Hip-hop pioneers Salt-N-Pepa were seen partying with fellow rap icon Missy Elliott after the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles.
“These three women are the foundational bricklayers that hold hip-hop together. They have our backs,” Elliott said, introducing the famous rappers and their DJ, Spinderella, at the ceremony.
“Salt, Pepa, and Spinderella, you are some of the greatest teachers in hip-hop. Thank you for teaching me that life is all about expression,” said Elliott, who previously made history by becoming the first female rapper to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
After the show, the ladies continued to party at W Hollywood, where DJ Kiss played songs for the audience.
I heard that the icons had separate VIP sections at the party.
Elliott was seen in deep conversation with Mona Scott-Young and Pepa, whose mother passed away last week. “I want to pay tribute to my mother, who just passed away. She was my strength and guidance. She taught me how to love and be patient. I want to thank my mother for everything,” she said late in the evening.
Donald Glover inducted fellow hip-hop band Outkast into the Hall of Fame, and they too got emotional during their acceptance speech. Andre 3000 shed tears as he reflected on their journey, which started in a “tiny room”.
After acknowledging fellow Hall of Fame inductee Jack White’s speech, Andre choked up in the middle of his speech.
“What Jack said…hey, he’s one of my favorite guys. We love you, but one of the things he said was about a small room. And we…started with a small room. Great things start in a small room. That’s it.”
Big Boi took to the microphone and said, “Long live Uncle Moony,” referring to his uncle who was shot and killed in a car accident in June.
Big Boi joined JID, Janelle Monáe, Doja Cat, Tyler, The Creator, Sleepy Brown and Killer Mike on stage, with Monáe performing “Hey Ya!” The song appears to have influenced CeeLo Green, who was later seen singing it in the men’s room.
Well, when it comes to bathrooms, Teddy Swims couldn’t be more at ease. He gave a safety pin from his jacket to a fan who asked for one from an anonymous man at the urinal.
“He happily took it off and gave it to him before he performed[on stage],” a spy told Page Six.
Swims performed “Feelin’ Alright” and paid tribute to 2025 Hall of Famer Joe Cocker.
He also closed out the night performing with a group that included Cyndi Lauper, who sang “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” after Chapel Lawn introduced her.
Stevie Wonder, Maxwell, Jennifer Hudson, Questlove, Flea, Beck and Omar opened the night with an electric tribute to Sly and the Family Stone.
Mick Fleetwood took over Bad Company and David Letterman stitched up a room in memory of Warren Zevon.
Iggy Pop became The White Stripes, and Jack White accepted to join the band. Jim Carrey was inducted into Soundgarden and joined on stage by the late Chris Cornell’s daughter Lily, who introduced performers Taylor Momsen, Mike McCready, Brandi Carlile and Jerry Cantrell, and performed with band members Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd, Kim Seiril and Hiro Yamamoto.
Meanwhile, Carey and Gossip Girl’s Momsen were spotted discussing her crochet skills backstage. “She told him she was going to make him a blanket,” a spy told us.
Hall of Fame President John Sykes summed up the night as “the second best thing to happen in Los Angeles this week.”
Sykes enthused that the ceremony was “back in Southern California as it should be,” and one Clevelander in the audience gasped. “I was pissed,” they joked.
Time will tell whether the ceremony, which took place between New York and the Hall of Fame’s home base in Cleveland, will return to Los Angeles, as Sykes suggested.
