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Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff reunite for a special salute to 50 years of Hip Hop with the Grammys on Sunday (Dec. 10). The two hour “A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop” special debuted on CBS and Paramount+, and fans are still shocked at their stellar performance. Let’s not forget, Will has the hits! Checkout a list of Will Smith’s hits inside.
Grammy’s celebrated hip hop trailblazers and icons on Sunday during their special as the 50 Years of Hip Hop celebrations come to a close. The special marks the academy’s second time paying tribute to the genre, the first being a star-studded lineup that took place in February during the Grammy Awards ceremony.
Throughout the two-hour special, rappers and DJs from all walks of life come together to celebrate the music that started in the Bronx in the 1970s and spread across the world, charting its impact through a strong lineup of rappers, beatboxers, dancers, DJs and presenters.
The special, filmed at Inglewood’s YouTube Theater on Nov, 8, featured several performers spanning the entire 50 years of Hip Hop from across the globe. Artists who joined the celebration included Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, Queen Latifah, Common, Public Enemy, Rakim, Doug E. Fresh, MC Lyte, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Jermaine Dupri, YG, Too Short, E-40, De La Soul, Akon, Black Thought, Nelly, Gunna and Chance the Rapper.
The one notable moment fans can’t stop talking about is when Will Smith reunited with longtime friend and collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff for a medley of both solo and collaborative hits. Questlove, best known as the drummer for the Roots, gives a beautiful introduction to the rap duo, who were the first hip-hop act to receive a Grammy award for hip-hop in 1989 with “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”
Jazzy Jeff was situated behind his turntables on an elevated platform as Smith kicked it off with “Brand New Funk,” a record from their 1988 sophomore album, He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper.
They cycle through Will’s discography from “Getting’ Jiggy With It” and “Miami” to his beloved theme song from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Of course they kept it classic, concluding with a performance of their highest-charting single, “Summertime,” which earned them their second Grammy in 1992 for best rap performance by a duo or group.
Will Smith celebrated the momentous occasion by sharing a few moments from the show and throwback clips to show what brought him to this moment.
Check it out below:
