becomes the first rap album to be inducted into the National Recording Registry.
The album had peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 in May and June 1990, becoming the group’s first top 10 album.
Aug. 28, 2005
Sean “Diddy” Combs becomes the first hip-hop star to host the MTV Video Music Awards. He was the only hip-hop star to front the show until the last two years. Singer-rapper Doja Cat hosted the 2021 show. Jack Harlow, LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj anchored the 2022 show.
Dec. 6, 2005
LL Cool J becomes the first hip-hop star to host the Billboard Music Awards. Ludacris and Sean “Diddy” Combs have followed his lead.
March 5, 2006
“It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from Hustle & Flow becomes the first hip-hop song to be performed on the Oscar telecast. Three 6 Mafia teamed with Taraji P. Henson to perform the song, which wins an Oscar that night.
(Eminem declined to perform “Lose Yourself” on the 2003 Oscar telecast. In his absence, the song was not performed that night. He finally performed it on the 2020 telecast as part of a “music in film” tribute.)
March 12, 2007
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five becomes the first rap act to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The other artists to be inducted that year were R.E.M., The Ronettes, Patti Smith and Van Halen.
June 15, 2008
Lin-Manuel Miranda raps his acceptance speech when In the Heights wins the Tony for best original score written for the theatre. “Mr. Sondheim, look, I made a hat/ Where there never was a hat/ It’s a Latin hat, at that,” he rapped. The show wins three other Tonys, including best musical.
April 23, 2016
Run-D.M.C. becomes the first hip-hop act to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy. (Note: Gil Scott-Heron, whose spoken word poetry paved the way for rap, was honored in 2012.)
The other lifetime achievement award recipients that year were Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hanco*ck, Jefferson Airplane and Linda Ronstadt. These artists were honored at a ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles that was later broadcast on PBS.
May 15, 2017
N.W.A’s debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton, becomes the first rap album to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The album originally peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard 200 in April 1989, but rose to a new peak of No. 4 in September 2015 following the success of the film biopic of the same name.
June 15, 2017
Jay-Z becomes the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The other inductees that year were Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Berry Gordy, Max Martin and two pairs, “Jimmy Jam” & Terry Lewis and Robert Lamm & James Pankow of the enduring band Chicago.
Dec. 3, 2017
LL Cool J becomes the first hip-hop artist to receive a Kennedy Center Honor. Queen Latifah begins the tribute by noting, “Tonight we are witnesses to history. LL Cool J, one of the pioneers of hip-hop, is the Kennedy Center’s first hip-hop honoree” (as the camera cut to Chief Justice John Roberts, applauding).
The other honorees that year were Gloria Estefan,Lionel Richie, TV producer Norman Lear and actress, choreographer and dancer Carmen de Lavallade.
April 16, 2018
Kendrick Lamar’s fourth studio album, DAMN., becomes the first rap album to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. Lamar’s album was, moreover, the first musical work not in the jazz or classical genres to win the prize.
The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 in May 2017 and held the top spot for four nonconsecutive weeks.
Feb. 10, 2019
Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” becomes the first hip-hop single to win Grammys for record or song of the year. It wins both awards. Childish Gambino (a.k.a. Donald Glover) co-wrote the song with Ludwig GöranssonandJeffrey Lamar Williams.
“This Is America” entered the Hot 100 at No. 1 in May 2018 and held the top spot for two weeks.
Nov. 13, 2019
Lil Nas X becomes the first hip-hop star to win a CMA Award. He and Billy Ray Cyrus share the award for musical event of the year for their megahit “Old Town Road (Remix).” At a press conference Lil Nas X says, “I’m so happy that this song was accepted because it is the bridging of two completely polar opposite genres put together and I’m just happy it has gotten respect from both communities.”
The song hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in April 2019 and remained on top for 19 consecutive weeks. That remains the longest run on top in Hot 100 history.
April 25, 2021
Questlove becomes the first hip-hop artist to serve as musical director of the Oscar telecast. (Note: Pharrell Williams, whose pop-soul sound incorporates hip-hop, served in this role, along with Hans Zimmer, in 2012.) One year later, Questlove wins an Oscar for best documentary (feature) for directing Summer of Soul.
March 27, 2022
Twenty years after becoming the first entertainer who started out as a rapper to receive an Academy Award nomination for acting (for Ali), Smithbecomes the first entertainer who started out as a rapper to win an Academy Award for acting. He wins best actor for his performance as Richard Williams, father and coach to future tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard. The award, coming after he had swept virtually every other best actor prize, was widely expected. Smith’s extreme reaction to a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, was not.
Sept. 3, 2022
The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Centbecomes the first Super Bowl halftime show to win a Primetime Emmy for outstanding variety special (live). The show, which aired Feb. 13, 2022 on NBC, was a seamless celebration of hip-hop music and culture. All six principal performers collected Emmys, as did executive producers Jay-Z, Desiree Perez and Jesse Collins; co-executive producers Dionne Harmon and Dave Meyers; and supervising producer Aaron B. Cooke.
Feb. 5, 2023
The Grammys are slated to celebrate hip-hop with a lavish segment. In addition to introducing the segment, LL Cool J will perform and give a dedication to hip-hop. Questlove will serve as producer and musical director, The Roots will provide music and Black Thought will narrate. The segment is produced by Questlove, Jesse Collins, Patrick Menton of Fulwell 73, creative producer Fatima Robinson, and Shawn Gee, Questlove’s manager and president of LNU.
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