Marley Marl received I Am Hip-Hop Award at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2023.
The 17th annual BET Hip Hop Awards 2023, which took place earlier this month, was finally aired last night. The ceremony which was held at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, was hosted by rapper, actor, and executive producer Fat Joe.
This year, legendary Marley Marl was honoured with the I Am Hip-Hop Award, for which he was introduced by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. Before the acceptance speech, a video tribute was played, which featured praise from the likes of Eminem, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, D-Nice, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Roxanne Shante and more.
“He has produced some of the greatest hip-hop beats of all time,” said Eminem. “He kind of composed it and caught that moment. They were about to explode. The energy that LL had mixed with Marley’s production lit a fire under LL to make that album what it was. Marley, man, one of the greatest. What can I say? He deserves the award because he’s f–king Marley Marl. So what are you gonna do about it?”
Eminem, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, D-Nice, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Roxanne Shante and more pays tribute to Marley Marl At BET Hip Hop Awards 2023 🎥🚨 #Eminem #BETHipHopAwards2023 #HipHopAwards #MarleyMarl pic.twitter.com/DKHei3bOhM
— HipHop24x7.com (@hiphop24x7com_) October 11, 2023
“Me and LL had something to prove, and we proved it,” Marley said in his speech in response to EMinem. “He said something that’s very G, that I don’t think a lot of y’all heard. He invented sampling on a record. This is Marley Marl right here.”
The show also featured a Marley Marl tribute performance from LL Cool J and Rakim, where they performed hits like “Eric B. Is President”, “Paid In Full”, “Jingling Baby,” “Around The Way Girl,” “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “Rock The Bells.”
Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar dominated the night by winning awards in four categories, including Hip Hop Artist of the year. The rapper also won the awards for “Lyricist of the Year,” “Best Live Performer,” and “Video Director of the Year” alongside Dave Free.
