The newly formed Paid In Full Foundation held its inaugural Hip-Hop Grandmaster Awards on Friday to honor rap icons Rakim and Scarface. The Las Vegas event celebrated the music legends with speeches, performances, and dual awards.
Rakim and Scarface each received a Hip-Hop Grandmaster Award, which comes with a $100,000 yearly stipend for 5 years to support their artistic endeavors. Nas, Fab 5 Freddy, and other hip-hop luminaries helped select the inaugural recipients.
The lavish ceremony aimed to uplift hip-hop trailblazers and featured several highlight performances. Hip-hop journalist Fab 5 Freddy and activist Shaka Senghor hosted the festivities. Musical acts ranged from tap dance troupe Syncopated Ladies to the lyrical flows of rapper IDK.
In his speech, Paid In Full co-founder Ben Horowitz emphasized enabling great hip-hop artists to keep creating. The emotional event encapsulated the essence of hip-hop as Rakim, Scarface and other icons came together to honor the culture.