An Emotional Night
Posdnuos consoles an emotional Maseo at the group’s tribute for Trugoy the Dove, who died last month.
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Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone -
Queen Latifah with Posdnuos and Maseo
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone Latifah destroyed the crowd with a rollicking set including “Ladies First” and “U.N.I.T.Y.” with Monie Love
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Q-Tip and D-Nice
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone The Originals, the DJ collective of Stretch Armstrong, Clark Kent, Rich Medina, D-Nice and Tony Touch, DJed throughout the night.
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Grandmaster Flash
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone The hip-hop pioneer got one of the biggest ovations of the night.
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Q-Tip and Dave Chappelle
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone Chappelle hung out onstage all night, taking in the festivities as much a fan as friend of the group.
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Monie Love, Posdnuos, Maseo, Talib Kweli
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone The perpetually amped Monie Love acted as a de facto hypewoman throughout the night and joined Queen Latifah for “U.N.I.T.Y.” and their “Ladies First.”
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Thought @ Work
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone The Roots rapper, like many others during the event, dropped a long freestyle to the adoring crowd.
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Queen Latifah
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone Latifah performing to a rollicking crowd both onstage and in the audience.
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Chuck D
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone The Public Enemy frontman gave a brief but impactful tribute to his Long Island brethren.
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A Warm Embrace
Maseo and Common embrace in front of a smiling Posdnuos. Common thanked the group profusely for putting him on the ‘Stakes Is High’ track “Itsoweezee (Hot).”
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Maseo and Posdnuos on the Mic
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone The stage was almost as crowded as the audience for most of the night, with the event feeling as much as a casual reunion.
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Dave Chappelle
Chappelle gave a short speech to the group noting their outsize influence on both him and hip-hop.
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Common and Maseo
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone The duo performing “Itzsoweezee (Hot).”
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Posdnuos, Maseo and Talib Kweli
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone A triumphant Plug 1
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Busta Rhymes embraces an emotional Posdnuos
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone The rapper appeared on the group’s “I. C. Y’all” from their 2000 album ‘Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump.’
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Balloon Mindstate
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone At midnight, the group dropped hundreds of daisy balloons to celebrate the end of their years-long battle to make their catalog available on streaming.