LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Lil Wayne was honored for his musical achievements, the rapper opened up about the little he’s acknowledged earlier in his career at a pre-Grammy event that also paid tribute to Dr. Dre and Missy Elliott.
What you need to know
- DJ Khaled presented Wayne with the award and a hug, while Drake and Deion Sanders paid tribute
- Dre spoke of beginning his musical journey with the first thought of making enough money to “buy a decent pair of shoes” to wear to school
- Dre was honored with performances by Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and Ty Dolla Sign
- Some in the audience were moved to tears by Elliott’s heartfelt speech praising Music Director Sylvia Rhone
“I’m not honored,” Wayne remarked Thursday night at the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective event in Los Angeles, where he, Dre and Elliott played the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. The honorees received the renamed award for their personal and professional achievements in the music industry.
DJ Khaled presented Wayne with the award and a hug, while Drake and Deion Sanders paid tribute to him via video messages. Swizz Beatz, 2 Chainz and Tyga also performed some of Wayne’s hits.
During his acceptance speech, Wayne explained how the responsibility of making adult decisions was first placed on his shoulders at the age of 12, when he signed his first record deal with Cash Money. The 40-year-old rapper thanked his mother, the mothers of his children and his children.
“Where I’m from, New Orleans, you can’t do this,” the five-time Grammy winner continued as many in the audience at the Hollywood Palladium applauded him. “Where I’m from, I walked into my mother’s room when I was 14, she asked me for a child, because my father had been killed and her son had just exploded and gone on his first tour. When I got home, she said, “Son, I can’t live in this house alone. We’ll have to think of something.’”
Dre talked about starting his musical journey with the first thought of making enough money to “buy a decent pair of shoes” to wear to school. The producer-rapper recalled hearing hip-hop for the first time in high school and talking about his talent for collaboration.
“One of my passions is collaborations,” said the seven-time Grammy winner. “I have never done anything alone in my entire career. I don’t even know if I want to be alone in the studio. It sounds boring.”
Dre was honored with performances by Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and Ty Dolla Sign. Dogg performed “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” and “Deep Cover” before the trio got together to perform “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None)” produced by Dre.
Some in the audience were moved to tears by Elliott’s heartfelt speech praising music manager Sylvia Rhone, who also received the impact award.
“She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” the four-time Grammy winner said of Rhone, the CEO of Epic Records who is considered one of the industry’s most influential executives. Rhone made history in 1994 when she was named Chairman and CEO of Elektra Entertainment Group. At the time, the promotion made her the only African American and first-ever woman to hold the titles.
“She never told us ‘no,'” continued Elliott, who recently became the first female rapper to receive a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination. “She never told me, ‘You have to lose weight.’ She never told me, ‘You have to change your details.’”
Chloe Bailey performed Elliott’s “One Minute Man” and performed a rendition of Aaliyah’s “One In a Million”, a song Elliott co-produced with Timbaland. Ciara and Tweet take the stage to perform Elliott’s hits, while Busta Rhymes also performed in Rhone’s honor.
The event was a night of celebration for the Black Music Collective, a group of prominent industry leaders formed in 2020 to find ways to drive black representation and inclusion. Some of the honorary presidents include Jimmy Jam, Quincy Jones, and John Legend, who received the Impact Award last year along with MC Lyte and D-Nice.