By Audrey Rock
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 3/1/18 – A child of the 90’s doesn’t forget the moment Ludacris takes the stage in an epic rap performance. Then…Snoop Dogg joins him. Then…Sean Diddy Combs. Then Jermaine Dupris. This legendary rap quartet did in fact occur at the 6th annual REVOLT Global Spin Awards February 15th at DTLA’s Novo Center, later rebroadcast exclusively on REVOLT TV.
The four monarchs of hip-hop performed Welcome to Atlanta Coast 2 Coast Remix to a crowd gone wild—more wild with each monumental addition to the stage. By the time that was over, it almost felt as if absolutely nothing could top it. It quite literally brought the house down.
The Global Spin Awards was a bicoastal night filled with guests who’d flown from New York City to celebrate what many consider to be an essential backbone of the music industry—DJ’s. The Global Spin Awards touts itself as “the only show that celebrates the DJ.” Out to support these musical masters of spin were obviously some of the top and most recognizable talent in recording. Timbaland and Jermaine Dupri were the men of the night, with Timbaland being honored with The Lifetime Achievement Award and Jermaine Dupri an honoree of the Breaking Barriers Award.
On the carpet preceding the awards, multi-talented rap star and actor Ludacris singled out Dupri as a starmaker and Timbaland as an influence. “I couldn’t name just one,” he told THT when asked what the biggest factor in his success was. “But I would say Jermaine Dupri and Timbaland. They were both instrumental in helping me start my career. They produced records on my first album.”
Dupri’s re-coronation as hip-hop royalty happened with a full court. His award was presented by Usher, and onstage with him during his acceptance speech were Usher, BowWow, Diddy, Snoop, and Ludacris.
“I got a story with everybody up here,” Dupri told the audience. “I just want to say I’m happy that I could share this with these guys on the stage, and all of the DJ’s. I started DJing before I started producing; before I started even rapping I was trying to DJ, I was listening to music and I was touching the turn tables.”
Other award winners included DJ Khaled for DJ of the Year and Hip Hop DJ of the Year; Calvin Harris for EDM DJ of the Year; Swizz Beatz for Celebrity DJ of the Year; La Leakers for National Mixshow DJ of the Year; DJ Camilo for National Club DJ of the Year; DJ Carisma for Female DJ of the Year; A-Trak for National Open Format DJ of the Year; Satik Selektah for Online/Satellite Radio DJ of the Year; DJ Drama for Mixtape DJ of the Year; DJ Ease for Turntablist of the Year; Bobby Konders for Raggae DJ of the Year; DJ Lobo for Latin DJ of the Year; Diplo for International DJ of the Year; Metro Boomin for DJ Producer of the Year; Ted Smooth for DJ Remixer of the Year; DJ Khaled for DJ Entrepreneur of the Year; DJ Envy for Regional Club DJ of The Year (Northeast); DJ Steph Floss for Regional Club DJ of the Year (Midwest); Dre Sinatra for Regional Club DJ of the Year (West); A-Trak for Regional Open Format Club DJ of the Year (Northeast); Irie for Regional Open Format Club DJ of the Year (South); DJ Steph Floss for Regional Open Format Club DJ of the Year (Midwest); Justin Credible for Regional Open Format Club DJ of the Year (West); Funkmaser Flex for Regional Mixshow DJ of the Year (Northeast); DJ Drama for Regional Mixshow DJ of the Year (South); DJ Pharris for Regional Mixshow DJ of the Year (Midwest); LA Leakers for Regional Mixshow DJ of the Year (West); LA Leakers for Online Record Breakers; DJ Drama/Don Cannon—Generation Now for DJ Record Label of the Year; Kid Capri for The Red Award (Adult Contemporary); DJ Esco for Tour DJ of the Year; and Metro Boomin for the 2018 Global Spin Awards People’s DJ Award.
