Dr Dre wins honour
The rapper, Missy Elliott and Lil Wayne were feted at a pre-Grammy event
As Lil Wayne was honored for his musical achievements, the rapper opened up about the little he has been recognized previously in his career during a pre-Grammy event that also paid homage to Dr Dre and Missy Elliott.
“I don’t get honoured,” Wayne remarked at the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective event in Los Angeles, where he, Dre and Elliott were given 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 through video messages. Swizz Beatz, 2 Chainz and Tyga performed some of Wayne’s hits as well.
During his acceptance speech, Wayne explained how the responsibility of making adult decisions was first placed on his shoulders at age 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 kids.
“Where I’m from, New Orleans, you’re not supposed to do this,” the five-time Grammy winner continued as many in the audience at the Hollywood Palladium cheered him on. “Where I’m from, I walked into my momma room when I was 14, she asked me for a kid, because my dad was killed and her son had just blew up and went on his first tour. When I came home, she said, ‘Son, I can’t live in this house by myself. We’re going to have to figure something out.’”
Dre talked about starting his musical journey with the initial thought of making enough money to “buy a decent pair of shoes” that he could wear to school. The producer-rapper recalled when he first heard hip-hop for the first time in junior high school, and spoke about his knack for collaborating.