VH1’S HIP HOP HONORS’ AIRS TONIGHT: Honorees include Cube, Wu Tang, Lyte, Rakim, Bambaataa, Simmons, Beastie Boys and Eazy E.
*Hip Hop’s finest came together last October 7th to honor a new class of legendary emcees for the third annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors. The ceremony, saluting Ice Cube, Wu-Tang Clan, MC Lyte, Rakim, Afrika Bambaataa, Russell Simmons, Beastie Boys and Eazy E, premieres on the network tonight at 9 p.m. ET.
Hosted by Ice T, the evening at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom salutes the music and influence of each of the honorees through performances by classic artists in collaboration with today's hottest new talent.
To honor the Beastie Boys, Diddy, Fabolous and Q-Tip rocked the trio’s "Hold It Now, Hit It" and "Paul Revere" in full old-school regalia, including Adidas track suits. Then, the Beastie Boys jumped on stage to perform "So What'cha Want."
Actress Regina King took the stage afterwards to introduce MC Lyte. The “Ray” star surprised the entire house by spitting a verse from Lyte's "10 % Dis." Lil Kim, for the first time in more than a year, took the stage in a designer track suit with "one leg up" and big doorknocker earrings. She was joined by Remy Ma and Da Brat for a medley of "Cha Cha Cha," "Kickin' 4 Brooklyn" and "Lyte as a Rock." Lyte closed her set with a performance of "Paper Thin" and "Ruffneck."
Talib Kweli was joined by Black Thought in honoring one of the greatest and most influential rappers in hip hop history, Rakim, with "Paid in Full." Rakim moved the crowd with a performance of his hit song "I Ain't No Joke."
Following his performance, Xzibit, WC and Lil Jon took it to the Wessyde to honor Ice Cube with a medley of "It Was A Good Day" and "Why We Thugs." Cube followed with a performance of his new song, "Go To Church."
Diddy, Def Poetry Jam's Black Ice, DJ Lovebug Starkski and DJ Kid Capri gave a well-deserved tribute to one-man conglomerate, Russell Simmons, noting his contributions to the industry and all aspects of the culture.
Lil Eazy-E, along with Young Jeezy and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, honored his father, the late Eazy E with a medley of "Crossroads," "We Want Eazy" and "Boyz-N-The-Hood."
Erykah Badu appeared in full African garb to perform "Zulu War Chant" and "One Nation Under a Grove" alongside Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Fat Joe and Q Tip in a tribute to Afrika Bambaataa.
And finally, Emmy Award winner Forest Whitaker graced the stage to introduce the last honoree of the night -- Wu-Tang Clan. The group’s Method Man, RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, U God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna all came together to sing "C.R.E.A.M." and "Triumph," which brought the show to a fitting close.
Select video footage from "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" will also be available on VH1 Mobile following the on-air broadcast.
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