Questlove

Will Smith

<p>We know your timelines must be overrun <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/629255-jay-z-on-beyonces-grammys-loss-its-just-a-marketing-thing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">with Grammys highlights</a>, and we&#8217;re offering another from <a href="/profile/questlove" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Questlove</a>. <a href="/profile/TheRoots" class="text-word" target="_blank" >The Roots</a> icon helped co-curate the ceremony&#8217;s tribute for Hip Hop&#8217;s 50th Anniversary, and it was a sight to behold. Generations of the culture shared the stage as pioneers revisited their classic hits. Younger artists like <a href="/profile/liluzivert" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Lil Uzi Vert</a> even did their famed TikTok dances. It&#8217;s just one of the many ways Hip Hop will be celebrated this year, but fans noticed there were hitmakers missing from the Grammy honor.</p>



<p>Understandably, not everyone could be included in the tribute. Some artists have already taken to social media to <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/629268-willie-d-blasts-grammys-for-including-scarface-but-not-geto-boys-in-hip-hop-tribute" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">verbalize their disappointment</a> after being excluded. According to Questlove, Will Smith was supposed to join the dozens of other Hip Hop pioneers on stage. However, his prior engagement kept him from the Grammys this year.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ok.. If you missed the 50th Anniversary Hip Hop Tribute at last nights Grammy Awards. Here’s the whole thing! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/yVxZsPi1dR">https://t.co/yVxZsPi1dR</a></p>&mdash; ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/FINALLEVEL/status/1622656901413756928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h6 class="has-small-font-size wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-kendrick-lamar-s-kids-react-to-grammy-win-for-mr-morale-the-big-steppers-watch"><em>Read More: <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/629385-kendrick-lamars-kids-react-to-grammy-win-for-mr-morale-the-big-steppers-watch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kendrick Lamar’s Kids React To Grammy Win For “Mr. Morale &amp; The Big Steppers”: Watch</a></em></h6>



<p>“I’ll give the spoiler alert away. Will Smith was a part of the festivities tonight, but they started shooting ‘Bad Boys 4’ this week,” Quest told Variety while on the Grammys red carpet. “There were a lot of preliminary shots that he had to do, so we had to lose Will.” He also recognized that getting Smith was a &#8220;shot in the dark&#8221; because the actor consistently works on films. Additionally, others like <a href="/profile/LLCoolJ" class="text-word" target="_blank" >LL Cool J</a>, Ice-T, and Queen Latifah dipped out on filming their television shows to make the tribute.</p>



<p>When chatting with <em>Essence</em>, Questlove further shared that the original collaborative performance was slated for a longer running time. “It took about four weeks to put this together,&#8221; he said. &#8220;My first draft was closer to 20 minutes, and Jesse Collins wasn’t having that. He was like, ‘There’s not enough budget in the world to <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/629382-chris-brown-apologizes-to-robert-glasper-says-they-shouldnt-be-nominated-in-same-grammy-category" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clear all these songs</a> and all these flights.’&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="5076" height="3384" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246835005.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-629475" srcset="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246835005.jpg 5076w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246835005.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246835005.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246835005.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246835005.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246835005.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246835005.jpg?resize=1500,1000 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 5076px) 100vw, 5076px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA  FEBRUARY 5: 65th GRAMMY AWARDS   An array of rappers perform a tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip hop at the 65th Grammy Awards, held at the Crytpo.com Arena on February 5, 2023. &#8212; (Photo by Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<h6 class="has-small-font-size wp-block-heading"><em>Read More: <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/629307-grammy-voters-didnt-cast-ballots-for-beyonce-because-she-wins-too-many-awards" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grammy Voters Didn’t Cast Ballots For Beyoncé Because She Wins Too Many Awards</a></em></h6>



<p>Although he may not have received the time he wanted, he made it work. &#8220;Still, it’s 14 minutes and we’re starting from the beginning. From Grand Master Flash to <a href="/profile/Future" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Future</a> — from Flash to the Future and everything in between. And I’m glad that I started out when Hip-Hop was taboo and now we not only have a seat at the table, <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/629315-drake-calls-the-dream-the-goat-after-grammys" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">we are the table.</a>”</p>



<p>Smith&#8217;s appearance at the Grammys would have been his first live music performance since his infamous Oscars moment. Last year&#8217;s controversy set him in a negative light, but it seems that he has put it all behind him. </p>



<p>[<a href="https://www.okayplayer.com/news/questlove-says-will-smith-dropped-out-of-grammys-2023-performance.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">via</a>][<a href="https://www.essence.com/awards-events/questlove-grammy-hip-hop-50-tribute/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">via</a>]</p>