Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, Rakim, George Clinton Highlight Hip-Hop Grandmaster Awards
The third annual awards show was presented by the Paid In Full Foundation
George Clinton performs onstage during the 2025 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Marriott Marquis Times Square on June 12, 2025 in New York City.
Photo by Lawrence Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
The Paid in Full Foundation celebrated hip-hop legends at the third annual Hip-Hop Grandmaster Awards held on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Notables such as Nas, George Clinton, Rakim and Dr. Dre were on hand. The event was hosted by GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and 2024 Hip Hop Grandmaster honoree Roxanne Shanté.
Kool G Rap and Grand Puba were given the Hip-Hop Grandmaster Award; George Clinton received the inaugural Quincy Jones Award for his far-reaching influence. Kool Rock-Ski of the Fat Boys and Jalil Hutchins of Whodini were honored with the inaugural Contributor Award for helping to expand the reach of hip-hop’s influence.
The Paid in Full Foundation seeks to support and empower artists in the continuation of their creative and artistic endeavors. It was founded in 2022 by Ben and Felicia Horowitz.
The Foundation's mission statement reads:
“Over the past several decades, Hip-Hop music and culture rose from a local niche New York art form into a global phenomenon. In doing so, it has created countless careers, many fortunes, and, most importantly, gave hope and aspiration to a generation of young people.
Unfortunately, many of the most impactful original artists never received recognition proportional with their exceptional contributions to arts and culture. The Paid in Full Foundation aims to rectify that through its grantmaking program, by both honoring the people who built Hip Hop and enabling them to pursue their creative and intellectual pursuits for the benefit of society.”
Also in attendance at the gala were Chris Tucker, Van Jones, Gayle King and Jeffrey Katzenberg, alongside the foundation's board of directors: Felicia Horowitz, Benjamin Horowitz, Michelle Ebanks, Quincy Jones III, and Steve Stoute.
The awards show featured performances by Ludacris, Havoc, George Clinton with Babyface on guitar, Nas, Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz, Doug E. Fresh, Roxanne Shanté, and Kymberli Joye.
