R&B singer Ashanti recently answered the age old question: When did you fall in love with Hip-Hop in an exclusive interview with Hello Beautiful.

“I was probably 11-ish," she said. "I had a purple boombox. I had a stereo, and my first vinyl was Run DMC. ‘Who’s House? Run’s House!'”

Ashanti was on hand along with Ja Rule and Jadakiss for the Light the City Gold Ceremony, hosted by Chase Republic, Def Jam, and Universal Music Group. The even turned the Empire State Building gold in honor of Hip-Hop's 50th anniversary.

Ja Rule was asked to describe Hip-Hop in three words, and offered: “Amazing. Brilliant. Resilient.”

He went on to talk about how Hip-Hop has supported Black women. “I think I had a little bit to do with that coming in and making songs for women like, 'Put It On Me.' Those records are kind of an ode to women. I wrote that record for my wife, and I think you need that. It is a contrast when we got the records calling them out their names, so we gotta have the other side of it too, where we big them up as Black queens.”