Videos by According2HipHop
When Jimmy “Super Rhymes” Spicer passed away in 2019, hip-hop lost not only one of its earliest innovators but also a sobering reminder of how poorly the pioneers of the culture were compensated. Spicer’s groundbreaking 15-minute single “Adventure of Super Rhymes” is widely regarded as the first true storytelling rap — a blueprint for generations of lyricists who followed. His influence echoes through samples used by Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, De La Soul, and Busta Rhymes, and even LL COOL J credits Spicer for inspiring him to rap.
Yet at the end of his life, Spicer battled cancer in financial turmoil, forced to launch a GoFundMe campaign to cover medical bills. He didn’t make it to his 62nd birthday. His story became a painful symbol of how hip-hop’s architects often built an industry that did not build back for them.
A New Mission: Paying the Pioneers in Full
Founded in 2022 by philanthropists Ben and Felicia Horowitz, the Paid in Full Foundation (PIFF) is determined to end these tragic narratives. Through its expanding grant-making program, the organization aims to bring dignity, financial relief, and overdue recognition to the legends who created the cultural backbone of hip-hop.
On October 18, PIFF held its third annual Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. In front of an audience that included Dr. Dre, Nas, Quincy Jones III, Babyface, Ludacris, and other titans of the industry, two icons — Kool G Rap and Grand Puba of Brand Nubian — received life-changing financial grants. They now join previous recipients Roxanne Shanté, Rakim, Grandmaster Caz, Scarface, and Kool Moe Dee, artists whose contributions were monumental but whose compensation rarely reflected their impact.
Kool G Rap, humbled by the honor, called it “the biggest honor I could have ever imagined.”
Bigger Than an Award — It’s Restoration
This year’s gala marked another milestone: the introduction of The Quincy Jones Award, presented to none other than Parliament-Funkadelic’s George Clinton, a musical visionary whose fingerprints are all over hip-hop’s DNA.
For many recipients, the award is not just a financial blessing — it’s an affirmation.
“It’s definitely changed my life for the better,” said Grandmaster Caz, reflecting on the foundation’s mission. “The award is granted to artists to continue their artistic contribution to the culture and those who didn’t get their proper due during the heyday and exploitation of the culture. It shows that there are people who care and respect our contributions.”
Honoring Those Who Built the Culture
The 2025 gala also introduced another new honor: The Contributor Award, given to essential but often overlooked figures. This year’s recipients were Kool Rock Ski of The Fat Boys and Jalil of Whodini — two trailblazers whose groups helped shape the sound, swagger, and accessibility of early hip-hop.
Kool Rock Ski spoke candidly about the importance of PIFF’s work:
“It’s crazy when you think about Ben and Felicia doing this, because BET ain’t gonna do it, MTV ain’t gonna do it. It’s truly a godsend. So many people made so much money off the artists, while they were getting peanuts. What Paid in Full is doing is beautiful to witness.”
Rewriting the Ending for Hip-Hop’s Founders
The Paid in Full Foundation is doing what the industry never did: caring for its architects. By honoring its pioneers while they are here to receive their flowers — and providing the financial means for them to thrive — PIFF is ensuring that Jimmy Spicer’s tragic ending is not repeated.
Hip-hop has always been about transformation. Now, thanks to PIFF, that transformation is beginning to extend to the very artists who built the culture from the ground up.
George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic brought the house down at the Grandmaster Hip Hop Awards! 🔥#GrandmasterHipHopAwards #FunkLegend #NobelPeacePrizeOfHipHop pic.twitter.com/bnueA3yj0r
— Paid In Full Foundation (@paidinfullorg) November 19, 2025
🎵 Strings in the Hands of a Legend
— Paid In Full Foundation (@paidinfullorg) November 5, 2025
Babyface lit up the Grandmaster Hip Hop Awards, his mastery of the strings creating melodies that captivated the crowd and set the stage ablaze. ✨#Babyface #GrandmasterHipHopAwards #NobelPeacePrizeOfHipHop#PaidInFullFoundation pic.twitter.com/9EYnPMFJqp
