• Follow @RollingStone

Rap's Odd Grammy Past: Hip-Hop at the Show from Run-D.M.C. to Lauryn Hill

  • News
  • Video
  • Music
  • Politics
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Cannabis
  • RS Country
  • RS Hip-Hop
More
  • News
  • Video
  • Music
  • Politics
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Cannabis
  • RS Country
  • RS Hip-Hop
  • Lists
  • Galleries
  • Sports
  • Interviews
  • Long Reads
  • Artists
  • Ram Report
  • Album Reviews
  • 50 Years of Music & Style
  • Movie Reviews
  • American Beauty
  • Live Reviews
  • Coverwall
  • Podcasts
  • 50th Anniversary
  • Subscribe
  • The Photo Issue
  • Rolling Stone Newsletter
Trending
Hear J. Cole's New 'KOD' Album
Hear J. Cole's New 'KOD' Album
How to Destroy an AR-15
How to Destroy an AR-15
Pot Sounds: The 20 Greatest Weed-Themed Songs of All Time
Pot Sounds: The 20 Greatest Weed-Themed Songs of All...
Bert Kreischer: The Undergraduate
Bert Kreischer: The Undergraduate

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

Load Previous
2012
14
The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Show LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 12: Host LL Cool J speaks onstage at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images11/14
By Rob Sheffield
January 24, 2018

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. 

Back to Top
  • Previous Slide
  • Next Slide

Trending

Ranked on a scale from 1 to 10, the trending score reflects the number of users reading a story in real time.

What is this?

Hear J. Cole's New 'KOD' Album

Hear J. Cole's New 'KOD' Album
9.1

How to Destroy an AR-15

How to Destroy an AR-15
8.2

Pot Sounds: The 20 Greatest Weed-Themed Songs...

Pot Sounds: The 20 Greatest Weed-Themed Songs of All Time
7.6

Bert Kreischer: The Undergraduate

Bert Kreischer: The Undergraduate
6.7

Hear Prince's Original Studio Recording of...

Hear Prince's Original Studio Recording of 'Nothing Compares 2 U'
6.3
  • © Rolling Stone 2018
  • Digital Edition
  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift
  • Coverwall
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your California Privacy Rights
  • Your Ad Choices
  • Terms of Use
  • Customer Service
  • Advertise
  • Confidential Tips