Hip-Hop
Nas & Lil Wayne Inducted Into Billboard Hip-Hop ‘Hall of Fame’
Billboard’s newly established Hip-Hop ‘Hall of Fame’ has welcomed its inaugural inductees: Nas and Lil Wayne. The legendary emcees were honored at Billboard’s 2023 R&B/Hip-Hop ‘Power Players‘ event, held in Los Angeles this past Tuesday, August 8.
The event, which also marked the golden jubilee of Hip-Hop, saw Weezy and Nasir receive their accolades following introductions from Gail Mitchell and Carl Lamarre, Billboard’s Executive Director and Deputy Director of R&B/Hip Hop, respectively.
Lil Wayne, while accepting his award, offered a brief comment on his career’s current status.
“Just another footnote, I ain’t stopping. They told me what time to be here, I was in the studio. They told me when I can leave, I’ll be going back to the studio. Thank you, I love you all. Moolah!”
“You already know I gotta give thanks to the man up above,” Weezy began. “Also those that we lost, those that we wish were here, we thank you as well… And to my fans, I think I worded it the best way when I said I ain’t shit without you.” – Wayne
“This is for y’all, y’all as in my fans, those in the crowd, my supporters, those that work for me, those that work with me, those that work around me, those that work like me. This is for us.” – Wayne
Meanwhile, Nas stressed his deep-rooted passion for music, stating it was never about the recognition.
“I didn’t get into it for awards; we got into it because we love the artform.. 50 years of Hip Hop and we have a concert at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. 50 years of Hip Hop saluting some of the pioneers who inspired me…since DJ Mr. Magic started rap radio, since Marley Mall and Red Alert made us record mixtapes of our own when this shit was underground.”
“From seeing it from back then, I’m just so honored to still be alive to see it be 50 years as a fan. So I want to thank you all for getting awards at 49, not when I was 29. But I appreciate you. I ain’t gonna lie, I stayed away from award shows back then, I thought that shit was the devil … But it ain’t. You make it what it is.”
The ceremony also highlighted the up-and-coming talent in Hip-Hop, awarding Ice Spice with the ‘Rookie of the Year‘ title.
“Ahh, this is crazy! This is like my first award ever in life, so I’m super proud!”
