Swizz Beatz loosely threw the idea around of contributing $1 million each to Hip Hop founders such as Kool Herc and Sugar Hill Gang while speaking to Joe Budden for Beatz’s Zone Radio earlier this week.
Now, he’s doubling down and is clearly serious about making it happen. During an Instagram Live conversation with LL Cool J, the two veteran Hip Hop artists discussed the possibilities and the Radio legend said he’d be one of the first to donate to — what Swizz has dubbed — the “Hip Hop Founders Fund.”
As the conversation got underway, LL made sure to give the Verzuz co-founder some credit, saying, “You always talk about you about the people, you’re about making sure these icons get the love and the respect and appreciation they supposed to get, and you’ve been pushing it forward.”
Swizz replied, “I mentioned something about giving back to the pioneers of Hip Hop and everybody just went crazy. Most misunderstood me, but what I was saying was this is something I wanna do. Period. I want to start a pioneer fund with the founders of Hip Hop getting taken care of. The founders of Hip Hop shouldn’t need medical. They should be in a great situation.
“If you look at other cultures and other pioneers that started things, they’re living well. I feel personally that it’s a bad representation on Hip Hop that our pioneers are not being supported in a major way.”
Swizz went on to explain a lot of people misconstrued his idea and thought he meant younger artists should pay the older artists.
He clarified, “This is a dream I had … I’m not saying pay LL. I’m not saying pay Swizz. Let’s come up with a plan to take care of the founders of Hip Hop. It’s our duty to do it. Everybody don’t have to do it … I’mma do it. To see these icons living and we’re living at the same time and we know better at this point…we gotta take care of those guys.”
LL, who currently hosts the SiriusXM classic Hip Hop radio show Rock The Bells, responded, “I couldn’t be more on board than I am. I’m so on board I’m in the helm of this shit laying with you. It’s that vibe. It’s about paying it forward. I learned early on in my career it was about me, but you get humbled and you realize, ‘There’s a bigger world out there than you.’”
Swizz Beatz Wants To Give $1M Each To Kool Herc, Melle Mel & Other Hip Hop Pioneers
Swizz then explained how his biological father grew up one floor apart from Herc at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx and therefore has a really close connection to the cause. Although he wouldn’t rattle off the pioneers he believed was deserving, he did mention Herc.
LL then confirmed, “I would 100 percent contribute to that — 100 percent. Because I think it’s necessary. It’s the right spirit. It’s the right heart. It’s love. It’s evolved.”
Watch the full conversation above.