The Awardist Grammys LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, and more icons celebrate 50 years of hip-hop in lit tribute at the Grammys The epic (and too $hort) performance included hip-hop icons who are no longer here. By Lester Fabian Brathwaite Lester Fabian Brathwaite Lester Fabian Brathwaite is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where he covers breaking news, all things Real Housewives, and a rich cornucopia of popular culture. Formerly a senior editor at Out magazine, his work has appeared on NewNowNext, Queerty, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker. He was also the first author signed to Phoebe Robinson's Tiny Reparations imprint. He met Oprah once. EW's editorial guidelines Published on February 6, 2023 12:21AM EST The Grammy Awards brought together some 33 artists to rock mics and rock the bells to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop and it did not disappoint. Well, except it did leave us wanting so much more. In what must have been a logistical nightmare to pull together, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim, Public Enemy, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Nelly, Too $hort, Big Boi, the LOX, and others got the audience to their feet to such classics as the Furious Five's "The Message," P.E.'s "Fight the Power," Bus-a-bus' "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," and Nelly's "Hot in Herre." (l-r) Busta Rhymes, Flavor Flav, LL Cool J during the Grammy's 50th anniversary hip-hop celebration. Kevin Winter/Getty Images It's a nigh impossible task to cram a half-century of bangers into a 10-minute tribute, but the Grammy producers sure did their damndest, careening non-stop from one act to another. The result was a thrilling performance that felt like a much-needed shot of adrenaline to the always over-long broadcast. And for all the rap icons who couldn't be there, their names were displayed against the backdrop of the stage. It felt like a fitting tribute to America's greatest export of the past 50 years. The Grammys' 50th anniversary celebration of hip-hop. JC Olivera/WireImage Though some performances in the hip-hop celebration only lasted a few seconds, the audience tended to recognize them within a few bars, for one glorious, collective nostalgic trip. Of all the stars living their best lives in the audience, none seemed quite as happy as hip-hop royal Jay-Z, who would perform later in the night with DJ Khaled, rapping along to every lyric. Though table-mates Lizzo and Adele came in a close second for dancing at the Grammys like they were getting ready to turn up in the club. Related content: Grammy Awards 2023: See the complete list of winners The best and worst moments from the 2023 Grammy Awards Stars pay tribute to Loretta Lynn, Takeoff, and Christine McVie during Grammys In Memoriam