Sunday night The Grammys celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with a lineup of some of the most prominent rappers of the genre. Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Run DMC, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim, Mr. Scarface, Busta Rhymes, Too Short, Ice-T, Method Man, Lil Baby, GloRilla, LL Cool J and Public Enemy performed the compact tribute on the stage outfitted like 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx where DJ Kool Herc hosted the earliest hip-hop parties. Black Thought narrated the segment while The Roots provided the music. Questlove curated the evening and he, unfortunately, had to remove many artists because of time constraints. 

DJ Aktive has an ode to the urban world with “The City” featuring Common, Freeway, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Bri Steves. The relaxed track celebrates Philadelphia’s rich culture with cavalier horns and the head-nodding beat. Each emcee has a story about their lives in the city that takes you on a journey of their vivid memories. DJ Aktive has been DJing on tours for the past 18 years working for stellar artists like Janet Jackson and Kanye West.”The City” is the first single from his debut album aptly titled The Tour and there are features from Estelle, Marsha Ambrosius, Musiq Soulchild and more. The Tour will be released on July 5th. 

The RISE UP Project is a collective effort co-produced by J.Period, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Young Guru and DJ Khalil representing hip-hop in the name of social change. Black Thought, Andra Day, Posdnuos, Pharoahe Monch and Maimouna Youssef are some of the artists on the album. The 10 songs are a reflection of America’s current division around issues of race, unhinged police officers and the need to make one’s voice heard in the midst of political conflict. 

[youtube id=”tzNTC7q4lhE”] DJ Jazzy Jeff does Rhythm Roulette for Mass Appeal and makes new sounds from three records delivered by his mobile music dealer Gene Brown. Jeff displays his genius with a level of excitement usually reserved for new producers. The final creation is an amazing production with the addition of Dayne Jordan rapping on the track.