The only hip-hop group to have ever won an Oscar
When you think about the annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, the first people you might think of are such iconic directors as Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino or Steven Spielberg, or, alternatively, you might consider actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt or Margot Robbie. Rarely, however, do musicians come to mind, and less still, hip-hop artists, with only the Oscar for ‘Best Original Song’ really being relevant.
Still, despite not being directly concerned with filmmakers or actors, the Oscar for ‘Best Original Song’ is consistently one of the most anticipated awards at the show, giving a showcase to some of the best artists ever to grace the industry. Over the years, such icons as Elton John, Bob Dylan, Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder and Burt Bacharach have claimed the award, with the same statuette only going to hip-hop artists a small number of times.
Indeed, the awards show, which is often criticised for being elitist, has only gotten around to honouring the excellent original scores from hip-hop artists and rappers in its recent history, giving awards to the likes of Eminem and Common over the years. But, only once has the award been given to an entire hip-hop group, with Three 6 Mafia beating out Dolly Parton in 2005 for a surprising Oscar win.
Scoring the somewhat forgettable 2005 film Hustle & Flow by director Craig Brewer, which told the story of a pimp in Memphis who attempts to become a successful hip-hop artist with the help of his friends, three members of Three 6 Mafia claimed Oscars for the original song ‘It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp’. Yet, whilst the longtime members of the group, DJ Paul and Juicy J were given statuettes, the third was given to Frayser Boy, who exclusively helped on the soundtrack version of the track.
In addition to winning the award, the trio also became the first hip-hop group of all time to perform at the Academy Awards, with their style of performance being a pretty big departure from the usual winners of the esteemed award.
“It was fifteen years ago, and I still don’t believe it,” DJ Paul recently told Variety, reflecting on the win, “We went crazy, we was happy as hell. My lawyer/manager at the time had given me a piece of paper with a list of people to thank, but I threw it away because I was like, ‘We’re not gonna win.’ But I wished I still had it because [in the acceptance speech], I named everybody in the world except for people who had something to do with it — I didn’t even name John Singleton or Craig Brewer, and they made the whole movie”.
Take a look at the hip-hop group taking to the stage to accept their Oscar in the video below.
