2009 Hip Hop Honors to pay Tribute to Def Jam: Star Studded Line Up Set To Perform

25 years ago, an NYU dorm room served as the maternity ward for a small record label that would end up growing very, very large. The label, Def Jam Records, would go on to do big things, and has been largely responsible for introducing the world to such acts as LL Cool J, The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Kanye West. Still going strong, Def Jam deserves a celebration, and for its 25th birthday this year, it’s getting a party.

On October 13th, VH1’s “Hip-Hop Honors” will host their 2009 show, a tribute to Def Jam Records that will feature a plethora of big name stars within the genre. Eminem, Rick Ross, Mary J. Blige, Young Jeezy, Fabolous—all of these and more will spike the night with live performances, including appearances by DMX, Public Enemy, the Roots, Kid Rock, Trey Songz, Ja Rule, Onyx, Warren G, Method Man and Redman.

The show will be taped at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Gilman Opera House, and will premier at 9 p.m. ET/PT on October 13 on VH1. Tracy Morgan will once again host the event, which will feature Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon and Brett Ratner as presenters.

For this show, fans will be able to go to HipHop.VH1.com to weigh in on the performers, and what they want to hear performed. On September 14, VH1 will launch the full show site, where fans can check out artist profiles, and get more hyped for the concert.

words by Andoni Elias Nava