While coveted career-spanning awards can sometimes feel canned or phoned-in, there’s nothing that feels phony about calling Drake the artist of the decade. With over 200 entries into the Billboard Hot 100, a whopping nine No. 1 albums, and the kind of culture-defining force that few artists ever get to wield, he has undoubtedly changed the face of rap, pop, and R&B all at the same time. But to accept this monumental award, he didn’t enlist any celebrities or famous friends to present it to him, opting instead to have his friends and family lining the back of the stage while he accepted it.
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And it wasn’t just his mother and father, other relatives and closest friends who were there with him. As he walked out onstage, Drake was holding the hand of his young son, Adonis, and even gave the trophy to the toddler to hold while he gave his heartfelt, off-the-cuff acceptance speech. For those who remember the accusations leveled against Drizzy during one of the lowest moments of his career — Pusha T’s venomous declaration “you are hiding a child” — tonight’s acceptance felt like a direct rebuttal to that attack. Putting it to bed once and for all, Drake dedicated one of the biggest awards of his career to Adonis, holding him up for a final celebration before heading offstage.
Congratulations Drake, artist of the decade… now can we please get Certified Lover Boy in time for summer? Watch his full speech above.
