stephanie, we not only hit the new year, as in new orleans style, we were late. because we re southerners. i couldn t hear the cue. so we missed the countdown. but that s all right, we got a lot of 2023 to roll out. so stephanie, i need you to stand by and watch and listen because i want you to tell me i want you to tell me how i do, okay? because the jamettes along with manny fresh, we re going to they re going to teach me a dance routine. it s an owed to janet jackson? don t judge me at home. i m still a serious news guy. are you ready now? owed to ja ode to janet jackson. break it to the right. break it to the right, to the left middle, diagonal. middle, diagonal. that s the janet jackson move, you ve got to do that. then we have the whoops. forgot i was on tv. sorry.
We are back in new orleans for cnn new year s eve. listen, it s really loud here. i can t really hear anything, so just go along with it and enjoy it. manny fresh is here. can we call you the prince or the godfather of hip-hop? yeah, new orleans. new orleans. the jamettes are here. as you know, last year they taught me a dance routine. i kind of got in a little trouble for throwing it back. it s okay to throw it back, right? always. it s okay, don. it s okay to throw it back. they re going to teach me another dance routine this year, and i might be throwing it back. but first i m going to throw it to stephanie elam who is in the bahamas. stephanie, i m so jealous of you that you re in a warmer climate than me. but you can t party more than the people in new orleans. no. that s probably true. don, i ve partied with you before if we re honest. so i know we both can go for a long time. very honest. getting our dance on, right?
Anyways? this is my little nephew, tyrell, great nephew. are you going to sing it anyways? no? manny fresh. yes, sir. do you know the words to auld lang syne? hell no. hell no. manny fresh. can you talk to me about these two? as we get ready for new year s eve to kick in here, the 50th anniversary of hip-hop is when? right now, tomorrow. we re celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. 50th anniversary of hip-hop, plan to be a part of it. manny fresh, you helped start the hip-hop movement. yes, sir, here in new orleans. hey, it s your boy, man, it s fresh. it s your boy, man, fresh. manny fresh is a big deal, a grammy award-winning artist, right? yes, sir. what is so special about new orleans? i mean, the people. the people. there s no place like new orleans. ain t no party like a new orleans party because the new orleans party don t end. give us a hit before we go.
We do our best. we love each other. we embrace each other. we will always put god first, music second. don t mess with my mama if you don t want no problems. don t mess with my mama and no problems. hey, listen. we talked a little bit about it, i don t think we talked enough about the 50th anniversary of hip-hop that is happening, which is really tomorrow, i said it before midnight, it is today. hip-hop changed the entire music industry, the changed the world, really. for me, i m a young entrepreneur, you know. i started this in the 80s. my first time doing music and seeing what it has turned into, like as a business. as a young black man. for 50 years in hip-hop, that s the only job i ve ever had. the only thing i ve ever done is music, music, music. that s all i can say is, i love it. 50 years of it, i m still here. thank you for embracing manny fresh. thank you for having me, sir. i love you.
Manny fresh is here. how y all doing. grammy-award-winning music producer. hi, happy new year. my extended family. my beautiful nieces, katie, kimberley, ashley, my great-nephew, my brother-in-law. these are my boys. say hi to tim. say hi to gus, barkley and boomer. we have so much planned for you in the next couple of hours. i know everyone is wondering, is don lemon drinking, is he lit? i will let you be the judge. my mom says i don t need to drink to have this personality. never. this is my natural personality. everybody thinks i m drunk every year, i m not. this is my personality. anyway we have marching bands. we will do what they do here in new orleans. we will take you on a parade. we will take you on a ride around new orleans, show you some people doing really good things for the city. let s march. let s have a second line and let s go through.