De La Soul, Slick Rick Among VH1's Hip Hop Honorees

VH1's Hip Hop Honors have revealed the five acts who'll be honored at the event's fifth ceremony. If you're a fan of late-'80s/early-'90s rap, this event is pretty can't-miss, as De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Cypress Hill, Too $hort and Slick Rick will all be celebrated. "This year's five honorees are being recognized for their significant contributions to hip hop culture and for helping to elevate hip-hop into a truly global phenomenon," said Tom Calderone, VH1's Executive Vice President and General Manager. More guest performances will be announced shortly. This year's special will air October 7th and will once again be hosted by 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan. VH1.com will also launch a Website dedicated to the Hip Hop Honors soon.

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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

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