VH1 has announced the five honorees for their fifth annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors," Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Slick Rick, Naughty By Nature and Too $hort. Hosted once again by Tracy Morgan, this year's musical celebration will give viewers a chance to step back and reminisce on a time when hip hop music began to make its greatest impact on American pop culture.

Tracy Morgan Returns as Host of The 2008 "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" Which Premieres on VH1 and VH1 Soul on Tuesday, October 7.

"Now in its fifth year, the 'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' has come to represent the pinnacle of innovation and achievement in hip hop music," said Tom Calderone, Executive Vice President and General Manager, VH1. "This year's five honorees are no different and are being recognized for their significant contributions to hip hop culture and for helping to elevate hip hop into a truly global phenomenon."

With a driving rhyme style and brutally infectious production, the L.A. based collective, Cypress Hill, brought a welcomed Latino perspective to hip hop storytelling, creating records like "Insane in the Brain" that crossed all barriers and gave Cypress Hill fans in the rock, as well as, rap world.

The Long Island trio, De La Soul, brought a playful, smart, and off-center style to hip hop, while pushing their suburban and bohemian sensibility to the fore. Their innovative sound has influenced not only other MCs, but helped inspire the entire underground movement in the culture.

Led by the strident style of lead MC Treach, Naughty By Nature brought New Jersey hip hop into the mainstream by creating hit singles that became anthems for a generation. "OPP" and "Hip Hop Hooray" are two of the most popular records in rap history.

With vivid storytelling and unique rhyme style Slick Rick has always been one of the most unique and influential figures in the culture's history. When you combine Rick's MC gifts with his gold chains, eye patch and regal clothing the result is a figure who embodies the fun, the danger and the flavor that is hip hop.

Too $hort started his career in the '80s selling 12-inch singles full of freaky tales on his own indie label in Oakland and has remained true to his raw style, in the process becoming a legend in the game while staying true to his hard core values.

On September 19 VH1.com will launch its dedicated "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" Web site with honoree profiles, exclusive online programming, show information and more at HipHop.VH1.com. Additional VH1.com and VH1 Mobile efforts around "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" will be announced in the coming weeks.

"VH1 Hip Hop Honors" is executive produced by Lee Rolontz for VH1 and Jac Benson for Blackjac Entertainment. Louis J. Horvitz will direct. Nelson George and Fab Five Freddie are co-executive producers.

Lyrically, Too $hort is one of the worst ever. Legend indeed.

Adisa said:

Yeah, his raps were kinda bubblegum. But he did help pioneer West Coast Bass songs.

MuthaFunka said:

He also influenced a number of rappers from the Dirty South, and maybe even some East Coasters. I was in the minority on this, but I believed that a little bit of Short Dawg could be heard in Biggie's style. He even showed up on Life After Death.

And FWIW, De La Soul could go down as the greatest hip-hop group ever.

Naughty By Nautre along with Queen Latifah and Nikkik D., represented 4 Jersey just like $hort put Oakland on the hip-hop map....ya know people who only listened 2 "OPP" and "Hip-Hop Horray" and wrote 'em off, didn't know that not only is Treach a ill lyricist and story teller, he Vin-Rock and Kay Gee created a classic sound that could not only be played at the party but also could be played on the streets too, ballcourts and all....they also never had 2 sell out, 'cause they never stopped givn the people that real they came 2 expect like a lot of artists they came up with did when the trends were changin in hip-hop, and 4 that people still love 'em 18 and 20 years 2 this day....
[Edited 8/15/08 18:32pm]

My Picks (in no particular order. some of these were probably picked before, i'm not sure)

1)KRS-ONE
2)Rakim
3)L.L. Cool J.
4)Queen Latifah
5)MC Lyte
6)DJ Quik
7)Public Enemy
8)Heavy D & The Boyz
9)Gang Starr
10)A Tribe Called Quest

http://www.blacktalentnew...1961.shtml



Ok, I can understand everybody EXCEPT - Naughty By Nature? C'mon. They had, what, 2 DAMN SONGS that made some serious noise? How did they pioneer any damn thing? Next up - Rico Suave' , watch .

De La should have been honored by at least the 3rd Hip Hop Honors, before ATCQ as well.

They need to replace Naughty By Nature with Roxanne Shante. Wasn't she like the first female hardcore rapper at the tender age of 16. Rapped on a song to get enough cash for a pair of designer jeans. If that ain't street..... I don't know what is. Does anyone know if she's been honored by VH1 yet?


LMAO @ Mutha saying "Who's next, Rico Suave?" dayum.

MuthaFunka said:

People are still down with O.P.P. even in 2008. That song is for hip-hop/rap what Prince's 1999 was for funk & dance-pop.

First Honorees Group
DJ Hollywood
Kool Herc
KRS-One
Public Enemy
Run-DMC
Rock Steady Crew
Sugarhill Gang
2Pac
The Graffiti Movement

Second Honorees Group
Big Daddy Kane
Boyz n the Hood (Menace II Society might be a better movie)
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Ice-T
LL Cool J
The Notorious B.I.G.
Salt N Pepa

Third Honorees Group
Afrika Bambaataa
Beastie Boys
Eazy E
Ice Cube
MC Lyte
Rakim
Russell Simmons
Wu-Tang Clan

Fourth Honorees Group
A Tribe Called Quest
Missy Elliott
Snoop Dogg
Whodini
Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell for New Jack Swing
Wild Style

According to Wikipedia, the following artists, movies and movements have been nominated:



- I don't see how you could honor Eazy and Cube and Snoop Frickin' Dogg and NOT honor Dre.

- What about Gang Starr?

- What about EPMD, who should be honored before half of these acts anyway?
[Edited 8/16/08 10:29am]

Lyrically, Too $hort is one of the worst ever. Legend indeed.

TonyVanDam said:

But 2 songs doesn't get you honored, no matter how big the songs were.

MuthaFunka said:

Naughty's entire first album was a classic. And then Hip Hop Hooray on their second. There was more to them than just two songs. Don't forget Uptown Anthem from the movie Juice.
Let's be honest, they can be compared to Snoop, after his first album (genuine classic and on of the all time great albums in hip hop history), he hasn't done much else. One song here, another there.

dseann said:

Uptown Anthem was NBN's best track, arguably. They had some good tracks, and in their day, they put on a good show. But in terms of counting them among the best, I don't know about that. The popularity of their tracks shouldn't be a factor, and they deserve at least as much recognition as Snoop, but there are better groups to honor. Can you really say NBN should be recongized ahead of EPMD? Gang Starr? The Jungle Brothers?

Ahead of Gangstar and the Jungle Brothers, yes. EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest or The Fat Boys(mad skillz on the mic) HELL NO.

dseann said:

ATCQ was honored last year, so VH1 (and I) agree with you there.

The Fat Boys . . . interesting choice. Crushin' was a favorite of mine backinaday.

I'd take Gang Starr over Naughty because their overall track record is better, Guru is one of the most cerebral and clever lyricists around, and DJ Premier is second to none.

I'd take the Jungle Brothers over Naughty because they helped revive the black pride movement through hip-hop, were a charter member of the legendary Native Tongues crew, and were among the first major hip-hop crews on the scene to inject jazz and house into hip-hop in a major way. They preceded De La and ATCQ, IIRC.

MuthaFunka said:

Naughty's entire first album was a classic. And then Hip Hop Hooray on their second. There was more to them than just two songs. Don't forget Uptown Anthem from the movie Juice.
Let's be honest, they can be compared to Snoop, after his first album (genuine classic and on of the all time great albums in hip hop history), he hasn't done much else. One song here, another there.

namepeace said:

Ahead of Gangstar and the Jungle Brothers, yes. EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest or The Fat Boys(mad skillz on the mic) HELL NO.

dseann said:

dseann said:

http://www.blacktalentnew...1961.shtml



Ok, I can understand everybody EXCEPT - Naughty By Nature? C'mon. They had, what, 2 DAMN SONGS that made some serious noise? How did they pioneer any damn thing? Next up - Rico Suave' , watch .

De La should have been honored by at least the 3rd Hip Hop Honors, before ATCQ as well.

MuthaFunka said:

Hardly. Tribe made much more noise than De La. It comes down to who has the better songs. Naughty may have had 2 hits (I count more) but that's 2 more than the JB's. Sorry but that's a fact... and I'm not the one that brought up hits. Hell, I'd put Gang Starr ahead of any group-- save for Run DMC, Tribe, NWA, Whodini, and maybe EPMD-- and you can say they never really had a big hit either.

Maybe I'm a little biased, being from Oakland, but Short belongs in there. He was crude and his rhymes elementary but there was a street intelligence to his raps... and let's face it, the beats were hittin'. If influence means anything, Short was a major influence (for better or worse) on a previours inductee, that being Snoop. You can hear him all throught the west, midwest, south, and even in the East whether they want to admit it or not.

I'm thinking that they are leaving out some obvious choices and saving them for later shows. If you put all of the heavy-hitters at once you don't leave anything for later and these award shows are about business after all. That's the only way Rakim goes in on the third show, right?