The Roots drummer and D.J. was tapped by the Recording Academy to fit 50 years of rap history into 15 minutes. For once, the awards show gave the genre a fitting spotlight.
As a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, he helped invent hip-hop. He spent the rest of his life trying recapture that glory. Then, in seven minutes on a Manhattan street, it all came to an end.