Drake Beats Out Heavyweights For Best Hip-Hop Video
In a category crowded with the best in the game, it was Drake who walked away with the Moonman for Best Hip-Hop Video at MTV's Video Music Awards.
The Canadian rapper's "HYFR" video featuring Lil Wayne beat out Jay-Z and Kanye West, Big Sean, 2 Chainz and Pusha T, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Childish Gambino in the category.
The video, a toast to his black and Jewish background, finds Drake reliving a bar mitzvah. Like his music video, his acceptance speech was personal. He brought up the entire Young Money crew --Minaj and Lil Wayne (who's featured on the track and provides the hook) flanked him, among others.
"Well, first of all, obviously gotta thank Lil Wayne because he killed the song. I gotta thank everybody from Young Money, shout out to Toronto, one time!" he yelled to the crowd.
"The video, it's about being me. Being black and Jewish. I went to this house party one time, and when I showed up there, it was a bunch of kids and I ended up getting made fun of," he recalled onstage. "I want to dedicate this award to any kid that's ever had a long walk home by yourself, you know what I'm saying? This is to you man for real. We made it."
The category was plenty competitive, considering that young Drake went up against two hip-hop heavyweights in Jay and Kanye -- even famed director Spike Lee (who was at Staples Center last year when the two filmed live snippets for the "Paris" video thought theirs was the standout.)
"I think it's a great video. Just overall, the approach and the kaleidoscope effect [are great], and it's a great song," he told MTV News.
For a list of all the winners at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, ">click here.
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