The Hidden History Behind Hip Hop’s Beginnings

Hip-hop has always been passed from one generation to the next. Kurtis Blow, The D.O.C., Roxanne Shanté, and QD3 argue that understanding those connections is essential to understanding the culture itself.

In this conversation from the Paid in Full celebration, they reflect on the artists who shaped them, the recognition many pioneers waited decades to receive, and why honoring hip-hop’s history is also about what gets passed forward.

QD3 shares how his father, Quincy Jones, connected hip-hop back to jazz, the griots, and earlier generations of Black music, while The D.O.C. explains why he rejects the idea of a single GOAT: every generation stands on the shoulders of the one before it. They also discuss creativity, mentorship, AI, and why Paid in Full is about more than a single night of recognition.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:05 Three the Hard Way: Meet the Legends
4:43 The Girl No One Could Beat
9:33 "It Allowed Me to Breathe"
11:32 The D.O.C.'s 35-Year Wait and AI Comeback
14:00 Inside the Paid in Full Foundation
16:23 Kurtis Blow: "Bigger Than Hip Hop"
17:47 QD3, Quincy Jones, and the Jazz Foundation
23:41 Quincy's Notes and the Roots of Hip Hop
27:13 We're All GOATs: Music as God's Gift
29:49 One Piece of Hip Hop: 808s and Gold Chains
36:53 Basketball, Christmas Rap, and His Wife's Idea
39:53 What's Next for Paid in Full

Resources:
Learn more about the Paid in Full Foundation: https://paidinfullfoundation.org
Follow Roxanne Shanté: https://www.instagram.com/imroxanneshante/?hl=en
Follow Kurtis Blow: https://www.instagram.com/kurtisblow
Follow The D.O.C.: https://www.instagram.com/c.d.o.c
Follow QD3 / Quincy Jones III: https://www.instagram.com/therealqd3
Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Stay Connected:
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