Blxst, SAINt JHN, And Tim Hinshaw Honored At Billboard’s 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players
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On Thursday night (Nov. 18), Billboard gathered executives, artists, and other notable forces in the music industry to celebrate the 2022 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list and issue. Honoring R&B and Hip-Hop executives across the business, the exclusive cocktail hour featured gratified speeches and good-natured networking.
Future presented Blxst with the Rookie of the Year Award, SZA presented the Executive of the Year award to Tim Hinshaw, Head of Hip-Hop & R&B at Amazon Music, and VIBE Editor-In-Chief Datwon Thomas honored SAINt JHN with the Rémy Martin x VIBE Impact and Excellence Award for his remarkable efforts to help his community and the next generation of musicians.
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“I don’t have a whole ton to say tonight, but I’m really appreciative…the music got me here,” began SAINt JHN in his acceptance speech. “I’m brave enough to just do the things that I think I wanna hear in this world, the songs that I want to hear and people are excited enough to listen to it…this is really cool.”
Other notable attendees included Nick Cannon, Pusha T, Daylyt, DJ Scheme, Ghazi, Warner Records CEO & Co-Chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck, Epic Records Chairman & CEO Sylvia Rhone, Rolling Loud Co-Founder and Co-CEO Tariq Cherif, Billboard President Mike Van, Billboard Executive Director of R&B/Hip-Hop Gail Mitchell, Billboard Deputy Director R&B/Hip-Hop Carl Lamarre, and more.
Sponsors for the evening included Samsung, Intel, and Rémy Martin.
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Heat lamps kept guests warm as specialty cocktails, and small bites powered the event through the after-dark and crispy Los Angeles night. Once the reception ended, the crowd moved inside the venue to enjoy a special Hip-Hop concert.
Flo Milli served as the opening act for City Girls at Billboard’s first-ever consumer event celebrating the unveiling of the R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list and issue. Fans were able to purchase tickets to enjoy their rap girl favorites performing their top track.
The Alabama rapper and a lively group of dancers kicked off the event, swarmed the stage, and set the energy level for the late-night show. The 22-year-old artist delivered “In The Party,” “Weak,” “We Not Humpin,” and more fan-favorite tracks. During her set, the audience yelled her “Flo Milli sh*t” adlib as she stood proudly at center stage.
City Girls followed with an equally energetic performance. Bringing their Miami culture to the stage, JT and Caresha dazzled in orange and red costuming with bright smiles. The duo performed a selection of their biggest songs and guest verses including “Rodeo,” “Where The Bag At,” “Twerk,” and “Act Up.”
Attendees walked away with Samsung-sponsored swag and a hands-on experience with the latest Samsung Galaxy products displayed at the event. Billboard and the Intel® Evo™ platform also launched an exclusive NFT collaboration to support the event.
See more images from Billboard’s 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players below.
