Birdman believes that Hip-Hop 50th anniversary celebrations should be about more than just the artists. The 54-year-old believes the CEOs and music executives deserve more credit for keeping Hip-Hop alive.
“Im confused about 50yrs of Hip Hop where they salute legendary artists which is well respeked also I think CEOs who kept these artists alive to be great showed them how to keep hip hop alive should be saluted in a major way,” the Cash Money Records co-founder wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post on Tuesday (Feb. 28).
“I remember wen they said Hip Hop was dead and we Kept it alive YMCMB 20plus summers respek our hussle CEO s kept hip hop alive frfr @cashmoneyofficial #RICHGANG #STUNNAMAN.” Snoop Dogg agreed with Stunna’s stance, commenting “Facts. great work cuz u and slim did that.” Quality Control co-founder Pierre “P” Thomas also agreed, commenting “Real talk OG. This should be discussed in a major way. Let’s Go.”
There is some merit to what the “Stuntin Like My Daddy” artist wrote via Instagram, as many of the celebratory efforts for Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary have solely revolved around artists. At the 65th Annual GRAMMYs in early February, there was a tribute performance led by LL Cool J which featured Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Black Thought and The Roots, The LOX, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, GloRilla, and more.
There is also the “50 Greatest Rappers Of All-Time” list released by Billboard which caused a commotion on social media among fans and heavy critique from Bow Wow, Ice Cube, and Ja Rule. Though these artists are deserving of their recognition and are more front-facing than the people who work behind the scenes to empower them, it is undeniable that many would not be who they are without their labels and teams.