LOS ANGELES – When Cardi B was looking for a record deal six years ago, the rapper recalled that several labels didn’t believe in her talents enough financially — except for Atlantic Records executives Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman.
Cardi B paid homage to Greenwald and Craig Kallman, who were honored with the 2023 Industry Icons Award at Clive Davis’ star-studded Pre-Grammys Gala in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday night. The wildly popular event, held the night before the Grammy Awards, returned for the first time since 2020 after being suspended due to the pandemic.
In a heartfelt speech, the Grammy winner thanked Greenwald and Kallman for supporting her career aspirations. Kallman is CEO and Chairman of Atlantic Records, while Greenwald holds the position of CEO and Chairman of Atlantic Music Group – a newly formed label home to Atlantic Records and 300 Elektra.
“Other labels held me back and didn’t give me what I thought I deserved, but Atlantic respected me, my vision and my career,” the rapper recalled. “Craig and Julie took me under their wing.”
Cardi B said she was afraid to choose between her career and motherhood while recording her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, which eventually earned her a Grammy in 2019.
“I was very scared, I was pregnant and scared to tell anyone,” she said. “I was afraid to tell anyone. I was scared of people who wanted me to choose between my family and my career because I knew that happened to other artists on other labels too. But with Craig and Julie, the opposite happened. You told me I could do both and I’ll never forget that.”
Davis’ annual gala is hard to come by or invited to. With more than 300 tables filled, a variety of notables helped fill the room including former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, her husband Paul Pelosi, Tom Hanks, HER, Janelle Monae, Lil Nas X, Demi Lovato, Tyrese and Olivia Rodrigo, Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox and Chance the Rapper.
Kevin Costner opened the hour-long event with a speech about his relationship with Davis and the late Whitney Houston, with whom the actor co-starred in the 1992 film The Bodyguard. The three took a “huge leap” in moving forward with the film — especially for Davis, the actor said.
“Maybe the hardest part was for Clive,” Costner said. “I had to believe that I could make the film I had in mind. Whitney saw it as an opportunity to reinvent himself. But for Clive, it was a career move that contained a recipe for disaster. I needed Clive. I needed his trust and blessing. I needed one thing he wasn’t used to: control.”
Costner called Davis a “miracle” in Houston’s life. The singer died in 2012 at the age of 48.
“You couldn’t protect your beloved Whitney. Your fingerprints on your life are clean, my friend,” said Costner. “You were a miracle in her life. Thanks for being her bodyguard, Clive. … Everyone in this business has a mom. But not everyone gets a Clive.”
The event featured multiple performances including Maneskin, Lizzo, Sheryl Crow, Jennifer Hudson, Frankie Valli, Lauren Daigle, Latto, Lil Baby and Lil Wayne.
“On this one night we’re still breaking bread, we’re celebrating the music that fundamentally and forever binds us all together,” Davis said. “There are no awards. There are no winners or losers tonight. It is simply our passion that makes our hearts beat faster. It makes our lives so much more purposeful with joy and fulfillment.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed without permission.
