tribute

Diddy Honors Biggie Smalls On Anniversary Of His Passing

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It’s been 26 years to the day since hip-hop lost one of its most impactful, resonant, and powerful voices. While the tragedy of his passing isn’t lost on anyone, millions around the world continue to keep The Notorious B.I.G. alive. For example, Diddy made an Instagram post on Thursday (March 9) honoring Biggie on the anniversary of his tragic death in Los Angeles. “There will NEVER be another,” Puff wrote as a caption to a video of a B.I.G. interview. “The GREATEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME. Today we celebrate and honor you king. Love and miss you!!”

In that clip, the legendary MC spoke on maintaining his originality, freshness, and unique voice as an artist. “Don’t be the fool to just sit back and do it because somebody else is doing it,” the Brooklyn native expressed. “Because those of you who do just gon’ follow in somebody else’s footsteps, and you just gon’ be a shadow. Who wanna be a shadow for the rest of their life, you know what I’m saying? If you got a lil’ something’ that you know how to do, progress that and keep trying. I mean, God knows what could happen. That’s what I did. Just kept on walking, just happened to get to the right ends.”

Diddy’s Tribute To Biggie Smalls On Anniversary Of His Tragic Loss

Most recently, Nas spoke on how Biggie influenced his classic album It Was Written, shortly before the anniversary of his death arrived. “Biggie made it different, where you can’t just be the hot dude that they liked from New York to Connecticut to Virginia,” he expressed. “You got to hit the mainstream. You got to touch the world.” Elsewhere in the interview, he said that they inspired each other in many different ways. For example, Nas working with Dr. Dre possibly opened up the doors for Biggie to work with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Meanwhile, this year will also mark what would’ve been Big’s 51st birthday in May. Last year, Lil’ Kim penned an inspiring message for his 50th. “He was more than just a rapper more than an artist; he was an educator, he was a poet, obviously a writer. He was a prophet, he was here to do more than just make some songs or record a couple of albums, which is at the end of the day, that’s what he did. And he did way more than that in his spare time.” Join us in honoring Biggie Smalls with your favorite tracks, albums, or moments in the comments, and if you don’t know, now you know.

De La Soul Share Tribute To Trugoy The Dove

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De La Soul just shared a touching Instagram tribute to their fallen member David Jude Jolicoeur, better known as Dave, J.D. Dove, or Trugoy the Dove. Moreover, member Maseo penned a dedication on the group’s official Instagram page, along with a picture of them signing their first record deal with Tommy Boy. “Dave, thank you so much for being in my life,” Plug Three wrote. “Although you and I would argue like hell, we would both admit when we were wrong and totally come full circle and say, ‘I Love You.’ I want to truly thank you for having the birds eye view of our collective vision to be a group.”

“Before Trugoy The Dove, I met J.D. Dove aside being called Dave in 1985,” he continued. “I remember your mom calling you Dove, so you’ve always had wings. So go on and fly into the light, Merce and I will make sure your legacy is well preserved. ‘We Are De La Soul’ for life and after life, but obviously, it will never be the same. On one end I’m happy you no longer have to suffer the pain of your condition. On the other hand I’m extremely upset at the fact that you’re not here to celebrate and enjoy what we worked and fought so hard to achieve.”

Maseo’s Touching Tribute To Trugoy The Dove

Also, Posdonous penned a message of his own on their page as well, calling Dave “the heart of the group. You brought so much creativity, energy, and passion to our music. Your influence will be felt for years to come. Your passing is a great loss not only to us, but also to the entire hip-hop community. You were a true artist who used music to inspire and uplift others. You will be deeply missed by all who knew you.”

“We would like to say thank you Dave for being a big brother,” Plug One concluded. “Thank you for being a friend, thank you for the wise words placed in your verses, thank you for the music you produced that is loved by so many. Thank you for never wanting to compromise the quality of our brand, thank you for helping us become a group that will remain etched in the timeline of hip hop culture as well as the fabric of music.” Read Posdonous’ tribute below and join HNHH in celebrating the life and indelible impact of Plug Two.
Long Live Trugoy The Dove.

De La Soul’s Tribute From Posdonous

Ice-T Says He Almost Turned Down Grammys Appearance

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Ice-T says that he nearly turned down Questlove’s request to have him perform at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Ice-T was among the dozens of artists to take the stage during the hip-hop 50 tribute performance. He reflected on the show during an interview with ET beforehand. He says that it’s good “to see all these legends together and you’re not here for a funeral.”

“Questlove calls me up and he says, ‘All right, you gotta come to L.A. this weekend… It’s a big performance, I got you in the lineup,’” he recalled. “And I was still hesitant ’cause it’s a long travel, But then he says, ‘You don’t want to be sitting at home watching this show, saying you should’ve been there.”

Ice-T at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Crypto.com Arena on February 5, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

“Real talk, unfortunately, that’s usually the only time we all get together and see each other,” Ice-T shared. “So the Grammys brought us together.” He then reflected on days when there was no representation for hip-hop at the Grammys. “I got one of the early GRAMMYs with Quincy Jones, you know, but I felt Quincy kinda snuck us in the backdoor.”

From there, he compared the experience to that of last year’s Super Bowl. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar all performed at the event. Ice-T continued: “They got everybody, they got all the hoodlums in here. We don’t get invited to this type of party! The people that were raised by us are now the people making the decisions, and so what a difference a day makes. You see Dr. Dre doing the Super Bowl with 50 Cent, Eminem, all the outlaws. That means that the culture has really broadened to where the people in power are our children.”

In addition to Ice-T, Run-D.M.C., Rakim, Public Enemy, and many more legends made appearances on Sunday night. Younger artists such as Lil Baby and Lil Uzi Vert also took the stage. LL Cool J hosted the tribute while Questlove directed and co-produced it.

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Tristan Thompson Breaks Silence On His Mother’s Death, Apologizes For Causing Her “Embarrassment”

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One month after tragically losing his mother to a heart attack, Tristan Thompson has broken his silence. The Canadian athlete shared a touching tribute to Andrea via his Instagram page on Sunday (February 6), thanking her for raising him right while also apologizing for any embarrassment he might have caused. At the same time, he promised his family matriarch that he would do everything possible to take care of what she left behind.

“Dearest mommy in heaven, It has been one month since you’ve been gone,” he emotionally began. “I’m in disbelief. I’m in the deepest part of sorrow & grief
My soul is empty as I come to terms that my biggest supporter/superhero is gone. I cannot thank you enough for always being a woman of faith, being one of God’s warriors, fighting back with whatever the world threw our way.”

Andrea Thompson and NBA Player Tristan Thompson attend The Amari Thompson Soiree in support of Epilepsy Toronto at The Globe and Mail Centre on August 9, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/Getty Images)

Thompson then vented about his newfound desire to hear Andrea’s voice one last time. He promised her that her sacrifices over the years on behalf of her family didn’t go unnoticed and that she was the strongest woman he’s encountered in his life. “I know you’re here as I write this letter,” he penned in his caption.

“All I can say is, I’m sorry mommy for the wrong decisions I’ve made in my life. I’m sorry for the embarrassment and pain. You raised me better than what I was able to show you,” Tristan went on to say, potentially referencing his past infidelities, among other scandals. “But I have also learned sorry is not enough. Actions speak louder than words. So I won’t just say sorry.”

According to his post, Thompson plans to take great strides to show Andrea and the world what an amazing son she raised. “I will show you that even when we fall and make mistakes, we get back up. You are my motivation. Stand beside me as I become the man I know you always believed in. I’m going to make you proud, I promise.”

In conclusion, the father of four also promised that his younger brother, Amari, is going to be taken care of. “I know they say time heals all but I don’t think this pain will ever go away,” he wrote in reflection. “We had so many memories and more I wanted to share with you. We will still share them but now from heaven. As the tears roll down my face, all I can ask is please continue to be my light.”

Tristan’s tribute to his late mother is undeniably touching, and it’s certainly not the only one we’ve seen dedicated to Andrea lately. The Brampton native’s ex, Khloé Kardashian, filled a photo dump with her sweetest memories of her children’s grandmother. “I know you never wanted to leave your boys. They are your entire world,” her lengthy caption reads.

“I have so many emotions and still I feel numb. Life can be brutally unfair at times. This has been one of the toughest times in so many of our lives. But at the same time, I feel blessed that I am lucky to have had someone that makes saying goodbye so incredibly difficult,” she also wrote. Read the reality star’s full post here, and check back later for more pop culture news updates. RIP.

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LL Cool J Hosts Star-Studded Hip-Hop Tribute At Grammys

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The 2023 Grammy Awards honored the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a massive tribute on Sunday night. Over 30 of the most iconic artists from the genre took the stage to perform hits from throughout hip-hop history. LL Cool J served as a host for the tribute while Questlove directed and co-produced it.

Other artists to appear on stage included Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Future, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Mele Mel and Scorpio/Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, The Lox, Method Man, Missy Elliott, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Questlove, Rahiem, Rakim, The Roots, Run-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: Performers such as LL Cool J, Flavor Flav, Busta Rhymes, Lil Uzi Vert, Nelly, Spliff Star, Queen Latifah, Ice-T, Chuck D, Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, Grandmaster Flash, and Black Thought perform onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

As for which songs the group performed, they went with “The Message,” “The King Of Rock,” “Radio,” “Rock The Bells,” “My Mic Sounds Nice,” “My Melody,” “BUDDY,” “Mind Playing Tricks On Me,” “UNITY,” “ATLiens,” “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Where My Eyes Could See,” “Outta Control,” as well as “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” and several more.

“For five decades, hip-hop has not only been a defining force in music, but a major influence on our culture,” Harvey Mason Jr., the 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. It is just the beginning of our yearlong celebration of this essential genre of music.”

Additionally, the rest of the night featured numerous other artists performing outside of the hip-hop tribute as well. Bad Bunny, DJ Khaled, Harry Styles, Jay-Z, John Legend, Kim Petras, Lil Wayne, Lizzo, and many more also made appearances. When it came to awards, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, and more were some of the night’s biggest winners.

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