Born from the gritty streets of the Bronx in the 1970s, hip-hop swiftly transformed from an underground expression to a global phenomenon. From the old-school beats of pioneers like Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, and Will Smith to the contemporary rhymes of artists like Tyga and YG, the rap game has evolved through various societal shifts. Well, the Grammy Awards brought these and many more artists to celebrate the genre’s cultural revolution and iconicness on December 10th. 

While the Grammys’ tribute show premiered on CBS and Paramount+ yesterday, the Fresh Prince has generously shared a sneak peek into its features with his fans. 

BTS Snippets from Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop

Earlier today, Smith took his social media following backstage at the shooting of the Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop. The four-time Grammy award winner posted a clip to his Instagram that showcased his interactions with Charlie Mack, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, and members of JJ Fad amongst others during the filming of the iconic gathering. It began with him reminiscing about how many people there he had known since the age of nineteen!

The highlight of his post was DJ Jazzy Jeff, with whom he kick-started his career. Meanwhile, Smith and Queen Latifah, with whom he kickstarted his Class of ‘88 podcast could also be seen clicking photographs in the behind-the-scenes clip. The artist these two primarily discussed during the throwback podcast episode, Public Enemy, could be seen on stage in the clip celebrating their genre’s birthday in jubilation. 

The celebration’s glimpses have been rolling in non-stop from Smith on his social media. 

An ode to the historic event, Will Smith Style 

Ever since the festivities of Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop began, the 55-year-old has bombarded his social media following with his experiences there. It began with a nostalgic post of him beside LL Cool J. and DJ Jazzy Jeff that showcased both a current-day image of them with one from decades ago. In another post, the ‘Miami’ singer shared a clip from 1989 of him speaking on hip-hop’s progress from an unrecognized fad to a mainstream genre. 

Especially for DJ Jazzy Jeff and Smith, the Grammys hold a special significance since they were the first rappers to ever receive a Grammy award in 1989! In September, the old friends who have remained tight to this day, had also sat down to speak on the metamorphosis of rap through Smith’s podcast. However, the salute from the Grammys took their recollections to another level with the gathering of the greats. 

What do you think of the latest share from the Grammy salute by Will Smith? Share your thoughts in the comments.