On Wednesday (Sept. 6), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) President and CEO Mike O’Neill presented Lil Wayne with their silver Icon Award trophy at Miami Beach’s LIV Nightclub during the 2023 BMI R&B/Hip Hop Awards. The 40-year-old rapper, entrepreneur, philanthropist and five-time Grammy Award winner received recognition for his 20-year career in the industry.
BMI spoke on Lil Wayne’s ongoing relationship with the company since 2002 on its website, referring to him as “one of the best-selling artists of all time” and “one of the most influential artists,” who “transformed” hip hop with five No. 1 album debuts, 25 Top 10 singles, and more than 100 million records sold globally. The BMI Icon Award cemented 53 accolades with the organization, including their Songwriter of the Year award, which Lil Wayne received four times.
During his acceptance speech, Weezy F. Baby thanked God and his family. He then thanked his Young Money crew and fans. For the latter, the living legend stated, “But, most importantly, it’s all about the fans. So, if you are a fan or a supporter of myself, I appreciate you. Please know that I pray for you every day.”
Nicki Minaj, one of the people whose career trajectory he influenced the most, displayed her appreciation with a statement in honor of her mentor.
“Where do I begin? You know what? I just wanna say… I so greatly appreciate your contributions that you have made to the culture of rap. Thank you for all of the inspiring things you’ve said to me personally to make me want to go super duper hard. Thank you for just always being the genius you are and the leader you are,” she said.
Lil Wayne is next expected to perform at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards live on Tuesday (Sept. 12) with Doja Cat.