Snoop Dogg, Michael Harris and Nipsey Hussle Honored at The Black Business Association’s “Virtual Salute to Black Music” Thursday, June 24, 2021
Rap/Hip-Hop Music icon & Philanthropist, Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus, Businessman/Philanthropist Michael Harris, and the late rapper and business man, Nipsey Hussle are this year’s honoree for the Black Business Association (BBA), “Virtual Salute to Black Music Awards” on Thursday, June 24, 2020 at 5:30 – 7 PM. The BBA is the oldest ethnic business organization in the State of California and will host its Annual event held in recognition of Black Music Appreciation Month.
The BBA is excited to announce it will honor Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus, with the “Lifetime Legacy Award”,and Michael Harris, with the “Business Pioneer Legends Award”. We will also honor Nipsey Hussle posthumously
the “Distinguished Business Advocate Award”.
In keeping with the event theme, “The Business behind the Music”, the (BBA) recognizes the honorees for their contributions of these esteemed honorees in the advancement of African-Americans in the music Industry. Now, more than ever the (BBA) recognizes that in light of the current Black Lives Matter Movement; there is an even greater imperative, to acknowledge those that help to propel Black Lives into success. Among past Honorees are; Clarence Avant, Berry Gordy, Dick Griffey, Smokey Robinson, Siedah Garrett, Janet Jackso, and Jheryl Busby to name a few.
About Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg is a rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, media personality, entrepreneur, and actor. His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre’s solo debut, “Deep Cover” and then on Dre’s solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.
Snoop’s debut album, “Doggystyle”, produced by Dr. Dre, was released in 1993 by Death Row Records. Bolstered by excitement driven by Snoop’s featuring on The Chronic, the album debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Doggystyle became certified quadruple platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including “What My Name?” and “Gin & Juice”. Snoop has 17 Grammy nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team, and always gives back to his community.
About Michael Harris
Born in California and raised in Louisiana, Mr. Harris has always been known for his entrepreneurial spirit. He created Godfather Entertainment, the parent company of Death Row Records and Keeping the Dream Alive Productions that produced the award-winning documentary Welcome to Death Row while being incarcerated. Also during this time Mr. Harris established or resurrected several organizations to help his fellow inmates including [MOMAS], Members of a Modern American Society, a group that helps incarcerated men with financial literacy, and The Last Mile, which provides in-prison technology education and post incarceration mentorship. Partnering with Emmy Award winner, author, lawyer and CNN spokesperson Van Jones, Mr. Harris created the Green Life program, a course that that teaches Green sustainability economics and career opportunities in that field. This program, along with several other courses developed by Mr. Harris are still in existence today. In the entertainment sector, he founded Y-Not Productions, producer of the play Checkmates, starring Denzel Washington which went on to play on Broadway and Stepping Into Tomorrow, which paired Martin Luther King, Jr.’s daughter Yolanda King and Malcom X’s daughter Attallah Shabazz. In 2021, President Donald Trump selected Mr. Harris as one of his official pardons. Since his celebrated release, Mr. Harris has not missed a beat in continuing his work to help his fellow citizens through the creation of various businesses and philanthropic organizations. Most recently, Mr. Harris created Community One World, a nonprofit organization that supports community organizations that focus on social justice and prison reform. Mr. Harris has also established Philanthropy TV Media (PTV), it is the first entertainment and media company that attracts, directs, and connects philanthropic dollars to causes, both nationwide and around the globe. In addition, Mr. Harris has partner with blk., an Alkaline pH 8.0+ Water Beverage, that pledges to donate to community groups nationwide.
About Nipsey Hussle
Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Davidson Asghedom was an Eritrean-American rapper and businessman from Los Angeles, California. He released several mixtapes, including three installments of his Bullets Ain’t Got No Name series, The Marathon, The Marathon Continues and Crenshaw, the latter of which rapper Jay-Z, bought 100 copies for $100 each. Though some music websites classify Nipsey’s music as gangsta rap, his music spans multiple hip-hop genres, including the g-funk, or gangsta funk, sound of Dr. Dre fame that was ubiquitous to the streets of the Crenshaw District where Nipsey grew up in the 1990s. His ventures spanned from his music label and The Marathon Clothing store, to his Marathon Agency, a talent and marketing company, and his Proud 2 Pay campaign, a trailblazing means to distribute his music. Tapping the anticipation surrounding “Victory Lap” last year, Nipsey opened a workspace and science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, center that he described as a bridge between Silicon Valley and the inner city. He told the Los Angeles Times he hoped the center, named Vector 90 would give young people more options and opportunities than he had as a kid. Upon his death, Hussle loved his stomping grounds in both word and deed; buying shoes for students, repairing & upgrading playgrounds and basketball courts, helping to renovate an old roller rink, providing jobs and shelter for homeless residents, paying for funerals of those who couldn’t afford them, and investing in Destination Crenshaw, an art-and-culture project that celebrates Los Angeles’ black history. His clothing store was part of a strip mall renovation that would include apartments for low-income families. Nipsey was more movement than music as was evident in the tributes that poured in from fans, hundreds of whom flocked to The Marathon Clothing store after he was shot, and from celebrities who noted that his legacy would be a layered one. They encouraged his fans to keep that legacy alive. His debut studio album “Victory Lap” was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.
About the Black Business Association Los Angeles (BBA)
Celebrating 50 Years of service, the Black Business Association (BBA), was founded in 1970. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the oldest active ethnic business organization in the State of California, has been committed to ensuring that African Americans and other diverse business owners benefit from (BBA) advocacy, efforts to impact, improve, and implement policy, that improves access to contracting and procurement opportunities with the public and private sector, in addition to providing access to financial resources. The (BBA) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.
