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Bronx Icons Fat Joe and Slick Rick Honored at Hip Hop Museum Gala
- Damian Ali
- Sep 27, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 20, 2025
Archived Event: This event took place on October 15, 2025. This article remains available as part of TalkTeaV’s Bronx Moments archive.
The Hip Hop Museum’s black-tie benefit shines a spotlight on Bronx legends while raising support for its future home.
Fat Joe attends The BET Soul Train Awards at The Apollo Theater - Photo credit: Johnny Nunez-Getty Images for BET; Slick Rick arriving at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards on February 5, 2023 - Photo credit: Francis Specker/CBS.
Bronx icons Fat Joe and Slick Rick will be honored at The Hip Hop Museum’s Annual Benefit Gala on Wednesday, October 15, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The black-tie evening, themed “Building Hip Hop’s Forever Home,” will raise funds for the museum’s opening in the Bronx in Fall 2026 while celebrating pioneers and cultural leaders whose work shaped Hip Hop’s past and future.
Fat Joe, who grew up in the South Bronx and rose to fame through hits like “Lean Back,” will receive the People’s Champ Vanguard Award for his impact as both an artist and entrepreneur. Slick Rick, born in London but raised in the Bronx, is known worldwide as a master storyteller and will be recognized with the Storytelling Vanguard Award. Together, they represent the borough’s lasting influence on Hip Hop’s growth from a neighborhood movement to a global force.
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“This gala not only celebrates those who built Hip Hop, but also the leaders carrying its spirit forward,” said Rocky Bucano, CEO of The Hip Hop Museum. “If your business touches the culture, this is the moment to invest in the home that safeguards its history and powers its future.”
Hot 97 logo Image Courtesy of Business Wire/ The Hip Hop Museum image Courtesy of Albert VecerkaEsto/PRWire
Other honorees include the late Andre Harrell, remembered with a Legacy Award for his contributions as a music executive; New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who will receive the Changemaker Award; and cultural critic Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, honored as Hip Hop Scholar. The program also features DJ Cassidy and a tribute performance for Harrell.
Founded in 2015 as the Universal Hip Hop Museum, the institution was created by pioneers including Bucano, Kurtis Blow, Grand Wizzard Theodore, Joe Conzo Jr., and Grandmaster Melle Mel. It rebranded in 2023 as The Hip Hop Museum, continuing its mission to preserve and celebrate Hip Hop culture. Once completed, the 55,000-square-foot space at Bronx Point will feature rare artifacts, immersive exhibits, and live performances designed to capture the music’s energy and history.
Sponsors of this year’s gala include Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, Reservoir Media, and Proskauer Rose LLP, with HOT 97 serving as the official media partner. Proceeds will directly support the construction of the museum’s permanent home in the Bronx, the birthplace of Hip Hop and the foundation of its worldwide influence.
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