Rap's Odd Grammy Past: Hip-Hop at the Show from Run-D.M.C. to Lauryn Hill
After decades, event is finally taking genre seriously in 2018; how artists have fared as performers and nominees, including Will Smith's 1989 boycott
14
2012
LL Cool J takes over as host for a five-year run, becoming the greatest host of all time by a mile. Whitney Houston dies suddenly the weekend of the ceremony, hours before a Grammy gala she had planned to attend. LL handles the tragic situation like a champ, beginning with a brief prayer: "Heavenly Father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us." An all-time Grammy moment of grace under pressure.