Watch Canadian rap icons celebrate 50 years of hip-hop at the 2023 Juno Awards
CBC Music’s The Block also wants to hear from you: what's your favourite Canadian hip-hop story?
The 2023 Juno Awards marked 50 years of hip-hop with an all-star performance featuring Dream Warriors, Choclair Michie Mee, Tobi and DJ Mel Boogie.
Hosted by Juno-winning rappers Haviah Mighty and Kardinal Offishall, the energetic tribute celebrated some of the most important songs in Canadian rap history.
Michie Mee kicked things off with a bouncy rendition of her song "Jaimaican Funk," followed by duo Dream Warriors, who united to perform their Juno-winning hit "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style." Then, Choclair hit the stage for an upbeat performance of his single "Let's Ride" from his Juno-winning album, Ice Cold.
Tobi, who was nominated for two Junos, closed out the commemoration with an impassioned performance of "Flowers."
Maestro Fresh Wes also took the stage to present the award for rap album/EP of the year, which Tobi then won.
Watch the show-stopping performance above.
CBC Music's The Block marks hip-hop's 50th
The Block, hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe weekdays from 7 to 9 p.m., is CBC Music's home for music of Black origin, and it will be celebrating hip-hop's milestone this year by sharing an anecdote or profiling an influential figure every weeknight, beginning in June: 50 stories for 50 years of hip-hop.
The series will "shine a light on Black musicians who never got their full due back in the day," explains executive producer Judith Lynch, "and support the current generation who continue to evolve the genre and keep it alive."
The Block also wants to hear from you. We want to know: what's your favourite Canadian hip-hop story? Let us know via @theblockcbc on Instagram, or via the comments below. Consider this your personal invitation to count down to hip-hop's 50-year milestone with The Block.