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GRAMMYs

Run DMC

Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com

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run-dmc-reign-supreme

Run DMC Reign Supreme

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Ice Cube pays tribute to the first group he obsessed over and the first rappers to receive The Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award
Ice Cube
GRAMMYs
Oct 25, 2016 - 11:31 pm

("GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" — a special all-star concert honoring The Recording Academy's 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients — will air Oct. 14 from 9–11:30 p.m. on PBS. Run DMC, who received a 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from The Recording Academy, will be among the artists saluted.)

I became a rap music fan in 1979 when the Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight." I was also a fan of groups like Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. Although those groups did great records, I could not relate to them as much as I could relate to three guys out of Queens, N.Y., who looked like the older homies from around my block. Black hats, black leather jackets and that confident attitude.

The first time I heard "It's Like That" I almost had a seizure it was so good, and on the B-side it was "Sucker M.C.'s." My homie Sammy Dennis wore out his speakers playing that song relentlessly on repeat. By 1983 Run DMC released their second single, "Hard Times" and "Jam-Master Jay." Then I knew there was a God and I had found my new favorite group.

Run DMC were the first group that I obsessed over. Their debut album, Run-D.M.C., was the first album I ever saved up to buy with my own money. As a matter of fact, me and my friend Ronnie bought the record together. I would keep it four days; he would keep it three days. Our parents thought we were crazy when we took all the shoestrings out of our shoes. Run was my favorite MC. I thought he had 1,000 percent more swagger than any rapper of today. Ronnie loved DMC's voice. He said nobody could ever sound like the Devastating Mic Controller. I remember the day that Dr. Dre played me the Raising Hell album. We knew we had to step our game up.

Run DMC took hip-hop to rock star status. They showed us how to do everything, especially how to perform with songs like "Here We Go." They showed us if you had a dope DJ you didn't need no band, and that rappers from the hood could be the Kings of Rock too. I wouldn't be a rapper today if Run DMC didn't show me how to do it with class.

In 1985 I went around to every movie theater I could find looking for a movie called Krush Groove because Run DMC were in it. In 1987 I saw them perform in Phoenix. After the show we went by their hotel and DMC needed a ride to the store. After buying 40 ounces with DMC, I thought I died and went to heaven.     

A few years back I had a bucket list moment when BET asked me to do a cypher with my two sons and Run with his two sons. There's nothing like being on a rooftop in Brooklyn with a little alone time with one of my heroes. I had a chance to thank him for inspiring me to be great and showing me that it's cool to rap about the world around you.

It's been a blessing getting to know these guys over the years as their peers. I remember when someone said hip-hop was dead. I didn't believe them until I heard that they killed Jam Master Jay. Then I believed them. A part of hip-hop died that night, but the spirit lives on. I will always love and be totally indebted to and grateful to the phenomenal Kings from Queens, Run DMC.

(Jam Master Jay was shot and killed in Queens, N.Y., on Oct. 30, 2002.)

(Ice Cube is a rapper, producer, actor, and filmmaker. He is an original member of 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees N.W.A, who were the subject of the 2015 biopic and box-office smash Straight Outta Compton, named after the group's seminal debut album. His solo work includes hit albums such as AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Death Certificate, and he recently starred in the film Ride Along 2 and Barbershop: The Next Cut.)

Earth, Wind & Fire, promotional image

Earth, Wind & Fire

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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GRAMMY special: Watch Run DMC and Linda Ronstadt grammy-special-feature-run-dmc-linda-ronstadt-more

GRAMMY special to feature Run DMC, Linda Ronstadt, more

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PBS special will celebrate 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients with live tribute concert; an awards ceremony and broadcast to air later this year
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

The Recording Academy will honor its 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients with an awards ceremony and live tribute concert on April 23 at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" will be produced in partnership with Thirteen Productions as part of PBS' "Great Performances" series, and is set to air later this year. Led by GRAMMY winner Don Was as musical director, the tribute concert will feature rare performances by some of the honorees and showcase never-before-seen renditions of their songs by artists they've inspired.

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Ruth Brown; Celia Cruz; Earth, Wind & Fire; Herbie Hancock; Jefferson Airplane; Linda Ronstadt; and Run DMC. John Cage, Fred Foster and Chris Strachwitz are Trustees Award honorees; and EMT and Dr. Harvey Fletcher are Technical GRAMMY Award recipients. Also being honored is Phillip Riggs, this year's recipient of the Music Educator Award. Performers will be announced shortly.

Previously held during GRAMMY Week, this is the first time The Recording Academy has celebrated the Special Merit Awards with a stand-alone event and musical tribute. In addition to the concert, special celebrity guests will present recipients with their awards and guests will enjoy video packages celebrating each of the honorees' contributions to the music industry and our cultural heritage.

"For many years now, we've wanted to honor Special Merit Awards recipients on a larger scale with an event like 'GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends,' so I'm delighted to partner with Thirteen Productions and PBS to bring this worthy celebration to a bigger stage," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "The contributions of our honorees are innumerable, and we look forward to an unforgettable evening as we pay tribute to their exceptional accomplishments."

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and are ratified by The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

Tickets for "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" will be on sale via Ticketmaster beginning Tuesday, March 29 at 10 a.m. PT.

Run D.M.C

Run-D.M.C.

Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com

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Special Merit Awards: Class of '16 special-merit-awards-honor-2016-class

Special Merit Awards to honor 2016 class

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John Cage, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Linda Ronstadt, and Run-D.M.C. among The Recording Academy's 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

The Recording Academy today announced its class of 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Jefferson Airplane, Linda Ronstadt, and Run-D.M.C.; the Trustees Award honorees are John Cage, Fred Foster and Chris Strachwitz; and EMT and Dr. Harvey Fletcher are Technical GRAMMY Award recipients.

More information on the 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients

A special ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held in the spring. Additional details regarding the ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Each year, The Academy has the distinct privilege of honoring those who have greatly contributed to our industry and cultural heritage, and this year we have a gifted and brilliant group of honorees," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy." Their exceptional accomplishments, contributions, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire generations to come."

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and are ratified by The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

The 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. For breaking GRAMMY news, follow The Recording Academy's social networks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GRAMMYs
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A GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends Book Now Available

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The Recording Academy teams with Hal Leonard Books for new hardcover book culling tributes to more than 80 Special Merit Awards recipients, including the Beatles, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, and Run DMC
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

The Recording Academy and Hal Leonard Books have announced A GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends, a brand-new hardcover book collecting two decades of Special Merit Awards tributes from the GRAMMY Awards program book. The book is now available for purchase via the GRAMMY Store. 

Each year, The Academy honors a handful of musical icons through its Special Merit Awards, which include the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY Award. One of the highlights of the GRAMMY program book is the Special Merit Awards section, in which legendary honorees are paid tribute via testimonials by noted artists and musicians. Others who have worked with the honorees, grew up as fans, or whose lives and careers were altered by the honorees' gravitational pull also contribute powerful testimonials within each program.

Until now, these appreciations have been seen and enjoyed nearly exclusively by those fortunate enough to attend the GRAMMY Awards ceremony. Available to the public for the first time, the honorees featured in A GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends have made extraordinary contributions to blues, classical, country, R&B, rock, rap, and other forms of music either as performers or behind the scenes as producers, engineers, songwriters, executives, or technical innovators. The collected tributes are sometimes touching, sometimes humorous and always inspiring.

In some cases, the relationship between the writer and legend is obvious (Quincy Jones honoring Michael Jackson or Miranda Lambert writing about Dolly Parton); in others the influence is perhaps surprising (Queen's Brian May paying tribute to Doris Day or Steven Van Zandt writing about Dean Martin). Sometimes the reverberations transcend music entirely, as when Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) writes about his friendship with the Grateful Dead. Additional honorees highlighted in the book include the Beatles; David Bowie; Earth, Wind & Fire; Leonard Cohen; Carole King; Run DMC; and Barbra Streisand.

David Konjoyan, the book's editor and Recording Academy Vice President of Creative Services, writes in his introduction: "As with other innovations, whether science-, technology- or business-related, none happen in a vacuum and all have deep reverberations. That's what this book is all about: the sources of those reverberations and the revelations of those who were impacted by them and filtered them into their own groundbreaking work."

For music fans of all kinds, the essays in A GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends offer a glimpse into how artists are personally affected by other artists, and the debt of gratitude, influence and inspiration they owe each other.

Performers for "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends"
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'GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends' airs Oct. 14 watch-grammy-salute-music-legends-oct-14

Watch 'GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends' on Oct. 14

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All-star concert featuring performances by Earth, Wind & Fire, Andy García, Martina McBride, and more to air on PBS Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

\"GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends\" To Air Oct. 14

In collaboration with PBS' "Great Performances" series, The Recording Academy will air "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" — a special all-star concert honoring The Recording Academy's 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients — on Oct. 14 from 9–11:30 p.m. ET/PT on PBS.

Taped at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the special features tribute performances and never-before-seen video packages celebrating each of the recipients' contributions to the music industry and our cultural heritage. The lineup features performances by Patti Austin; Ry Cooder; Lila Downs; Earth, Wind & Fire; David Foster; Andy García And The CineSon All Stars; Herbie Hancock; Henry Gray; Jefferson Airplane; J'Nai Bridges; Kris Kristofferson; Lucrecia; Shelby Lynne; Magnolia Sisters; Martina McBride; Naughty By Nature, Anthony Parce; and JD Souther. Presenters include David Crosby, Jimmy Jam, LL Cool J, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Don Was.

View a complete list of " GRAMMY Salute to Music Legends" performances 

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Jefferson Airplane, Linda Ronstadt, and Run DMC. John Cage, Fred Foster and Chris Strachwitz are Trustees Award honorees; and EMT and Dr. Harvey Fletcher are Technical GRAMMY Award recipients. Also being honored is Phillip Riggs, this year's recipient of the Music Educator Award.

Among numerous highlights, psychedelic rock pioneers Jefferson Airplane take fans back in time as they play some of their most memorable hits that shaped much of the San Francisco scene in the 1960s and earned them international mainstream success. Standing in for legendary frontwoman Grace Slick (who is present to accept her award) is GRAMMY-nominated rock songstress Cathy Richardson.

Arhoolie Records founder Strachwitz has made a living recording, preserving, and celebrating the music he loves — music that formed the fabric of both American and international culture. Paying homage to the multifaceted and uniquely talented producer/businessman will be six-time GRAMMY-winning guitar virtuoso Cooder, GRAMMY-nominated Chicago bluesman Gray and GRAMMY nominees the Magnolia Sisters.

Paying tribute to three-time GRAMMY winner and four-time Latin GRAMMY winner Celia Cruz — internationally known as the Queen of Salsa — are Latin GRAMMY nominee Lucrecia and GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner García, who will bring his Cuban musical group, Andy García And The CineSon All Stars, to the stage.

Six-time GRAMMY winners Earth, Wind & Fire offer a roof-raising performance.

A salute to 10-time GRAMMY winner Linda Ronstadt features pop, country and Latin musical offerings from GRAMMY and four-time Latin GRAMMY winner Downs and GRAMMY nominees McBride and Souther.

A production of Thirteen Productions LLC for WNET, "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" is written by David Wild and directed for television by David Horn, with Mitch Owgang as producer, and Horn and Neil Portnow as executive producers. Was is music director. For "Great Performances," Bill O'Donnell is series producer; Horn is executive producer.

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.