Hip-Hop Legends Kool G Rap & Grand Puba Honored by Dr. Dre, Nas & More at ‘Powerful’ Paid in Full Gala

Kool G Rap and Grand Puba were the honorees astatine the Paid successful Full Foundation’s 2025 Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards celebration. The 3rd yearly fundraising gala connected Saturday (Oct. 18) besides included 2 inaugural grant presentations: the Quincy Jones Award fixed to funk icon George Clinton and the Contributor Award, presented to pioneers Kool Rock Ski of the Fat Boys and Jalil Hutchins of Whodini.

After accepting his award, Grand Puba said, “Amazing! This was the BET, VH1 and the Grammy Awards each rolled into one. It’s the biggest grant I could person ever imagined.”

Held successful Las Vegas astatine the Bellagio Resort & Casino, the PIFF gala drew a premix of euphony artists and different celebs. Among the attendees were Dr. Dre, Nas, Ludacris, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Gayle King, Fab 5 Freddy, Rakim, Scarface and Kool Moe Dee.

Serving arsenic big was 2025 Grammy Lifetime Achievement honoree and 2024 Hip Hop Grandmaster Award recipient Roxanne Shanté. “Let maine explicate it with a rhyme,” said Shanté astir the gala. “A nighttime of amusive with household and friends. Dancing and singing from opening to end. You can’t enactment successful your seat, each infinitesimal connected signifier is simply a hep hop treat. The smiles, the energy, the country filled with cheer. It was an grant to host. I can’t hold until adjacent year. That’s the Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards.”

Founded by Ben and Felicia Horowitz successful 2022, the Paid successful Full Foundation is simply a nonprofit charitable enactment based successful Las Vegas. Doug E. Fresh, who was besides successful attendance, underscored the value of the foundation’s yearly awards amusement successful an email to Billboard.

“I turned down a large HBCU Homecoming amusement this play due to the fact that the Paid successful Full Grandmaster Awards are that important. You wide your calendar for thing this almighty that it should beryllium televised. In my astir 45 years successful the euphony business, I’ve ne'er seen an awards amusement with this overmuch class, integrity and genuine emotion for hep hop pioneers.”

He continued, “Before the Paid successful Full Foundation, supporting chap pioneers was thing that people fell to those of america who person had the quality to assist. Now...