Rakim, Scarface To Be Honored By Newly Formed Paid In Full Foundation

“The Hip-Hop Grandmaster Awards, will not only honor Rakim and Scarface, but also empower them to continue shaping the artistic landscape.”

Paid In Full Foundation

Rakim and Scarface are set to be honored by the Paid In Full Foundation for their contributions to Hip-Hop. The organization will reward the two men with $500,000 during Friday’s (Nov. 17) inaugural Hip-Hop Grandmaster Awards in Las Vegas.

According to the foundation’s official site, Nas, and Ben & Felicia Horowitz are curating the cultural celebration. Ben Horowitz spoke about the foundation’s inception and why it was paramount for Hip-Hop legends to be honored and supported.

“We created the Paid in Full Foundation to honor foundational Hip-Hop artists who made colossal contributions to the art form and society as a whole,” Ben said in a press release. “In addition, the foundation aims to enable these legendary heroes to continue sharing their brilliance with the world. We are ecstatic that Rakim and Scarface will accept our Grandmaster Award this year.”

Michelle Ebanks, one of Paid In Full’s Board of Directors, also opened up about the upcoming event. She spoke about the organization’s mission statement and its dedication to uplifting and forever supporting legends like The God MC and Face.

Houston rapper Scarface at the UrbanDaddy Presents Grey Goose Le Melon Fruit Of Kings – Houston at Hotel Zaza on July 31, 2014 in Houston, Texas.

Levey/Getty Images for UrbanDaddy

“I’m truly inspired by the Paid in Full Foundation’s mission to recognize transformative artists whose profound impact on our cultural tapestry deserves celebration,” Ebanks expressed. “The Hip-Hop Grandmaster Awards, will not only honor Rakim and Scarface, but also empower them to continue shaping the artistic landscape. This event exemplifies our commitment to ensuring that these influential voices receive the recognition and support they rightfully deserve, allowing their legacies to resonate for generations to come.”

Steve Stoute first spoke about the blossoming Paid In Full Foundation during a visit to the Rap Radar podcast. In October, the executive detailed his role in PIFF and how it initially came to be. He described the fund and the healthcare benefits is for legends who “didn’t get what they deserved.”

“Myself, Ben Horowitz, Fab Five Freddy, QD3 [and] Felicia Horowitz, Ben’s wife, have a charity fund called Paid in Full. On November 17, we are honoring those who have led the culture, but have not received the financial reward that’s on par with their cultural contributions.

“What I want to do is all of the artists who had come early [in Hip-Hop] who had to sign bad deals or got taken advantage of that the least we could do is give to them [and] pay that forward,” Stoute states. “No one’s ever done this before.”

With the annual Paid In Full gala, the greats of yesteryear will get their honors today and ever forward.