MC Hammer was conspicuously absent from the star-studded “Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop” event held by the Recording Academy.
The two-hour concert, broadcast on December 10, featured performances by iconic figures such as Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, and others in celebration of hip-hop’s cultural impact. This marked the second time the genre was honoured by the Academy in 2022, with the first instance being a curated medley at the Grammy Awards in February. The reason for MC Hammer’s absence became evident in a resurfaced clip from the November 3 street renaming ceremony for Tupac Shakur in Oakland, California. During his tribute to Tupac, Hammer addressed his decision not to participate in hip-hop’s 50th-anniversary events, despite receiving invitations.