*In celebration of Hip-Hop at 50, The Residing Legends Basis (LLF) honored and celebrated an esteemed group of media, music, and leisure legends together with Walt “Child” Love, Nelson George, Rocky Bucano, Ed Lover, Vernon Brown, Esq., Lionel Ridenour, Jacqueline Rhinehart, Tracey J. Jordan, and Shanti Das Friday night, October 6, at Taglyan Cultural Advanced in Hollywood, CA.
Hosted by Tammi Mac, KJLH’s afternoon air persona, this yr’s awards ceremony opened with remarks by David C. Linton, chairman of the Residing Legends Basis, who shared the group’s mission to proceed transferring Black music and tradition ahead. “The state of the Residing Legends Basis is powerful,” Linton declared. Linton then addressed the super lack of so many Black executives over the previous few years together with the latest passing of LLF President and former music government Varnell H. Johnson and music icon Clarence Avant. Linton famous that each gents had been shining examples of management and dedication. He concluded that Avant was the conscience of the business who all the time made positive Black Music, Black artists, and Black executives had parity inside the business.
Superstar friends who attended the awards ceremony included Ronald “Slim” Williams of Money Cash Data, Grammy Award-winning artist Howard Hewett, Grammy-nominated artist Kenny Lattimore, Stellar Award-winning artist Brian Courtney Wilson, together with music executives L.A. Reid, co-founder of mega with Usher; Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing; and Monte Lipman, founder and present CEO of Republic Data, amongst quite a few others.
Linton additionally famous that it’s the accountability of veteran music executives to show and supply the present technology with steerage, help, and alternatives. One of many group’s key initiatives is to offer scholarships yearly to African-American college students at HBCUs and PWIs. 4 of 5 scholarship recipients had the chance to attend the Residing Legends weekend, which additionally included the awards ceremony. The scholars included Jazzmin Duncan (Pomona School in Claremont, CA); Maximillion Shearod (Yale College in New Haven, CT); Joshua Wilson (College of Southern California in Los Angeles), and Jordyn Kaila Isaacs (Hampton College in Hampton, VA), all of whom labored on particular person tasks, then met and talked with the honorees, expertise, and business executives. Moreover, that they had a possibility to stroll the pink carpet earlier than the awards ceremony. To view David C. Linton’s welcome deal with, click on right here.
The primary award of the night was introduced to LLF Vice President Jacqueline Rhinehart from LLF board member Colleen Wilson. A 30-year music government and the founding father of My Natural Soul Advertising and marketing, Rhinehart obtained the distinguished Inventive Visionary Award. “Inventive visionary, what it means to me is that you just had been into one thing when others weren’t,” Rhinehart philosophically defined. “You could have seen one thing when others didn’t. Probably that one thing turned one thing thousands and thousands now see, and now others see what you see. In closing, she said, “I wished to assist artists, and I wished them to be their highest selves. I wished to match their creativity.” To view Jacqueline Rhinehart’s full speech, click on right here.
Vernon Brown, Esq., founding father of V. Brown & Firm, adopted and obtained the Leisure Advocate Award from LLF founder, Ray Harris. Brown talked concerning the significance of advocacy and addressed the fairness and inclusion a part of the enterprise. “Once I began 30 years in the past, there have been heads of Black music, presidents of labels, it was flourishing,” he remembers. “After which, after all, we noticed that diminish vastly. Plenty of it was due to expertise and only a drastic change within the enterprise of music. The excellent news is, I’m seeing a change again within the different path. I’m seeing the fairness half start to come back our manner, however it’s as much as us, it’s as much as me and every of us to discuss it. We have to say, we want extra African American illustration, executives, and folks within the enterprise. We will need to have that; we are able to’t dance across the truth or sugarcoat it. I’m comfortable to say since I’m round [at the various labels], I can let you know it’s taking place.” To view Vernon Brown’s full speech, click on right here.
Music and leisure veteran Tracey J. Jordan, a accomplice of Jordan/Lazin Productions, was introduced with the Mike Bernardo Feminine Government Award by LLF board member Gwendolyn Quinn. Reflecting on her household’s musical legacy, Jordan stated, “From bebop to hip hop and all of the codecs in between, I like music and I owe this deep appreciation to my mother, NEA Jazz Grasp Sheila Jordan, who would play Title That Tune with me as a toddler utilizing Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Billie Vacation, Thelonious Monk, my father, jazz pianist Duke Jordan, and all of the jazz greats to show me about my musical heritage. She and her village of inventive associates taught me tips on how to respect all types of inventive expression.” To view Tracey J. Jordan’s full speech, click on right here.
Shanti Das, founding father of Silence the Disgrace and former music government, was introduced with the A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award from LLF Chairman David C. Linton. Das acknowledged her many mentors together with L.A. Reid, Jon Platt, Donnie Ienner, and Jermaine Dupri, who had been large supporters of her profession. She credit L.A. Reid for instructing her about Black excellence. In 2017, Das was on a mission to construct her international platform round psychological well being and wellness. She shared her highly effective testimony on despair upon receiving her award. “I stepped away from the music business in 2010,” stated Das. “It was powerful for me to step away. I used to be high-functioning with despair. I began experiencing my first bout of despair in 2000 after I was working at Arista Data. We didn’t speak about despair, self-care, and wellness again then. I hit all-time low in 2016. I counted all of the tablets in my medication cupboard, and I used to be ready to take my very own life. It wasn’t that I wished to die, however I didn’t know tips on how to channel all that damaging power and I didn’t know tips on how to cope with that generational trauma when my Dad took his personal life after I was seven months previous. I lastly obtained the assistance that I wanted. My sister inspired me to name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline. And it was additionally my pastor, who’s now Senator Raphael Warnock that stated, ‘I’ll pray with you, however you bought to get assist, you bought to go to the physician.’” To view Shanti Das’ full speech, click on right here.
Radio legend and syndicated air persona of Gospel Traxx Walt “Child” Love obtained the Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award from board member and legendary music government Miller London. Throughout a prolonged acceptance speech, Love recounted how he obtained into the radio business after serving within the army, after which his transition to changing into a nationally syndicated host of a singular hits countdown present with Westwood One. “Once I went to Radio & Data newspaper, one of many first issues Bob Wilson stated to me was, ‘You understand the issues which might be happening in Black radio and Black music, don’t you, Walt?’ I stated, ‘What do you imply, precisely?’ ‘Nicely, you already know, the payola, the this and the that.’ Not prefer it wasn’t taking place within the mainstream world. However we as Black individuals had been being vilified worse than anyone else. And I stated to Bobby, ‘Let me begin this Black music and radio division, and I promise you I’ll persuade the opposite Black executives and folks giving alternatives to do issues otherwise.’” Love went on to call all of the Black document executives of the day, including, “They stated Walt when you assist us and present us what you do, we’ll get behind you and allow you to in order that we’re being handled with extra dignity and respect, not that we’re simply thieves doing one thing, that we are able to’t do something with ethics and morals as Black businessmen and ladies. That’s necessary.” To view Walt “Child” Love’s full speech, click on right here.
Founder and CEO of Anchor Promotions Lionel Ridenour was introduced with the Music Government Award by LLF board member Tony Winger. Ridenour acknowledged the numerous executives who contributed to his success, together with Barbara Lewis, Keith Frye, Michael Horton, Doug Daniel, David Linton, and Jean Riggins; the executives he helped groom, and his many crew members and enterprise companions. Pointedly, he talked about the quantity of expertise current within the room on the Taglyan, lots of whom had personally skilled change and even loss when main labels restructured and reduce Black Music divisions and workers. “Once I look out at this room, I see trillions of data offered. The one factor I don’t see is expiration dates on no person’s brow. We’re right here. There’s data on this room,” Ridenour declared, including. “There was a time after we had been kings. And when these departments obtained reduce, and all the remainder of them, systematic on objective, they usually knew what they had been doing, they tried to chop it off. Don’t commerce promotions for energy, OK? There are issues we have to do, and a type of issues is, we should get again management of the music. We have to convey it again and help these entrepreneurs, we have to help the music.” He added, “I imagine that the longer term is vivid, and I imagine our music will all the time be part of it.” To view Lionel Ridenour’s full speech, click on right here.
Rocky Bucano, the manager Director of the Common Hip Hop Museum, was introduced with the Hip-Hop Visionary Award from LLF board member Azim Rashid. Bucano recounted the fourteen-year journey of bringing the Common Hip Hop Museum, which opens in 2025 within the Bronx, to fruition, acknowledging his crew members and colleagues. “The Hip Hop Museum belongs to us. This isn’t only a museum that’s going to inform tales concerning the previous and to make it possible for the legacies of so many legends are preserved, it’s a museum that may hopefully encourage future generations to be artists, storytellers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. This museum is likely one of the few that’s Black-owned, proper? I do know that won’t sound too necessary to a few of you within the room, however if you construct a museum, it takes so many individuals to verify it will get to the end line. A museum is like constructing a pyramid in Egypt. It wants a lot infrastructure, it wants so many individuals to verify it will get constructed, it wants so many individuals to contribute artifacts and memorabilia, it wants so many individuals to create content material to verify the tales are precisely instructed, and most significantly it wants cash. And I’m proud to say we raised over $60 million to convey this challenge to the end line.” To view Rocky Bucano’s full speech, click on right here.
Famed writer and filmmaker Nelson George obtained the Media Icon Award from LLF board member Vivian Scott Chew. George recalled how he began his profession within the music business. The late Billboard music journalist/reporter Robert “Rocky” Ford employed him as an intern to write down about disco and heavy steel, which was his introduction to the music enterprise. George turned Billboard’s Black Music Editor, and he credit Rocky as certainly one of his earlier supporters. Later, Rocky left Billboard journal and have become one of many earlier pioneering producers of hip hop. He found Kurtis Blow and was a part of the celebration and enlargement of hip-hop.
Nelson additionally shared how, at a music conference in 1982, he met two main influencers in his profession, Dave Clark and Joe Medlin, who invited him over to take a seat and discuss. Nelson stated, “They started to show me the historical past of the document enterprise that wasn’t in any ebook. The way in which issues actually occurred. The connection to the tradition. The connection as a enterprise, how Black individuals had been exploited, and the way Black individuals discovered their manner in. That was the muse of my profession, and with out that data and the teachings that they taught me throughout that interval within the ‘80s, I wouldn’t have written one ebook with out Dave Clark and Joe Medlin’s perception. Within the spirit of hip hop, and the spirit of honoring our ancestors, but additionally honoring my buddy, I wish to dedicate this award to one of many best document executives that ever lived, Andre Harrell.” To view Nelson George’s full speech, click on right here.
Syndicated air persona Ed Lover of The Ed Lover Present with Monie Love was introduced with the Jerry Boulding Radio Award. After thanking his dad and mom and acknowledging his youngsters, mentors, and colleagues, Lover famous that he by no means imagined that he would obtain this particular honor. “I’ve by no means been ‘business,’ I’ve all the time been ‘in da streets,’” Lover declared, including, “That’s what I’ve all the time been, and I’m honored. Thanks, Residing Legends Basis. I by no means thought I might be any form of dwelling legend. I by no means thought that. Earlier than Yo! MTV Raps, I used to be a safety guard at Andrew Jackson Excessive College in Queens. That’s what I used to be doing in ‘87, ‘88, ‘89 … So, for me that is surreal.” To view Ed Lover’s speech, click on right here.
Two particular movies had been produced for the night. The In Memoriam video highlighted 50 of the 175 business members who died because the final LLF dinner in October 2022 and paid particular tribute to City Buzz editor Kevin Fleming, Promotion Government Harold Childs, music icon Clarence Avant, and LLF President Varnell H. Johnson. To view the In Memoriam video, click on right here.
The salute to Hip Hop video took a special stance from different tributes honoring the fiftieth anniversary. Whereas nonetheless celebrating the artists who had been on the forefront of the style, the LLF chronicled the historical past behind the scenes, recognizing the document labels, DJs, and avenue groups who laid the muse of what’s now a billion-dollar business. Lots of the individuals talked about within the Salute had been in attendance and capable of see their achievements acknowledged.
This yr’s dinner chairs had been Skip Dillard, model supervisor and program director for Audacy’s WXBK/94.7, the Block, New York Metropolis; and Woman B, air persona of Classix 107.9 in Philadelphia.
The Residing Legends sponsors included Sony Music Group (Presenting Sponsor); Republic Data, The Berry Gordy Basis for Reality and Justice, and Common Music Group (Platinum Circle); Empire Music Group, Miles Forward Leisure, and SESAC (Silver Circle); Metropolis Nationwide Financial institution (Leisure Sponsor); and Amazon Music, Anchor Promotions, Money Cash Data, Chew Leisure, Epic Data, Mack Data, Marshall/Tempo/Wilson/Hayes, MNRK Music Group, RCA Data, Warner Data (Desk Sponsors).
Media Companions included EURWEB.com (Lee Bailey), RadioFacts.com (Kevin Ross), Moses Media (Don Cody), and The City Buzz (the late Kevin Fleming).
Reward Bag Companions included Carol’s Daughter, AIDS Healthcare Basis, The Hip Hop Museum, Miracle Butter Cream, SESAC, Sanders & Hardy, Hoodie Hook, Karla’s Kookies, Palmetto Connoisseur Meals, and Who Has It?
For added data on the Residing Legends Basis, please go to the web site at livinglegendsfoundation.com. Observe us on Instagram, Fb, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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