On Thursday (Feb. 2), the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective held their annual event, dubbed the Recording Academy Honors, at the Hollywood Palladium in celebration of this year’s Grammy Awards. Led by council members Riggs Morales and Jeriel Johnson, the celebratory occasion named Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott, Sylvia Rhone, and Dr. Dre as the recipients of this year’s Recording Academy Global Impact Award, now officially named the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award after the Compton-bred producer and businessman.
As described by The Hollywood Reporter, Wayne’s big moment was preceded by an introduction from DJ Khaled. While Drake provided a heartfelt video message, peers like 2 Chainz and Tyga took to the stage to perform a few of the Young Money rapper’s greatest hits. During his acceptance speech, Wayne showed love to his blended family for their support throughout his storied career: “I’d like to thank Antonia Johnson for reasoning with me and my mom, and my life. I’d like to thank every single one of my kids and every single one of their mothers.”
Meanwhile, Elliott reflected on both previous achievements and life-changing decisions made with Rhone, who helped to launch the Virginia talent’s career as a former executive of Elektra Records:
“I was in a girl group and Sylvia Rhone dropped me, then signed me as a solo artist. She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself… She never told us no. She never told me, ‘You need to lose weight.’ She never told me, ‘You need to change your records.'”
Additional acts from the night included Busta Rhymes, Elliott’s longtime protégé Tweet, and Chlöe, the last of whom belted out a live rendition of Aaliyah’s “One In A Million.” Said to be one of the event’s biggest highlights, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Ty Dolla $ign broke out an energetic performance of the Dre-produced classic “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None).” Check out some photos from the night below.
