BMI Honors George Clinton, T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Many More at Urban Awards in New York
BMI saluted the world’s premier R&B, rap and hip-hop songwriters, producers and publishers Thursday, September 10 at its annual Urban Awards. BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Catherine Brewton, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta, hosted the ceremony at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street, New York City.
Hip-hop titans T-Pain and Lil Wayne shared the prestigious Songwriter of the Year prize, as trendsetters Polow Da Don and Kanye West both earned Producer of the Year titles. Song of the Year honors went to Jordin Sparks’ “No Air,” written by Erik Griggs, while Universal Music Publishing Group garnered yet another Publisher of the Year crown.
The capstone of the night’s festivities was the presentation of the BMI Icon Award to George Clinton, whose achievements were celebrated with an all-star musical tribute, featuring performances by Cee-Lo Green, who delivered “One Nation Under a Groove”; Nikka Costa and Parliament/Funkadelic’s Bootsy Collins, who performed “Atomic Dog”; Janelle Monáe and Gym Class Hero’s Travis McCoy, who performed “Flashlight”; and Dallas Austin, Big Gipp and Outkast’s Big Boi, whose medley of “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)” and “Up for the Down Store” was the jaw-dropping conclusion. The crowd jumped to their feet and danced as George Clinton himself took the stage and finished the evening with a rousing performance.
Clinton enters an elite collection of BMI Icons including the Jacksons, James Brown, the Bee Gees, Isaac Hayes, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Gloria Estefan, Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, Little Richard and Al Green—songwriters who have had a “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” The pioneer of p-funk, Clinton’s solo work and collaborations with his ace bands Parliament, Funkadelic and the P. Funk All-Stars rank among urban and rock music’s most influential. From the self-penned “(I Wanna) Testify,” “Atomic Dog,” “One Nation Under a Groove” to “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)” and “Aqua Boogie,” his songs have spawned new genres of music, have been sampled in countless hits and have been used in more than 1,000 television programs and films. In 1997, George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic became members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, claimed a spot on the Hollywood Rock Walk and garnered the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAACP Image Awards.
T-Pain and Lil Wayne both contributed six songs to the year’s most-performed list, underscoring the dominance both artists have achieved, occasionally through collaborations with each other. T-Pain’s award-winning compositions include “Baby Don’t Go,” recorded by Fabolous; Rick Ross’s “The Boss”; “Low,” recorded by Flo Rida and featuring T-Pain; 2 Pistols’ “She Got It”; and “Can’t Believe It” and “Got Money,” which he co-wrote and performed with Lil Wayne. In addition to “Can’t Believe It” and “Got Money,” Lil Wayne’s most-performed compositions include “A Milli,” “Lollipop” and “Mrs. Officer,” which he co-wrote and recorded; and “Duffle Bag Boy,” recorded by Playaz Circle and featuring Lil Wayne.
Song of the Year “No Air” was co-written by Erik “Bluetooth” Griggs and published by 4 X Ample Music, Irving Music and Underdog East Songs. Recorded by Jordin Sparks and featuring Chris Brown, the tune has already amassed more than 1 million performances in the United States alone, as more than 3.5 million copies have been digitally purchased worldwide. In addition to achieving platinum-sales status in the U.S., New Zealand and Australia, “No Air” climbed into the top ten of charts over the world.
Polow Da Don and Kanye West shared the Producer of the Year win thanks to individually logging the most producer credits on charting songs over the past year. The BMI Top Urban Producers list also featured contemporary hit-makers L.O.S. Da Mystro, Jim Jonsin, T-Pain and JR Rotem.
Universal Music Publishing Group earned its second consecutive BMI Urban Publisher of the Year trophy by scoring the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. The publishing powerhouse placed fifteen hits on the most-performed list, including Mario’s “Crying Out for Me”; David Banner’s “Get Like Me,” featuring Chris Brown; Usher’s “Love In This Club,” featuring Young Jeezy; Alicia Key’s “Teenage Love Affair”; and Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body”; along with Song of the Year “No Air” and compositions from Songwriter of the Year T-Pain.
Additional multiple award-winners included T.I., with three BMI Urban Awards, and Chris Brown, Jim Jonsin, Plies, Polow Da Don, JR Rotem, Kanye West and Young Jeezy, who each contributed two songs to the most-performed list.
The BMI and Coca-Cola #1 Show held prior to the ceremony also recognized the BMI-affiliated writers whose songs reached #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Tracks, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot 100 charts during the past year.
Sponsors of the 2009 BMI Urban Awards were Coca-Cola and official spirits sponsor Hennessy Black, who provided the evening’s complimentary cocktails.
Below is the complete list of 2009 BMI Urban Awards winners:
A MILLI
Lil Wayne
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Lil Wayne
Cash Money/Universal
BABY DON’T GO
T-Pain
Nappypub Music
Universal Music-Z Songs
Fabolous featuring Jermaine Dupri
Desert Storm/Def Jam/DJMG
THE BOSS
Rick Ross
JR Rotem
T-Pain
4 Blunts Lit At Once Publishing
First and Gold Publishing
Jonathan Rotem Music
Nappypub Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Universal Music-Z Songs
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Rick Ross featuring T-Pain
Slip-N-Slide/Def Jam
BUST IT BABY PART 2
Janet Jackson
Plies
JR Rotem
Black Ice Publishing
First and Gold Publishing
Jonathan Rotem Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Plies featuring Ne-Yo
Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide
CAN’T BELIEVE IT
Lil Wayne
T-Pain
Nappypub Music
Universal Music-Z Songs
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
T-Pain featuring Lil Wayne
Nappy Boy/Konvict
CRYING OUT FOR ME
Jasper Cameron
Polow Da Don
Elvis Williams
Elvis Lee Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
My Diet Starts Tomorrow, Inc.
Pretty Girls and Big Love Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Mario
3rd Street/J Records
DEY KNOW
Cory “Born Immaculate” Way
Born Immaculate Music
Shawty Lo
Asylum
DUFFLE BAG BOY
Joshua “M16” Banks
Lil Wayne
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Playaz Circle featuring Lil Wayne
DTP/Def Jam
FLASHING LIGHTS
Eric Hudson
Kanye West
E. Hudson Music, LLC
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Kanye West featuring Dwele
Roc-A-Fella/DJMG
GET LIKE ME
Chris Brown
Jim Jones
Yung Joc
Basement Funk South
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Granny Man Publishing
Malik and Mekhi Music
Sally Ruth Esther Publishing, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
David Banner featuring Chris Brown, Jim Jones & Yung Joc
B.I.G.F.A.C.E
GOT MONEY
Lil Wayne
T-Pain
Nappypub Music
Universal Music-Z Songs
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Lil Wayne featuring T-Pain
Cash Money
HYPNOTIZED
Plies
First and Gold Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Plies featuring Akon
Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide
JUST FINE
Jazze Pha
Bubba Gee Music
Noontime Tunes
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Mary J. Blige
Matriarch/Geffen/Interscope
LIVE YOUR LIFE
Makeba Riddick
T.I.
Crown Club Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Janice Combs Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Yoga Flames Publishing
T.I. featuring Rihanna
Grand Hustle
LOLLI LOLLI (POP THAT BODY)
Paul “DJ Paul” Beauregard
Darrell “Yung D” Chambers
Jordan “Juicy J” Houston
Patrick “Project Pat” Houston
Tefnoise Publishing LLC
Three 6 Mafia featuring Project Pat, Yung D & SuperPower
Hypnotize Minds
LOLLIPOP
Jim Jonsin
Lil Wayne
Rex Zamor
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Jimipub Music
Laumar Music Co.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Lil Wayne featuring Static Major
Cash Money
LOVE IN THIS CLUB
Polow Da Don
Lamar “B Grand” Taylor
Young Jeezy
Baby Keyz Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
My Diet Starts Tomorrow, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Young Jeezy Music
Usher featuring Young Jeezy
LaFace/Zomba
LOW (2nd Award)
DJ Montay
Korey “Big Oomp” Roberson
Howard “MC Assault” Simmons
T-Pain
Nappypub Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Top Quality Publishing
Universal Music-Z Songs
Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
Poe Boy/Atlantic
MRS. OFFICER
Lil Wayne
Bobby V. Wilson
Irving Music
Tightwerk Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Lil Wayne featuring Bobby Valentino
Cash Money
NO AIR
Erik Griggs
4 X Ample Music
Irving Music
Underdog East Songs
Jordin Sparks duet with Chris Brown
19/Jive/Zomba
PUT ON
Kanye West
Young Jeezy
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Young Jeezy Music
Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West
Corporate Thugz/Def Jam
SENSUAL SEDUCTION
Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus
Seneca Lovejoy
My Own Chit Publishing
Snoop Dogg
Doggystyle/Geffen
SEXY CAN I
Ray J
Stop Trying To Copy My Music
Ray J featuring Yung Berg
Yung Boss/Epic/Koch
SHE GOT IT
2 Pistols
T-Pain
Blood Money Union Entertainment Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Nappypub Music
Universal Music-Z Songs
2 Pistols featuring T-Pain & Tay Dizm
Universal/Republic
SUPERSTAR
Lupe Fiasco
Heavy As Heaven Music
Universal Music-Careers
Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos
1st and 15th/Atlantic
TAKE YOU DOWN
Chris Brown
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Chris Brown
Jive/Zomba
TEENAGE LOVE AFFAIR
Josephine Bridges
Carl Hampton
Harold Lilly, Jr.
Thomas Nixon
Jack Splash
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Irving Music
Stripe Music
Uncle Bobby Music
Alicia Keys
MBK/J Records
TOUCH MY BODY
Mariah Carey
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Mariah Carey
Island Records
WHATEVER YOU LIKE
Jim Jonsin
David Siegel
T.I.
Crown Club Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Jimipub Music
Merchandyze Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
T.I.
Grand Hustle/Atlantic
WITH YOU
Amund Bjørklund (PRS)
Espen Lind (PRS)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Chris Brown
Jive/Zomba
YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS
Jerry “Wonder” Duplessis
T.I.
Crown Club Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Te Bass Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
T.I. featuring Wyclef Jean
Grand Hustle/Atlantic
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