• Weezer’s “Troublemaker” Breaks Records

Top stories from the last three days:

• Springsteen in Philly: “America Needs Obama”
• Photo Gallery: Madonna Brings Tour to U.S.
• The Roots and Gym Class Heroes Fire Up Tour
• Stream The Entire New Pretenders Album
• Scars On Broadway Cancel Tour, Kimmel
• Rock Band Sells Real Merch For Game Bands
• Jay-Z, Wyclef Rally Voters in Miami
• Kanye Says 808s Out November 25th
• Janet Jackson Still Ill, Cancels More Shows
• Radiohead Lead Featured Artists Coalition
• Slick Rick, Cypress Hill at Hip Hop Honors

Scroll down for full news stories, commentary and much more in Rock Daily.

Having already found viral success with their “Pork and Beans” video, Weezer is taking on the Guinness Book of World Records in the video for “Troublemaker.” In fact, a Guinness official was on hand during the day-long shoot in a Los Angeles parking lot to witness the band and a throng of fans break such storied records like Largest Game of Dodgeball (two teams of 50 people), Most People in a Custard Pie Fight (120 pie throwers) and Largest Air Guitar Ensemble (223 thrashers). Additionally, drummer Pat Wilson played drums on the World’s Smallest Drum Kit and the fans broke the record for Longest Guitar Hero: World Tour Marathon with a grueling 10 hour, 12 minute and 54 second session. Check out the full “Troublemaker” clip here.

Related Stories:

• Weezer’s “Pork & Beans” Director on the Band’s Viral Hit, Plus Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Video

• Q&A: Rivers Cuomo

• Weezer’s Weird World

Photo: MTV Games

If you’ve already mastered every instrument for every song on Rock Band 2, game makers Harmonix and MTV Games have figured out a way to make your gaming experience all the more better: By allowing you to order merchandise bearing the fake logo of the fake band you create. You can even order an action figure of the 3D character you built to faux-shred your way through Guns N’ Roses’ “Shackler’s Revenge.” After uploading your in-game band’s logo using the new Photo Creator, you can order a T-shirt, keychain or bumper sticker bearing the emblem, all in an attempt to further enhance your gameplay. If you’re really committed to your character, you can make him the envy of all your GI Joes by ordering the $69 figurine, created specifically using your personalized in-game avatar and complete with customizable posing. Check out more info at the Rock Band specialty store. Besides, spending $29 on the T-shirt of a band you created in a video game will make you forget all about that so-called economic meltdown.

Related Stories:

• AC/DC Announce Rock Band Package

• Warner Music Wants Rock Band To Pay Higher Licensing Fees

• Rock Band, Guitar Hero Battle For Bands

Photo: Winter/Getty

Kanye West took the stage at a T.I. concert this weekend in Los Angeles to perform a pair of new songs and announce that his new album 808s & Heartbreak will be out on November 25th. 808s was originally slated for a December release, but West pushed up the date to the tentative “November Something.” “I just pushed my album up to November 25th. Can I sing y’all my second single?” West asked the crowd before launching into “Heartless.” West also performed “Love Lockdown” at T.I.’s MySpace show. Check out video from the performance here.

Related Stories:

• Kanye West’s Puppet Show Video Emerges, 808s Pushed Up

• According to Retailers, New Kanye West Album Out December 16th

• Kanye West Lets Fans Remix “Love Lockdown” For Free

Photo: Vasquez/Getty

Scars On Broadway have canceled their North American tour after singer/guitarist Daron Malakian decided “his heart wasn’t into touring” with the side project, the band said in a statement. The collaboration between Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan had planned to embark on their tour on October 19th, but the trek, and the duo’s Jimmy Kimmel Live performance on October 14th, have both been canceled with no plans for rescheduling. With the Scars tour off, rumors are already circulating that this move might foreshadow a reunion for System Of A Down, as the band was in hiatus as Malakian and Serj Tankian both pursued extracurricular musical activities.

Related Stories:

• Serj Tankian: “We Haven’t Decided If the Future Contains System”

• Scars on Broadway Show Off “Crazy Energy” at Los Angeles Train Station

• Mavericks: System of a Down

Photo: Mazur/Wireimage

Madonna launched the North American leg of her “Sticky & Sweet” Tour at the sold-out Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Rock Daily will provide a full report of tonight’s show at Madison Square Garden, but until then click below for a gallery of amazing images from the Material Girl’s concert, including her excellent Slash impersonation.

• Photo Gallery: Madonna Brings Her “Sticky & Sweet” Tour to North America

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• Madonna Debuts Hard Candy in New York

• How Madonna Got Her Groove Back

• The Immortals: Madonna

“Get registered, get focused, make sure we vote,” Jay-Z told the crowd at his “Last Chance for Change” voter registration concert yesterday in Miami. “My job is not to tell you who to vote for — I’m voting for Barack Obama — but the important thing is to get registered and make sure our voices be heard.” Jigga balanced all the political talk with high-powered versions of “Roc Boys” and “Say Hello.” Before his a cappella version of “Minority Report,” a photo of George W. Bush was shown on the video screen, prompting boos and chants of Obama from the crowd. Before Jay-Z’s set, the audience was treated to a surprise set by Wyclef Jean, who echoed his support of Obama. “I just got back from Africa, I just got back from Brazil,” Wyclef rapped. “It’s so funny, everyone I talk to, says the next president is Barack Obama.” With today’s deadline for voter registration, Jay-Z scheduled another last-minute rally in the swing state of Florida today. Check out the video above for highlights from the Sunday performance.

Related Stories:

• Bruce Springsteen Inspires Voters With Passionate Acoustic Show in Philadelphia

• Jay-Z Launches New Label Called StarRoc

• Jay-Z, Kanye West Prove Hip-Hop Tours Can Be Big Business

Photo: Retna

With the baseball playoffs in full swing, last week we asked the readers to tell us their sports anthems. After sorting through information like the Vancouver Canucks’ goal song and what Dio song the Phillies’ Pat Burrell comes to the plate to, we can reveal that Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” is your favorite stadium rocker, beating out a pair of tunes by AC/DC, Metallica and the White Stripes song that has become the unofficial theme song for soccer hooligans. Check out the list below:

1. Guns N’ Roses — “Welcome to the Jungle”
2. AC/DC — “Thunderstruck”
3. Metallica — “Enter Sandman”
4. AC/DC — “Hell’s Bells”
5. White Stripes — “Seven Nation Army”
6. Ozzy Osbourne — “Crazy Train”
7. U2 — “Vertigo”
8. Ramones — “Blitzkrieg Bop”
9. Todd Rundgren — “Bang The Drum All Day”
10. House of Pain — “Jump Around”

Related Stories:

• Guns N’ Roses Premiering New Song In New Film Body of Lies

• Metallica Face Criticism Over Quality of Death Magnetic

• AC/DC Expand Tour, Announce Rock Band Package

The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde turned 57 last month, but that hasn’t stopped her from putting together the punchiest Pretenders album in years. Despite being a hardcore vegan, she also still indulges in a few vices. “To warm up, I smoke Bugler tobacco,” she explains. “It’s a shame, really. But it’s rock & roll — if you need to warm up, God help you.” Click below for the full interview with Hynde along with a behind-the-scenes look at the band’s new video, plus head over to the Breaking blog to stream the entire new Pretenders album Break Up the Concrete.

• Q&A: Chrissie Hynde

• Stream The Entire New Pretenders Album Break Up the Concrete

• Fall Preview: The Pretenders, Break Up the Concrete

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• Album Review: The Pretenders, Break Up the Concrete

• The Pretenders Unveil New Songs at In-Store Performance

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2005: The Pretenders

Photo: Dreyvitser/WireImage

On Friday, the Roots opened their co-headlining tour with Gym Class Heroes at Baltimore’s Ram’s Head Live, testing their rep as the best live act in hip-hop with a jam-laced set short on hits and heavy on mind-numbing instrumentals and off-the-wall covers. As the 24-date tour works its way around the country, the band will learn whether or not its loyal fans — some of who were spotted in Baltimore wearing “?uestlove for Prez” T-shirts — will follow as they shift from their trademark hip-hop-soul to something closer to a darker Phish with only slightly more rapping.

U.K. soul star Estelle opened with a short set bookended by her hits “Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)” and “American Boy.” Between songs, she quipped endearingly about the state of global affairs and offered some advice: “Life is short. The end is near. Have Sex.” Hip-hop’s emo-hippies Gym Class Heroes, up next, offered a high-energy set with some goofy stage patter — at one point lecturing on the power of love and asking everyone to hug their concert neighbors — and a couple of surprisingly deep musical interludes.

They opened with the radio hit “Clothes Off!” on which guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kosongo (or, as frontman Travis McCoy called him, “Chocolate Genius”) lit into his first of a couple deft solos on the night. By way of charming the locals, McCoy then turned to his bandmates and asked, “Is Omar coming?” Met with quizzical looks, he shook his head. “Damn,” he said. “Am I the only one that watches The Wire?” McCoy crooned a section of Sam Cooke’s “Cupid” before the band launched into their other mega-hit, “Cupid’s Chokehold” mid-set. Playfully ruling the room, McCoy referenced girlfriend Katy Perry, who he said makes him want “jump up and down on a couch on Oprah” and encouraged everyone to vote and support Obama, asking “Am I the only one who thinks McCain is too old for this fucking job?” After dedicating “Live a Little” to DJ AM and Travis Barker and reprising Estelle for their collab “Guilty as Charged,” from the band’s new album, Quilt, they closed out the set with a surprising — and surprisingly faithful — rendition of the Zombies’ “Time of the Season” and their latest single, “Cookie Jar.”

The Roots came onstage before a giant backdrop featuring the chorus to “Criminal” from their recent album Rising Down (”And I can see it’s all about cash/And they got the nerve to hunt down my ass/And treat me like a criminal”) and a fuzzy portrait that may have been John McCain with a giant slash across it. They launched into a instrumental grounded by new member Tuba Gooding Jr. (who actually plays a sousaphone), before launching into “Rising Up” from the new album. On cuts like “Star,” from The Tipping Point and “Long Time” from Game Theory, the club’s sound system buckled of the weight of the band’s dense instrumental interludes, often led by guitarist Kirk Douglass (who has played with the Dave Matthews Band).

After a drum circle, during which band members gathered around drummer/bandleader Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson’s kit to make some cosmic cacophony, they launched into the set’s centerpiece, a massive, half-hour long “You Got Me,” with extensive noodly guitar and bass solos, and interpolated covers of Gn’R’s “Sweet Child of Mine,” Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love” and Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop.” For a dozen minutes at a time, MC Black Thought was left to wander around the stage, smiling oddly, as the crowd wondered when they might hear another verse. Afterward, Thompson reminded everyone to vote: “It’s your responsibility to conduct your government,” he said, and and the band launched into “Criminal,” a relatively straightforward version of “The Next Movement” and a double-time “The Seed.” In Baltimore, the crowd included enraptured members of the Roots’ base constituency, but more than a few swing voters who were ready to jump ship. We’ll wait for national results to see if America is ready for the Roots’ brand of Change.

Set Lists:

Estelle:
“Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)”
“No Substitute Love”
“More Than Friends”
“Come Over”
“1980″ (featuring Travis McCoy)
“Pretty Please” (Love Me)
“American Boy”

Gym Class Heroes:
“Clothes Off!”
“Peace Sign/Index Down”
“The Queen and I”
“Shoot Down the Stars”
“Cupid’s Chokehold”
“Blinded by the Sun”
(medley of songs from Papercut Chronicles)
“Live a Little”
“Viva La White Girl”
“Drnk Txt Rmeo”
“Sloppy Love Jingle Part 3″
“Guilty as Charged” (featuring Estelle)
“Time of the Season”
“Cookie Jar”

The Roots:
“Rising Up”
“Get Busy” (featuring Dice Raw)
“Star/Pointro”
“Step Into the Realm”
“Long Time”
(drum circle/freestyle)
“Mellow My Man”
“You Got Me”
“Criminal”
“The Next Movement”
“The Seed”

Related Stories:

• Gym Class Heroes on Their Warped Tour Adventure

• Gym Class Heroes Singer Arrested For Assault

• Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop and Soul: The Best of the Roots

Photo: Getty

Radiohead, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and Iron Maiden are among the initial artists to sign up for and usher in the launch of the new Featured Artists Coalition. As the music industry continues to shift into the digital age, the Coalition seeks to protect the artist’s rights over their own music. “We want all artists to have more control of their music and a much fairer share of the profits it generates in the digital age,” a statement on the FAC’s website reads. “We speak with one voice to help artists strike a new bargain with record companies, digital distributors and others, and are campaigning for specific changes.” The FAC has also penned a six-step manifesto for “fair play,” including increased compensation for commercial use of their music and changes to copyright law. Other members of the Coalition include Kate Nash, Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry, Gang of Four, Billy Bragg and the Verve.

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• The Future According to Radiohead

• Best Festival Band: Radiohead

• Musicians Unions Avoiding Digital Rights Fight For Now

Photo: Getty

• Coldplay’s Chris Martin revealed on the band’s website that they’ve reconfigured the track list for their upcoming Prospekt’s March EP. The eight-track disc contains five new songs and three updated versions of Viva La Vida tracks. Additionally, the new version of “Lost!” will feature a verse by Jay-Z.
• Van Halen castaways Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony are in the studio with guitarist Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ drummer Chad Smith for a new supergroup called Chickenfoot. The band first played together at a Las Vegas concert in February.
• With her third solo album due out November 18th, Beyonce is already making room in her 2009 schedule for a tour. The jaunt will kick off abroad in the spring before making its way back to North America in the summer.
• KISS‘ line of sneakers is now for sale. Each pair of shoes features all four members from their 1978 solo albums.

Photo: Getty

An unspecified illness has forced Janet Jackson to postpone three more concerts. Jackson’s weekend shows in Greensboro, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia were called off, as is tomorrow’s show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ticket holders are being asked to hold onto their tickets for the rescheduled dates. Jackson suddenly became sick before her concert in Montreal last Monday, forcing a brief hospital visit. Thus far, six shows on Jackson’s “Rock Witchu” tour have been postponed by the mysterious ailment. After the initial postponements, the tour was supposed to continue this weekend in Greensboro, but a doctor there said Jackson had not fully recovered yet. On her doctor’s orders, Jackson has returned home to recuperate.

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• Janet Jackson Leaves Hospital, Postpones Two Shows Due to Illness

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• Janet Jackson Opens Rock Witchu Tour With Three Decades of Hits, Video Duets and Pyro

Photo: Getty

On Saturday, Bruce Springsteen kicked off three days of Vote For Change concerts on behalf of Barack Obama with a powerful acoustic set that drew estimated 50,000 to the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Cutting a distinctly Woody Guthriesque profile in rolled up flannel, denim and tousled hair, Springsteen stood atop a 30 foot high stage emblazoned with the word “CHANGE” and belted out a seven-song, 45 minute acoustic set as a gift for Obama volunteers and a catalyst for the disengaged to register to vote. Plenty of people heard the call — according to the Obama campaign, some 21,000 new voters were registered as a result of the event.

“I’m not Barack Obama, but I’ll do my best,” said Springsteen, before wheezing his harmonica like an angry freight train launching into a tense, jingle-jangle reading of “The Promised Land,” his 1978 affirmation of faith in the ideal American in a time of dwindling opportunity and diminished expectations.

Four songs later — including a like-minded “The Ghost Of Tom Joad,” the obligatory “Thunder Road” and the rarely-heard “Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?” — Bruce spoke humbly about why he believes in Barack Obama. “I’ve spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. The distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful. I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning.”

After a mournful rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” Springsteen sent the people back out onto the streets with marching orders to take their country back from “those who who would sell it down the river for a quick buck.”

Set List:
“The Promised Land”
“The Ghost of Tom Joad”
“Thunder Road”
“No Surrender”
“Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?”
Speech
“The Rising”
“This Land Is Your Land”

Bruce Springsteen’s Speech:
“Hello Philly,

“I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next President of the United States.

“I’ve spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real. Opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another.

“I’ve spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities. The distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

“I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I’ve continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people’s hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down.

“They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama’s understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don’t know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back.

“So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising.”

Related Stories:

• Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel To Play NYC Obama Benefit Concert

• Bruce Springsteen: “We’ve Been Misled”

• People of the Year: Bruce Springsteen Takes a Stand With Vote For Change

Photo: C. Taylor Crothers

• Phishheads and people who enjoy gnarly homemade burritos rejoiced as Trey Anastasio and Co. made rumors of a comeback official.

• Beck, Foo Fighters and more big acts said farewell to summer festival season at Austin City Limits.
• Fall Out Boy swung by the RS office to give us a preview of their new LP Folie A Deux.
• Bruce Springsteen announced he’ll hit the road for Obama and play a pricey NYC benefit for the candidate. The E Street band is also booked for a little gig known as Super Bowl halftime.
• We took an inside look at the launch of MySpace Music and held our breath as Apple threatened to shutter iTunes.
• AC/DC gave us more tour dates and the ability to rock their riffs on plastic instruments.

Photo: WENN

Britney Spears adopted a Virgin Mary-inspired disguise in an attempt to elude paparazzi as she returned from New York City to Los Angeles. While on the East Coast, Spears stopped by a New York radio station to announce she’ll take her December LP Circus on tour in 2009. Plus, check out Paul McCartney enjoying his daughter’s fashion show, Justin Timberlake bringing piggy back and more photos of the week in rock.

• Random Notes: The Week in Rock

Photo: Getty

Now that Robert Plant has made it perfectly clear he won’t tour with Led Zeppelin anytime in the near future (or two years, at least), reader Kbhr has a suggestion:

“Why doesn’t Page just contact Terry Reid (his original first choice) and form a new band? Reid’s voice is still superior to Plant’s anyway.”

Discuss.

Before Rosie O’Donnell can continue blathering on about her new favorite rocker on a 1997 episode of her daytime talk show, the singer bounds onstage to answer the question, “Who the hell is Beck?” He turns off her stereo when she blasts “Loser,” pointing out it’s 1997, not 1993.

Photo: Retna

The baseball playoffs are in full swing, with the Phillies (surprisingly) dominating the Brewers, the Cubs (predictably) choking against Manny Ramirez and our Mets (sadly) golfing. At least the hockey season starts this weekend. Thus, for this week’s Rock List, we honor those songs that are Sports Anthems. Tell us your (and your team’s) favorites, and on Monday we’ll reveal the final list. Before you bust out the Jock Jams, here are our picks:

Queen – “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions”
Gary Glitter – “Rock N’ Roll, Part 2″
Neil Diamond – “Sweet Caroline”
Billy Idol – “Mony Mony”
Metallica – “Fuel”

Photo: Gries/Getty

While most of the country tuned into the Vice Presidential debate last night and wondered what the future holds, the crowd at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom looked back at rap history at VH1’s Fifth Annual Hip Hop Honors. But there was some politicking in the house: After a set from resident DJ Biz Markie, host Tracy Morgan opened the show with a bit about being the President of the People, while fans on the floor waved campaign signs endorsing SLICK RICK and CYPRESS HILL ‘08, two of the evening’s honorees alongside Too $hort, De La Soul and Naughty by Nature. The show premieres on VH1 October 6th and 10 PM.

Before the show, Slick Rick offered a personal political endorsement. “I want to thank Governor David Paterson, it’s a good thing we have a decent person in government,” he said of the New York governor who granted him a pardon for murder charges last May. Then the tributes began with a look back at Cypress Hills’ early days. Hip-hop was still rebel music when Cypress Hill rhymed about smoking weed and how they could just kill a man in the early ’90s. Fat Joe ignited the opening tribute to the group while B-Real, Sen Dog and crew nodded with approval from their seats. Jim Jones took over on “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That” before Gym Class Heroes lit up “Insane in the Membrane,” B-Real’s nasal delivery getting drowned out by the band as the scent of marijuana wafted through the balcony.

Next, Estelle and Q-Tip teamed up for “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’ ” in honor of De La Soul. Mos Def and Public Enemy turned “Stakes Is High” into a battle cry before Cee-Lo entered, adorned in silver silk, followed by EPMD and De La Soul themselves, who breezed through “Me, Myself and I” and “Buddy.”

“He was the hero, the villain, the man,” former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said as he introduced the Slick Rick tribute. MC Lyte showed she’s still got it before Busta Rhymes, in a turquoise eye-patch and matching vest-suit, took over. Biz Markie beat-boxed alongside Ghostface on “La Di Da Di” and Eve flaunted her figure in a cat-suit. Soon, the Ruler sat on a throne center-stage, eye-patch sparkling, stroking a cat, launching into “A Children’s Story.” During rehearsal, Ghostface gave props to his idol: “When Slick Rick first hit the scene, I had to practice that British accent,” Ghost said. “There’s no other storyteller like this man.”

One of night’s highlights followed when Mos Def, the Roots band (minus Black Thought), Public Enemy, Cee-Lo and Estelle honored the life of the late Isaac Hayes though tracks like Mary J. Blige’s “I Love You” and Biggie’s “Warning” that sampled Hayes’ music. Scarface joined in for “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” and Flavor Flav concluded the set with his only solo line of the night: “Yeaaaaah Boooooy!”

As Kid Rock initiated Too $hort’s tribute, a woman in a I HELLA HEART OAKLAND baby tee danced in the second tier. Lil Jon, Bun B and Scarface helped Short Dog himself bring a bit of the Bay to Manhattan. After the show, Scarface was humbled. “I was honored to do something for Too $hort and Isaac Hayes, what else could you ask for?” he told Rolling Stone. “I grew up in my grandmother’s house in a little neighborhood in Houston, Texas, and now I’m in fucking New York City on VH1.”

For the final honor, the sounds of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” came from Wyclef Jean’s guitar, blending into the tune of “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” behind Juelz Santana. Big Boi joined ‘Clef for “O.P.P.” before Treach, Vin Rock and an entourage of 15 had the Hammerstein chanting “Hip-Hop Hooray!”

Following the two-hour extravaganza, Q-Tip and MC Lyte DJed an afterparty at Opera nightclub while Ghostface hung out in VIP. “The rap game is cool but it ain’t the same,” said Ghost, who noted that he’s currently compiling an R&B album. Lyte, showing little signs of aging since her debut 20 years ago, summed it all up with a smile: “It feels good to still be at it.”