TWO LEGENDS, NO WAITING

Living Legends Foundation (LLF) honoree and promotion luminary Lionel Ridenour is seen here with the similarly legendary L.A. Reid at the org's annual awards ceremony 10/6 at the Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood. "Is that a copy of HITS?" Lionel asked. "HITS? God, no," L.A. replied. "It's the event program. The ink doesn't come off on your fingers or anything."

Also honored at the prestigious event were Walt “Baby” Love, Nelson George, Rocky Bucano, Ed Lover, Vernon Brown, Jacqueline Rhinehart, Tracey J. Jordan and Shanti Das.

Hosted by KJLH radio personality Tammi Mac, this year’s confab celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with the participation of other pillars of the culture like Cash Money co-founder Ronald “Slim” Williams and Reid. Other high-profile guests included Sony Music Publishing chief Jon Platt, Republic boss Monte Lipman and such creators as Howard Hewett, Kenny Lattimore and Brian Courtney Wilson.

David C. Linton, chairman of the Living Legends Foundation, kicked off the ceremony, proclaiming, “The state of the Living Legends Foundation is strong.” He also addressed the loss of so many Black executives over the past few years, including LLF president Varnell H. Johnson and the “Black Godfather,” Clarence Avant.

The Creative Visionary Award was presented to LLF Vice President Rhinehart; the Entertainment Advocate Award went to Brown; Jordan received the Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award; the A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award was given to Das; Anchor Promotions CEO Ridenhour went home with the Music Executive Award; Universal Hip-Hop Museum Executive Director Bucano earned the Hip-Hop Visionary Award; George was bestowed with the Media Icon Award ; and Lover, of Yo! MTV Raps fame, landed the Jerry Boulding Radio Award.

The In Memoriam video highlighted 50 of the roughly 175 industry figures who've died since 2022’s LLF dinner, paying special tribute to Urban Buzz editor Kevin Fleming, promotion executive Harold Childs, Avant and Johnson.