VH1 pays homage to the hip hop pioneers and luminaries who transformed the genre into a true cultural phenomenon with the third annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors," premiering Tuesday, October 17 at 9PM ET/PT. The music and influence of each of the honorees will be recognized through performances by classic artists in collaboration with today's hottest new talent.

Hosted by Ice T, this year's celebration will honor Ice Cube, Wu-Tang Clan, Afrika Bambaataa, Russell Simmons, MC Lyte, Rakim, Beastie Boys and Eazy E. With the exception of Russell Simmons, Afrika Bambaataa and Eazy E, all the honorees are set to take the stage and showcase their legendary talent, along with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Bootsy Collins, Shawna, Lil Eazy-E, Black Ice, Lil Kim, Diddy, Fat Joe, Lil Jon, Da Brat, Xzibit, Talib Kweli, Remy Ma, Q-Tip, Common, The Roots, George Clinton, Young Jeezy, Erykah Badu and KRS-One.