先说结论
这是 a16z 频道 10 月 31 日发布的一场颁奖现场对谈（活动本身是 Paid In Full 基金会 10 月 24 日在拉斯维加斯 Bellagio 举行的 Hip-Hop Grandmaster Awards，公开报道核实）。本年度 Grandmaster 得主 Kurtis Blow——第一位签进大厂牌的说唱歌手，转写通篇误作「Curtis Blow」——与三位和他生命轨迹互相缠绕的人同台：被他带进行业的 Rev Run（Run DMC）、因他 1985 年的《If I Ruled the World》而在 1996 年交出同名翻唱的 Nas、以及联合主持 Roxanne Shanté。这场谈话真正值得看的不是怀旧，而是三条行业机制：一种全球产业如何从「什么都没有」的地方拼装出来；一个行业的师徒链如何具体运行；以及「致敬」的利息如何在三十年后靠制度化（而不是市场自动）偿付。本文依据英文转写整理，口语事实逐条标注归属；公开资料核实的背景单独注明。
「什么都没有」的地方如何长出一种文化
Kurtis Blow 自述成长于民权运动之后的哈莱姆：马丁·路德·金、马尔科姆·X、肯尼迪兄弟相继遇刺，社区组织者与政府的争论是他的童年背景音。他引用一位社区组织者书里的话：「街这边楼房在烧，街那边的孩子正努力把一些东西拼起来。」七十年代的布朗克斯正是如此——他回忆房东为了骗取保险金纵火烧楼，几乎每个街区都有一栋被烧平；孩子们钻进废楼玩，第一次在墙上看到涂鸦（「My name is John. Here I am. Now I’m not here.」）；他还记得总统拒绝给破产的纽约联邦救助——这与 1975 年福特拒绝救助纽约的著名报道相符（推断）。他的总结是：「我们什么都没有。我们用『什么都没有』把音乐和文化从地面上建了起来。」
音乐上的起点是逃避主义：去俱乐部把头埋进音箱，让贝斯从脚趾一路震上来。被问到「你听的是 disco 吗」，他干脆地把嘻哈称为「disco 的突变」，更进一步说是「ghetto disco」——哈莱姆的孩子没钱进市中心的场子。1975 年他 16 岁，在 42 街买了张假身份证把自己变成 21 岁，跑遍纽约的 disco（转写列举 Levigas、Nemos、Nell Gwyns、Hotel Diplomat、the Garage 等，场馆名部分待核），理由很职业化：「我要当 DJ，我要看完所有不同风格、做完我的研究。」他在布朗克斯 Club 371 见到「DJ Hollerway」（疑为 DJ Hollywood）门口排队绕街、麦克风玩出他从未听过的东西；而他本人 1974 年起就在哈莱姆一家旧警察局改的场子 the Wham 做 MC，模仿对象是电台英雄 Hank Spann（WWRL Super 16）的嗓音。
从这里可以抽出第一条机制链：公共基础设施撤退（救助被拒、纵火废楼）→ 年轻人用现成材料（disco 唱片、街区电力、派对）拼出自己的文化与身份 → 这套拼装最终长成全球最大音乐流派之一。启发是：新文化往往不是从资源充裕处出现，而是从被主流基础设施拒绝服务的缝隙里长出来；看一个领域时，「谁没有被服务」比「谁在领先」更能提示下一个缺口。
学徒制：从发传单到 Run DMC
与 Russell Simmons 的结识被 Blow 讲成一个主动设计的案例：两人 1977 年前后在大学认识（他提到两人都读过 CCNY），他把 Russell 请到自己街区，安排了一场约 150 人的家庭派对，等 Russell 进门就扔上 Chic 的《Good Times》（转写「NOW Rogers」应为 Nile Rodgers）——全场炸掉，两人成为朋友。他在传播学专业里学到一条后来反复使用的策略：纽约当时至少有 50 个 MC 在竞争，想在大城市出头，就先去「边缘市场」攒战绩——「我在这个郊县是第一、在那个郊县也是第一，再回大城市说，给我个机会。」两人随后在 Russell 的街区开了 Night Fever 迪斯科（名字待核），在那里遇到「小 Joey」——Joseph Simmons，后来的 Rev Run。
Run 的自述是一份学徒制标本：「我只是个想入伙的小孩，能干什么就干什么」——给他们做早餐、上牙买加街区贴 Rush Productions 的传单、跑腿买袜子。Blow 让他做自己的 DJ，一场 35 美元（Run：「当时等于十亿」）；他买不起 Technics，买了别的品牌唱机（转写「quantas」待核），练到「快得能擦出空气」。14、15 岁时他手腕骨折，丢了巡演资格，「手腕碎了，心也碎了」，位置交给 Davy（疑为 Davy DMX）。还有舞台语法的传承：Blow 会刮擦唱片、把「Run, Run, Run」喊出来把他叫上台——开场垫的就是《Christmas Rappin’》；后来 Run 组建自己的组合，把这套 call-out 教给了 Jam Master Jay。被主持人问到「看着小 Joey 变成 Run DMC 是什么感受」，Blow 说：「我记得他 13 岁时我护着他躲 Russell（笑）。这个人当时是我的心，现在也是。」Run 则坦言自己当年是「坏小孩」，与兄长兼父亲式的 Russell 处处较劲，「所以今天能当面给他鲜花（give him his flowers）我特别高兴」。
第二条机制链：行业传承的载体是具体杂役加舞台仪式，不是课程大纲——发传单、35 美元一场和「被唱名上场」的荣耀，把一个 13 岁孩子送进行业，并让他内化这套舞台语法之后再传给下一个人。对任何组织都适用：想让新人真正入行，给他们真实的、可以搞砸的小任务和一个站上舞台的时刻，比培训材料有效。
舞台态度与巡演资本
谈话里最生动的是「态度」的来源链。Run 解释那句名场面的「This is my motherf***ing house」来自 Eddie Murphy 关于自己父亲的玩笑（「这是我家，这是我妈的家，不喜欢就滚出去」），是 Jay（疑指 Jam Master Jay）撺掇他搬上舞台的；他每晚砸话筒，音响师求 Blow 管一管，Blow 的处理方式是老板式的：「让他们赔。」Run：「我赔了。该干嘛干嘛，没停。」巡演资本方面，Blow 自称是第一批跟大乐队同台巡演的嘻哈艺人（Nile Rodgers 制作班底），见过 Marvin Gaye 与 Prince；他讲了一个近乎传奇的细节：Davy 某天生病，他在麦迪逊广场花园顶班做 DJ，同台的正是 Bob Marley（嘉宾自述，无法核证）。还有 Prince 的拍照会：孟菲斯一家俱乐部里三千个女人在场、两千个进不来，Prince 拍了两千张照片，他拍了约二十张——「我们都烫着同款卷发（curl）」。1985 年电影《Krush Groove》（转写误作 Crush Groove）记录的正是这条 Rush/Def Jam 链条。
硬币的另一面是叙事权。Run 指出：布朗克斯在烧的年代，新闻讲的是废墟，而 Blow 的《AJ Scratch》唱的是「up in the Bronx where the people are fresh」——他在最糟的时刻唱出人们有多好，用歌把布朗克斯从新闻叙事里捞了出来。这既补充了上文的文化拼装机制，也提示：给一个被负面叙事定价的地方提供另一种自我描述，本身就是稀缺的文化生产。
《If I Ruled the World》：一首歌的三十年利息
Nas 的讲述把整场谈话收拢：他在《Krush Groove》里看到 Blow 在银幕上唱「如果统治世界」——「一个黑人敢在银幕上对全世界说『如果统治世界』。你确实统治了世界。」于是 1996 年他和 Lauryn Hill（转写误作 Lauren Hill）翻唱了这首歌。Blow 的回应是一个行业老手的判断链：在新买的廉价 Nissan 里（自己换过喇叭）把卡带听了两个小时、不停倒带，然后打电话给唱片公司：「正常推广，我保证双白金。」——「后来真是双白金」（嘉宾称，未经独立核实）。
第三条机制链：致敬的利息会回来，但不会自动回来。先驱们把嘻哈建成全球最大的音乐流派，早期创作者大多没有分到与贡献相称的钱——这正是 Paid in Full 存在的理由。据公开报道（Vibe、AllHipHop 等）核实：基金会由 Ben 与 Felicia Horowitz 于 2022 年发起，Nas 是联合创始人兼董事会成员；本年度两位 Grandmaster 得主 Kurtis Blow 与 The D.O.C. 各获五年期共 50 万美元的资助，Shanté 任联合主持。Shanté 的收尾把宗旨说得很直白：Paid in Full 不关乎任何人对行业的私人恩怨，只关乎对嘻哈的爱、一个人的成就、热情与贡献——「所以他理应被 paid in full。」
对我们这些不在录音棚里的人，这场对谈留下三条可迁移的判断：其一，价值长期外溢的先行者不会等来市场的自动偿还，制度化的补偿机制（基金会、年金、署名权回购）才是可复制的解法，AI 时代数据与风格的「先驱补偿」大概率会重演同一命题；其二，师徒链是最便宜也最可靠的人才管道，它的最小单元是「发传单式的真实杂役 + 被唱名上场的时刻」；其三，过饱和市场里先去边缘攒战绩再回中心，这条 1978 年传播学课上的策略今天依然是新进入者的默认打法。
转写校正表
| 转写原文 | 校正 | 依据 |
|---|---|---|
| Curtis Blow / Curt | Kurtis Blow | 公开资料：艺名官方拼写 |
| Crush Groove / Crush Crew | Krush Groove | 1985 年电影官方片名 |
| Miss Lauren Hill / Lauren Hill | Lauryn Hill | 公开资料 |
| Now Rogers / now Rogers | Nile Rodgers | Chic《Good Times》创作者 |
| DJ Hollerway | DJ Hollywood（疑） | Club 371 常驻 DJ 史实吻合，音近 |
| Run Jay | Run DMC（疑） | 上下文推断 |
| Christmas rapping | Christmas Rappin' | 1979 年单曲名 |
| Shantay | Shanté（Roxanne Shanté） | 公开资料：活动联合主持 |
| Davy | 保留原文（疑为 Davy DMX） | Blow 的 DJ，未最终确认 |
| the Wham / Night Fever’s Disco / Levigas / Nemos / Nell Gwyns / Superstar Cafeteria | 保留原文待核 | 场馆名无法逐一核证 |
| quantas | 保留原文（疑为唱机品牌） | 「没买得起 Technics」语境 |
| Hank Spann / WWRL Super Sixteen | 原文正确 | 电台史实 |
转写原文（修正版）
[0s - 120s] Before hip hop became a global business, before the world understood what this music could be, Kurtis Blow was out there helping make history. We built the music and the culture from the ground up. We didn’t even call it hip hop; it was called rocking, breaking, burning, party. How does it feel, Curtis, to see Little Joey become Run DMC? I remember him at 13. I used to protect him from Russell. Yes. Couldn’t nobody touch him like the movie Krush Groove. This guy right here—he was my heart, still is. This man said, “If I rule the world, you did rule the world.” So I had to do your song over with Miss Lauryn Hill. How did you like that song, my brother? Oh my gosh! Man, I’m on a stage with all my heroes. All my heroes. Hey Nas. You know the way y’all look like y’all look like radios back then. I was as a kid. I was the face. Speakers was what I was looking at. I was staring at the radio, just like, “What’s their lives like?” Well, I think I should tie my shoes. Those some nice shoes too, Mr. Blow. Mr. Blow. Absolutely. Clean. So tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we’re celebrating one of the architects of this culture. Before hip hop became a global business, before the world understood what this music could be, Kurtis Blow was out there helping make history. And for me personally, his music became part of my own journey. So this conversation is more about legacy than records. It’s about the man, the movement he started, and the legacy he carries. So let’s get right into it, Mr. Kurtis Blow, the king. What was it like? Take me back to Harlem, New York, before the record deals, before the hit records.
[120s - 240s] What was young Curtis Walker dreaming about? Did you ever imagine hip hop would take you around the world? Wow. Well, you know, going back to those days when hip hop was really, really brand new. I mean, we didn’t even call it hip hop. It was called rocking, breaking, burning, party. You know, we just loved music, and we wanted to have a good time. You know, the context of the whole situation was we were coming out of the civil rights movement in the nineteen sixties. I remember Martin Luther King was assassinated. Malcolm X, you know, JFK, RFK, you know, community organizers were having debates and protests with activists and government officials, and they were arguing. It was traumatic during that time, but there was a community organizer who wrote a book, and he had this one statement. He said, “You know, the buildings are burning down on one side of the street, but the kids on the other are trying to put something together.” And you know, I don’t know if you know about the Bronx in the seventies. There was a documentary called “The Bronx is Burning” and all of that. And and and landlord owners would just fire up, you know, put their building on on fire just to collect the insurance money, and so.
[240s - 360s] Every block had a building being burnt down to the ground. So we also hung out in these abandoned buildings, and you can go in there. You see, the first time we would see something like graffiti. You know, a guy would sign on the wall with a matter took marker. Marker. My name is John. Here I am. Now I’m not here. So now you know. And so, you know, that was a graffiti, but it was like degradation. I remember the president came to New York, and he refused to give us money because New York was broke at the time. And so I remember the newspaper: the president says no to federal aid to New York City to clean it up because all the the degradation that was going on with the buildings and everything. But you know, we came out of that era, that that that moment in time where we didn’t have anything. We had nothing. We built the music and the culture from the ground up with nothing. Absolutely. With nothing. Just the love of the music. You know, it was very, very important. You know, it was more like escapism for us. I remember just going to the club and and put my head in the speaker and listening to the bass rumble all the way down to my toes, and I’m gonna close my eyes and just go off. And that was hip hop to me. You know. Was it disco music you was listening to? Ah, that’s a good question. Because.
[360s - 480s] Because it was definitely disco. I am an avid supporter of that era. Disco music was so very important. Like I say, you know, we’re coming out of the civil rights movement, and then we have the right to vote, and then we have the hippies and the flower child and you know, love your neighbor movement, and dancing became our greatest pastime. Everyone would work all week. You work hard all week. You go to the disco or the club downtown with the strobe lights and the disco ball and the lights are flashing and everybody’s looking good with suits and ties and silk dresses and we dance the night away. And that was it. So, so hip hop came out of that era. Yeah, I called it a mutation of disco. Wow. Even more so, it’s ghetto disco. Yeah, I like that. I’m from the hood. I’m up in Harlem. I didn’t have the money to pay to get in those clubs. So in 1975, I was 16. I got a phony ID down on 42nd Street, right? Yeah. And so it made me 21. Wow. So I could get in all the clubs, man. I went to the Levigas, Nemos, Nell Gwyns, Superstar Cafeteria, Hotel Diplomat, Ipanemas, the Garage. Man, I was there. You name it. I went to every disco in New York City because I was studying to become a DJ. So I wanted to see all the different styles and do my research.
[480s - 600s] Search and find out. All right, yeah. So I ran into DJ Hollywood up in the Bronx, three seventy one. I thought he’s from Harlem, DJ. He’s from Harlem, but he was number one up at Club Three Seventy One, the house of joy and fun. And that was it. I saw him. He had a line around the block trying to get it in. And man, I saw this man just do some incredible stuff on the microphone I never heard before. Now I’m an MC already, right? I’ve been rapping or let’s say MCing since 1974 in Harlem at the Wham. 74 and 74 is when I started MCing. I was trying to impersonate my hero on the radio. His name was Hank Spann, WWRL Super Sixteen. I’m the server. Wow. So, so I did that voice impersonating him at a club called the Wham. It was an old police station on 152nd Street in Amsterdam, the Hill, and across the street from the Battlegrounds. I know you heard of the Battlegrounds, 151st and 152nd. It’s a park right there. We did battles right there. But anyway, real history, y’all. That was my first job. Real history, the New York history and hip hop history. Yeah. So for somebody that was there, so how’d you how’d you get discovered? Sorry to cut you off. How did how did Kurtis Blow get discovered as a rapper and signed to to be the first rapper at a major label? Um, well, as the years went by, you know, I convinced Russell. Russell and I met in college, 77. Well, I went to college a year earlier. I was at 17 when I.
[600s - 720s] Met Russell and convinced him to come over to my block in Harlem and listen to me DJ. So I had it all set up. I had my crew, you know, my team, my whole block was there. It was crowded. We had, I don’t know, about 150 pieces people in a house party, and I’m sitting there. I’m doing my whole hotly whipping. I’m throw your hands in the air and waving like you just don’t care. And if you got on clean underwear, somebody say, “Oh yeah, oh yeah,” right? And somebody scream, “Ho!” All that stuff. The crowd response, and he heard that in our crowd, it was set up. You know, when he came in, I said, “All right, let’s go.” Right? And we threw on Good Times. Oh my gosh! Nile Rodgers, you know, and so I rocked the Good Times for Russell, and we became friends. Went back to school, and I learned in communications that was my major. I learned in communications that you want to make it in the big city. You know, New York had a lot of competition of like at least 50 MCs during that time. You know, in seventy eight, seventy nine, and so I said, I learned that if you want to compete, go out to the outskirts of the city, into the what we call the boondocks, and get yourself a track record. You know, pull out a number one in this market, the number one in this mark, and then come back to the big city and say, “Hey, man, give me a shot. I’m number one here. I’m number one over there. You know, I’m doing my thing. I got a track record. Blah blah blah blah blah. Right? And that’s how you get successfully, you know, a job on anything. But then, so I said, Russell, let’s open
[720s - 840s] Open up a club out in your hood. We opened up the Night Fever’s Disco, and that’s where I met Run Joey. And so I used to go out there on the weekends and stay at his house. I used to cook breakfast for y’all. Yeah. And and and so we had a great family. I got together Run’s house, you know. I used to give flyers, put the flyers up on Jamaica, and that was my first job to put flyers up. Our greatest Rush Productions. Yep. Rush Productions and Kurt was down with Rush Productions as a promoter with Russell, so they promoted Kurt. They both went to CCNY. Right. And I was just a little kid wanting to be down, so whatever I could do to get down, I would do. Whether I was cook breakfast or get them socks or whatever, I remember my father taking them to the store. I just used to cater to them, and I was just trying to sneak my way in. And Kurt took me under the wing. Yep. Yep. And and you know that story that you told about you breaking your arm. Yes. It was your wrist. My wrist. I thought it was your arm. No, it was my wrist. I broke my wrist. Okay. And I was heartbroken because not only my wrist was broke, my heart was broke because I couldn’t go on tour because I was his DJ. Yeah, but but how old were you, Run? I was probably fourteen, fifteen. You see, and and so I used to stay at his house a lot, right? Because I’m coming out on the weekend with a whole two crates of records and taking the train and a bus and all that, and then I start driving cab. You was a DJ before you was a rapper. Oh yeah, yeah. He was like a mixture of a DJ and a rapper. Of course, yes, yes, yes. I remember that. Both both of you were. Yes, I started out as a DJ. But the one thing, like Joey, used to he had an attic upstairs, right? Yeah, I took it over from my brother him and the whole crew used to be up there. His dad bought him some turn turntables. Yep. But I no, you bought the.
[840s - 960s] Tables by paying me. Ah, used to give me thirty five dollars a show, which was a billion dollars back then. And I brought some quantas. I wasn’t able to get the techniques. Remember the quantas? And I used to DJ, and I got real fast. I used to go so fast, you just catch air. He was awesome, incredible as a catching air. Nothing. The lady’s about to say something. We had a show. He would come out by himself DJ for a little while, and then I come out, not even introduce myself, and start DJing. And he would take the mic and start rapping. Yep, that’s where I met my wife at a Long Island ring. And then after he did a couple of numbers, he would come back to the turntables and cut up our intro. Yes, and I would start the show. And that’s how the um I came up with calling him out and then did Kurtis Blow, Kurtis Blow. I came up with that. That was his idea. So that he called me out, run, run. Once I became my own person, ah, so I was thinking I could take a record and scratch his name and call him out. So I was doing that until I broke my wrist, and I passed it to Davy, and they would throw on Christmas Rappin’, and then call Kurtis Blow out. And by the time I became Run DMC, I taught told Jay call me out, run, run, run, run, run. Yep, that’s crazy. That’s incredible. True story. How does it feel, Curtis, to see little Joey become Run DMC? How did that feel for you? Because you mentored him, man. It’s like my God. I remember him at thirteen. I used to protect him from Russell. Yep, yep. Couldn’t nobody touch him anywhere. Like the movie, I was his son, like the son of Kurtis Blow, like the movie Krush Groove. Everything. This this guy right here, he was my heart, still is. Yes.
[960s - 1080s] My heart. I was very lucky to have them. Yes, yes. Took care of me. I didn’t even know why. I couldn’t figure out how I got to be down with Kurtis Blow, but it was a big, big honor to be down with Kurtis Blow. And then we made movies together, Krush Groove, and we toured together. One of my favorite movies. I don’t know if you’ve seen Krush Groove. If you didn’t see Krush Groove, you got to see it. Came out 1985. These brothers was doing it. I went to movie theaters and I lost my mind. Actually, talked to Doc last night, and he said he referenced the movie and he talked about when the scene with you and your brother arguing. Yep, as always. Went on stage. I don’t know if you want to share this. I’ll share it with the people. Where did you get the? This is my mother effing house. I got it from Eddie Murphy because Eddie Murphy made the joke about his father saying, “This my house. This my mother house.” If you don’t like it, you can get out. And I used to say that all the time. And Jay said, “You need to say that on stage.” I was like, “What? Say it.” I was like, “This is my mother.” And and then I told Eddie. Eddie was like, “Get the out of here.” I’m like, “Nah, I got that from you.” He’s like, “Because I was inspired by Eddie because he lived right in Long Island and he was so close and he was so funny and that’s where my Emma effing house came from.” You came up with this part. There’s been a whole lot of superstars. Russell came up with that because I was on tour with Kurt and the Fat Boys, which he produced. The Fat Boys, he produced some Run DMC and my job. I mean, I see he was my dad, but you know you competitive with your father. That’s why I was just so happy I was able to give him his flowers today because I I was a bad kid. I was not a I was not a good son for a while. No, I was bad father. Well, he was a bad father’s a bad. So I just wanted to curse everybody out. So I used to come out and say, “This is my house,” and I didn’t throw mic stands and that crazy. I don’t know where I got it from, but um, it’s a queen stand. Got it from Kurt, I guess. And Kurtis Blow, you know what?
[1080s - 1200s] What else they used to do? At the end of this show, they say, “Or throw the mic down.” They used to drop the mic down. We’re on every bit of attitude I can figure out. They’re crushing microphones every night, so the sound man comes to me. The sound man says, “Kurt, Kurt, please, please, can you talk to them and tell them stop dropping the mics because they’re breaking the mics every night? We have between him and Jesse Jackson, right? Right. I was tell them to stop cursing. No, no. I was like, I was like, no, just make them pay for it. I paid for it. You’re making good money. I did what I had to do, but I didn’t stop. And you’re like the first hip hop artist on tours with the big, gigantic Nile Rodgers and all these other big bands, right? How was that being that rap guy on this big tour with all these guys who hadn’t seen rap? Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley. He was the big, the big Kahuna. Did you say Bob Marley? He was on tour. Davy got sick one day, and I was getting ready to set up the turntables to DJ for him at the Garden when he was playing with Bob Marley. That’s how old school and how great Kurt was. Played with the biggest band, yes, ever. Wow, superstar! It was all amazing. It’s like I tell this all the time to people. Like it was a dream story, you know. It’s a movie for sure. You know, meeting Michael Jackson, meeting Prince. I did a photo shoot with Prince. Now, this is right after I did “If I Rule the World” and “Krush Groove,” so I was a little hot and all that, and so I set it up with my record come a hook up a photo shoot with me and Prince. I wanted to meet Prince, right? And so they set it up. We did it at a club down over in Memphis, Tennessee, and I’m there sitting right next to.
[1200s - 1320s] Prince, right? So there’s three thousand women inside this club, and another two thousand outside that couldn’t get in. But out of all those women who wanted an autograph and take pictures, y’all both had that curl. Prince had curl was fly. Prince had two thousand shots, two thousand. He did it two thousand times, and I did it about twenty. Kurt, I redid your song over. I was so impressed by you. If I rule the world, that song, man, it did something to me seeing you do that song at Krush Groove, and it just, yeah. So many hit records, so many hit records. It’s crazy talking about the Bronx, but yeah, you had a song at the same time the Bronx burned. You said up in the Bronx where the people are fresh. AJ Scratch. There was one DJ. You were telling a different story than what the news was telling. You was uplifting the Bronx. That’s right. You was uplifting and giving a message about the people, how beautiful we really were during the worst times ever. So when you did it, if I rule the world, and I said this man said if I rule the world, this black man had the audacity to be in a movie on a silver screen and speak to the world and say if I rule the world, you did rule the world. So I had to do your song over with Miss Lauryn Hill. How did you like that song, my brother? Oh my gosh, wasn’t it incredible? Honored. I mean, homage to you. I I I remember getting a cassette tape in my house. I just bought a new car, a new Nissan, one of those little little cheap Nissans, right? But it had the best sound system that you would ever hear.
[1320s - 1440s] I mean, I’m talking about it was loud. Like I, I went to the store and got some new speakers and all that. You know, I they, you know, pump up their cars and stuff like that. But this was fidelity, and I took the tape. I put the tape in my car and I listened to that tape for about two hours long. Kept rewinding and rewinding. What did he say? Oh my gosh, that’s Lauryn Hill. Oh my god, I kept listening to that song. I got so excited. I called Sony. I called them back. I said, “I got the tape. I listened to the tape. So what do you think? I think that it is great, and I’m going to tell you this. You put that record out and put normal promotion behind it, and I guarantee it will go double platinum. And it did. So thank you, thank you, thank you, man. I think that was the last question because I can sit up here and talk to all three of y’all for three hours. Shanté, the queen, do you have any last words? Everyone was wondering what I was going to say when I sat here, and I just need y’all to understand this. What you see in front of you right now is a true reflection of what Paid in Full is about. See, Paid in Full is not about anybody’s personal feelings about anything that takes place in the industry, but it is about the love of hip hop and a person’s accomplishments and their love and their passion and their contribution to hip hop. And as I have sat here, and as we all have sat here, we have heard this man talk about his passion, being there from the beginning, being there in the fight to make sure that hip hop has become what it is today. So that is only right that.
[1440s - 1470s] He becomes an honoree of paid in full. So I look over to him right now, and I say to you, I love you, and congratulations because you deserve to be paid in full. Thank you.