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Killer Mike Accepts First-Ever Billboard Change Maker Award With Message To Youth

For the first time in Billboard Music Award history, an artist has been honored with the Billboard Change Maker Award. The iconic moment was bestowed upon Run The Jewels rapper Killer Mike who has dedicated his life to not only making stream-worthy hits, but for his actions outside of the studio. Killer Mike has actively involved himself in local and national politics, helped to launch and support initiatives that benefit underprivileged or marginalized communities, and has spoken candidly about alternative options to political policies that only seem to be benefiting an elite few.

During Wednesday’s Billboard Music Awards ceremony, Killer Mike accepted his nod virtually with his wife by his side. The rapper said the award belongs to him and his wife and promised her he wouldn’t become a “martyr” to the cause. “Kids out there that sing and dance: What you do is worthy,” Killer Mike said. “You are artists and your goal should be to express the very reality around you in the very most beautiful or ugliest of ways you see fit. Kids who run and dance and sing and jump and all that, all the things they tell you don’t matter — you matter more than you know.”

 

On Twitter, Billboard‘s official account wrote, “Throughout his 20-year music career, @KillerMike has been instrumental in social justice and civil rights movements and that is why he is our Billboard Change Maker! Congrats!” Check out a clip below.

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Kanye West Joins Chicago Ceremony Honoring His Mother With Dr. Donda West Way

Kanye West was in Chicago for a street naming ceremony honoring his late mother, Dr. Donda West, and celebrating her lasting contributions to the city, her impact on education and the arts, and her influence on her son’s life.

A portion of 78th Street bears the official designation of Dr. Donda West Way, an appropriate tribute to a woman whose legacy remains deeply entangled with Chicago. Local news covered the ceremony, attended by community leaders, and Ye could be seen clapping in the background, wearing shades, as the new street sign was unveiled.

The event celebrated Donda West’s accomplishments and her impact on the people in her life. It was also a moment of profound personal significance for Kanye. His mother played a large part in building his confidence and supporting his musical ambitions, leading him down the path that would ultimately make him one of the most recognizable artists in music.

West had already paid tribute to his mother in his 2021 album Donda. The project took 10 years to complete, the amount of time it took Ye to process her tragic passing. Donda’s voice is present throughout the album, adding another personal element to a project centered on her memory and legacy.

Read More: Young Thug Reunites With Fan Who Found a Way to Message Him in Jail

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The Chicago ceremony falls during a busy time for West. The artist is on a world tour and played a couple of shows in Chicago just a few weeks ago. Despite the ongoing controversy about his recent past and public reception, his repeated returns to the stage have underscored the enduring size of his audience.

Currently, the unveiling of Dr. Donda West Way is not about music but about celebrating Donda West’s life and accomplishments and the impact she continues to have through the legacy she left behind.

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DJ Akademiks Opens the Door to Pusha T Amidst Drake Controversy

DJ Akademiks seems to be changing his tune on Pusha T after the leak of the rapper’s alleged album with Pharrell, though the project reportedly includes several direct shots at Drake.

The reaction is notable as Akademiks and Pusha T have been on completely unique sides of the long-running Drake-Pusha T divide. Pusha T’s infamous beef with Drake reached a major milestone in 2018 with the release of “The Story of Adidon.” Akademiks has an OVO chain and has been a big supporter of Drake, which makes his latest comments about Pusha T even more shocking.

The two have had their differences, though they have never gone back and forth publicly over the years. Akademiks, however, responded to the leaked project with a more sympathetic view of Pusha T’s position. Akademiks didn’t just point out the rapper’s continued Drake references; he also recognized that Drake has been beefing with Pusha T and Pharrell over the last few years.

Read More: Chris Brown Clashes With Journalist as Debate Over His Abuse History Resurfaces

Things got spicy when Akademiks reminded him that Pusha T has liked a couple of his posts before. That detail apparently has Akademiks considering reaching out directly to talk with Pusha T.

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Does Pusha T even want that kind of conversation? Still, Akademiks’ comments imply that he believes there’s room for a more productive discourse between two personalities who have historically been on opposite sides of the Drake-Pusha T feud.

For now, the leaked album has provided an unexpected opening for dialogue. Akademiks’ openness to Pusha T’s side, even with his clear ties to Drake, shifts the conversation away from taking sides and toward whether a direct conversation could actually happen.

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