As if there was any question that Channel 2 anchor Fred Blankenship and Channel 2 traffic reporter Mark Arum are kings of the hip-hop traffic report niche, we’ve listed our top 10 favorite moments of the decade the two paid tribute to those who’ve heavily influenced the music genre.
#10
Wu-Tang Clan
Just a couple of Wu-Tang Clan drops from Fred and Mark as they prepared for the group’s de facto leader RZA’s studio visit.
#9
Lil’ Kim
Wanna bumble with the Bee, huh? Fred and Mark honored Grammy Award-winning rapper, Lil’ Kim, on her 45th birthday.
#8
Jay-Z
He’s revered as one of the best to ever do it, so, of course, Fred had to drop some bars from H.O.V. in honor of the rapper-mogul’s 50th birthday. “Look for me!”
#7
Prodigy
It’s always tough when the hip-hop community loses one of its own. Here are Fred and Mark paying tribute to the late Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy.
#6
A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders is the third studio album from the legendary group, A Tribe Called Quest -- and you know we weren’t going to be silent about its 25th anniversary.
#5
Rakim
Known for his lyrical skills, rapper Rakim turned 50 in 2018 and Fred and Mark reminded us all why he’s considered one of the most influential MCs of all time.
#4
Montell Jordan
“This is how we do it!!!!” Just because Mark and Fred make hip-hop references in traffic reports look easy, doesn’t mean it is. Check out the time they honored Atlanta resident Montell Jordan on his 50th birthday.
#3
Craig Mack
'90s hip-hop star Craig Mack died at the age of 46 on March 12, 2018. He brought that “flavor in your ear," and Fred and Mark paid tribute in their own special way.
#2
Tupac Shakur (2Pac)
He’s considered one of the most significant rappers in history -- and on what would have been Tupac’s 46th birthday, Fred and Mark did what they do best.
#1
The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls)
“It was all a dream!” He gave us songs like Big Poppa, Juicy, Hypnotize and many more before his untimely passing in 1997. Fred and Mark honored rap legend Biggie Smalls on what marked the 22nd anniversary of his passing.
Honorable Mention:
That time Mark and Fred dropped an insane number of “Coming to America” quotes during the newscast in honor of the classic film turning 30.