On the 50th anniversary of hip hop, some of the biggest stars of yesterday and today graced the stage at the home of the Bronx Bombers in the Bronx, New York, where hip-hop was born on August 12, 2023. Run-D.M.C, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, A Boogie with da Hoodie, and many more were advertised and did take the stage at Yankee Stadium, the home of the New York Yankees. But in celebration of such a milestone for hip-hop culture, it was the surprise guests that arguably left the crowd in nirvana, which included Lauryn Hill, Method Man, Ashanti, and more.
Arguably the greatest female hip-hop artist to ever touch the mic, Lauryn Hill, surprised the tens of thousands in the audience during the Nas set, where she performed the Fugees hit “Ready Or Not” and her hit with Nas, “If I Ruled the World.” Nas performed many of his classics, including “Represent,” “You Owe Me,” and the fitting “New York State of Mind.”
Lil Wayne had arguably the most memorable performance of the night. The New Orleans icon not performed some of his greatest hits, including “Uproar,” “John,” and “Mrs. Officer,” Corey Gunz, who Weezy introduced as ‘Peter Gunz son’ performed the duet “6 Foot 7 Foot.” Lil Wayne was joined on stage by a percussionist for his set.
Fat Joe, who started his career three decades ago in the Bronx, also had one of the most memorable performances of the night, and not just because he went topless at one point in the show. KRS-One, Ashanti, Remy Ma, Peter Gunz, and others. The entrepreneur and author performed “What’s Luv”, “All the Way Up,” and “Lean Back.”
The Bronx showed California love to two of its icons, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. The rapper-turned-actor who started his career as a member of NWA performed “F— the Police,” “Check Yourself,” and “It Was A Good Day.”
Snoop Dogg performed classics from his catalog of over three decades, including “Deep Cover,” “Gin and Juice,” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” The legendary lanky wordsmith was joined onstage by Two Short, who performed “Blow the Whistle,” Slick Rick, and Doug E. Fresh, who joined him for “La Di Da Di.”
Other notable moments included A Boogie wit da Hoodie, who grew up in the Bronx not far from Yankee Stadium, receiving a proclamation from New York City Councilmember Kevin Riley, who represents the Bronx, and the man credited with creating hip-hop, Kool Herc sitting on stage during parts of the show.
It was a long evening of performances by legends in the most legendary venue in the Bronx. As the Notorious B.I.G. asked nearly three decades ago, who’d ever think hip hop would take it this far?
