First up, the queen of hip-hop soul, the legendary Mary J. Blige. Super producer, author, and the co-founder of Def Jam Records, Rick Rubin.

Intellectual civil rights icon and political activist, the Honorable Dr.

Cornel West. And finally, his group Zanmob broke the record for most streams making him technically the most successful hip-hop artist of all time.

It's Smoke Cheddar the ass-sketter.

Back in this bitch, man, sir. Thank you all. Well, after 50 years, a lot has changed but hip-hop is still here. Why do you think that is? Well, because hip-hop is more than music, you know, we spend our pain into poetry. Yeah, yeah, and that energy resonates with people all over the world. Yes, and moreover, its precious history empowers the people to express, invest, and progress to a better tomorrow.

Yeah, me, I don't know, man, I guess I'm just like chilling, you know what I'm saying?

Okay, first of all, I'm gonna need to see your face, young man. You're in a museum, so.

Oh, yeah, my bad, miss. So, like, when he discovered hip-hop, what, like 2014? What?

No, 50 years ago, that's why we're all here. All right, yeah, because to me, like, if it slapped, like, yeah, the opps gonna slide, but DMs be poppin' regardless, you feel me?

I don't, I don't know what any of that means. Yes, expound on that, please, brother, to Smoke Cheddar. So, like, peep, right? I do mukbangs, right? I eat noodles on stream, and, like, my DMs be all cheese. I'm talking blah, blah, blah. I'm like, sheesh.

Okay, I don't know what that had to do with anything.

I think my friend here is speaking to the flexibility of the genre. Rap is not a monolith.

Exactly, like, anyone can tap into that joy or that trauma.

I feel that, I mean, my dad made me get braces I want Invisalign. You know what I'm saying? Life crazy. I'm sorry, are you saying that was traumatic for you? Hell yeah, plus my boy

Gwop. My boy Gwop, man, I miss him so much, man. Oh my goodness gracious, what happened to brother Gwop Lord? He was fundraising for the homie Mayor Eric Adams. Yeah, you gotta lay low in Turkey for a minute. Okay, well, it wouldn't be a hip-hop discussion without Goat Talk. Rick, you've worked with everybody. Who do you think is the greatest rapper of all time? Wow, so many options. LL, Jay-Z, Andre 3000.

Tupac, Rakim. I'll say me, Jason Derulo, I like Dixie D'Amelio, and what she call, like, that insurance girl. Insurance girl? Brother Smoke Cheddar, to whom are you referring? You know that thing, I like when she go, nationwide is on your side, man.

That's Latin, bro, I be rapping that all day. Nationwide is on your side, you know what I'm saying? That's fire right there, man.

Okay, yeah, so for you it's the nationwide jingle. Personally, I love Biggie, and we can all agree that he's the man, right? I don't even know who that is. You don't know Biggie

Smalls. I don't know who none of y'all is, except him. Me? Yeah, you was in the Matrix

Revolutions. Why, yes I was. Boom, that's the goat right there, man. Excuse me, I'm sorry, no disrespect to Dr. West, but Biggie was a kid from Bed-Stuy who sold 20 million records. So he a flop. You might want to watch yourself, brother. What, I'm just saying my new solo joined a trillion streams in two days on SoundCloud. Trillion? Yeah, it's a smart one, too. It's actually a critique of capitalism.

I think you mean capitalism. Yeah, capitalism, everybody capping all the time, right?

I like it. My new joint is called Kling Kling Kling, you know what I'm saying? Buss it.

Kling Kling Kling, man you capping. Ooh, ah, Kling Kling Kling Kling Kling, ooh, you capping.

Drip, splash, water, drip, splash, splash, drip, water, splash, splash. No, no, no, no. You do not do that, young man. Now sit down.

You see? Spank your kids, everybody. Thank you, Hip Hop, for 50 years. Here's to 50 more.

Hey mom, can you call an Uber? I don't like the Bronx at all.