Slick Rick, Andre Harrell & Fat Joe To Be Honored At Hip Hop Museum Gala

Slick Rick will be honored alongside the late Andre Harrell and Fat Joe at the Hip Hop Museum’s star-filled gala on Wednesday (October 15) in New York City, a black-tie affair aimed at raising funds for the museum’s long-awaited permanent home in the Bronx.

The event, titled “Building Hip Hop’s Forever Home,” will unfold at Cipriani Wall Street and spotlight nine honorees whose careers have left a lasting imprint on Hip-Hop culture.

Slick Rick, known for his storytelling prowess, will be presented with the Storytelling Vanguard Award, while Fat Joe will receive the People’s Champ Vanguard Award.

A posthumous Legacy Award will go to Andre Harrell, the Uptown Records founder and former Motown CEO who helped shape the sound of Hip-Hop and R&B in the late ’80s and ’90s. A special tribute during the evening will honor his influence on music and culture.

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“This gala not only celebrates the legends who built Hip-Hop, but also the leaders carrying its spirit forward,” said Rocky Bucano, founder and CEO of The Hip Hop Museum. “If your business touches the culture, this is the moment to invest in the home that safeguards its history and powers its future.”

Other honorees include Sal Abbatiello, founder of Fever Enterprises, who will receive the All the Way Up Award.

Additional awardees are philanthropists Adam and Mindy Silverstein, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, author Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Reservoir CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi, Velez Organization President Elizabeth Velez and artist La Reezy.

DJ Cassidy is set to perform, and organizers have teased surprise appearances throughout the night.

The gala supports the museum’s ongoing development of its 55,000-square-foot space in the Bronx, scheduled to open in fall 2026.

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The museum, originally founded in 2015 as the Universal Hip Hop Museum, will feature traditional exhibits, interactive installations, digital displays and live performances.

Tickets and tables for the gala are available now on the museum’s official website.