Examining almost 50 years of Sesame Street’s inseparable bond with modern music

I’m at a point in my life where most of my childhood is just an incomplete, memory slurry, the most vivid of which revolve around Sesame Street. That fact does not bother me in the least, either. Contrast with our kids, who will reach this same point in their lives, look back and have the same realization, only with Caillou – which will result in one hell of an existential crisis.

But things are different with Sesame Street – in part because of their oneness with the times. This is especially true when it comes to music. Everyone from Cab Calloway to Erykah Badu have hung out with Oscar and Big Bird and (ugh) Elmo. They’ve either changed their own beloved songs into anthems about letters, numbers or kindness, or created all new ones.

During the early 90’s, while everyone else was ignoring, mocking or demonizing hip hop, Sesame Street actually recognized it for what it was; an emerging, revolutionary  musical movement. Instead of trying to shield children from hip hop Sesame Street put legends like MC Lyte and (then) rising stars like the Fugees front and centre. Here are 6 hip hop artists that were all about that Sesame Street flex.

Arrested Development (1994)

For a time, Arrested Development were pretty much as mainstream as hip hop got. Here they are on Sesame Street, performing “Pride”, a song about taking pride in who you are, and the things you know how to do.

Macklemore (2013)

Let’s just leave this here: Macklemore was on Sesame Street around the same time “Thrift Shop” blew up all over the world. He (thankfully) changed the words and brought Oscar the Grouch into the mix.

Fugees (1998)

In 1998, the Fugees were on the biggest hip hop collective on the planet. Their Sesame Street appearance may well have been one of the group’s last appearances together before internal beef permanently disbanded them. Here’s their updated version of 1993’s “Happy to Be Me”.

MC Lyte (1990)

The Legendary MC Lyte was Sesame Street’s first hip hop performer, going all the way back to 1990. Her song “Body Dance” actually featured no muppets, a rarity for musical appearances.

Queen Latifah (1993)

At this point in time, Queen Latifah’s accolades revolve around film and TV, but back in 1993, the New Jersey emceee brought the Native Tongues vibe straight to Sesame Street, killing it with “That’s the Letter O”

Kid n Play (1992)

Kid n Play are remembered for 3 things: House Party (and its many sequels), Kid’s gravity-defying haircut and their dance, the Funky Charleston(!). In their 1992 appearance on Sesame Street, they battled the Count (sporting his own version of Kid’s hair) on the ages-old debate of rapping vs. counting. Spoiler: they discover that they can do both AT THE SAME TIME and a friendship is thusly born.