Tonight was the final night of the REVOLT Music Conference, which brought industry leaders and a host of hip-hop elites to Miami for a three-day series of panels, performances, and networking events. Last night was the annual gala dinner, and this year's ceremony was held in honor of Nas, the recipient of the Jimmy Iovine Icon Award. Diddy, the owner of REVOLT, presented Nas with the award and delivered a lengthy speech on the Queensbridge emcee's lasting contributions to hip-hop music and culture, calling him a "true example of Black excellence."
During his speech, Diddy spoke on his and Nas' friendship, the perfection of Illmatic, Nas' achievements in other art forms, and how his music "brought you back into the Black experience," citing the 2004 song "Bridging the Gap," a jazz and blues-inspired collaboration between Nas and his father, which Diddy feels is his most courageous work.
After the celebration, Nas went on Instagram to share pictures from the event and thank those who honored him. "We're two crazy mfa's who somehow figured it all out ourselves," he wrote to his "brother" Diddy. "But you are a leader that we ALL learned from!"
Nas also expressed his gratitude to moguls Andre Harrell and Steve Stoute and also to DMX, who he called "a powerful testament to human resilience."
