Dr. Dre has been honored with the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for all of his achievements in the music industry.
The legendary producer and mogul accepted the award — which is, of course, named after himself — at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, which were held at the Crypto.com Arena in his hometown of Los Angeles on Sunday night (February 5).
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The award was created in partnership with the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective and “recognizes the contributors, creatives and professionals with a proven track record of uplifting Black music.”
Dre was presented the eponymous award by fellow Hip Hop pioneer LL COOL J, who in his introduction hailed the 57-year-old as “an icon who helped define West Coast Hip Hop and has become one of the most impactful success stories of our time.”
After a video montage narrated by MC Lyte recapping his trailblazing rap career — which touched on his early days with N.W.A and breakout solo success with The Chronic to launching Aftermath Entertainment and co-founding Beats By Dre — the Doctor graced the mic to say a few words.
“I’m extremely moved by this award,” he said. “I want to say thank you to the Recording Academy and the Black Music Collective for this honor, and I know everybody in here probably knows this already, but this is the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop. Make some noise for Hip Hop!
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“Where would I be without it? Where would a lot of people be without Hip Hop, to be honest? Hip Hop became a lifeline for me as a teenager growing up in Compton, and it started with a song called ‘The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel.'”
Dre said Grandmaster Flash’s 1981 track opened the door for him to kickstart his 40-year career in music and thanked all of his collaborators that helped him make timeless records over the years. He also saluted those who’ve stuck with him through difficult moments in his life.
“What I love about this award is that it uses my name to inspire the next generation of producers, artists and entrepreneurs to reach for their greatness and demand that from everyone around you,” he concluded his speech. “Never compromise your vision at all, pursue quality over quantity, and remember that everything is important. That is one of my mottos: everything is important.”
Following his acceptance speech, the Grammys presented their Hip Hop 50 tribute that included performances from a slew of Hip Hop pioneers including Run-DMC, LL COOL J, Public Enemy, Rakim and Queen Latifah all the way up to Lil Baby, GloRilla and Lil Uzi Vert.
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“From The Bronx to the five boroughs, to the West Coast to the Heartland; overseas to Europe, to Africa, to Asia; TikTok, whatever’s next,” LL said at the end of the tribute. “Because thanks to the 33 Hip Hop artists on stage and the countless more we love, Hip Hop is a global platform today. We’re celebrating. Happy 50th anniversary to Hip Hop, baby!”
