Last night at the Billboard Music Awards, the first-ever Change Maker Award was presented to Michael “Killer Mike” Render. The Run The Jewels member was presented the honor by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for his social justice work. Mike used his acceptance speech from Atlanta’s APEX Museum to inspire aspiring entertainers and organizers.
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“Kids out there that sing and dance – what you do is worthy,” said Mike. “You are artists and your goal should be to express the very reality around you in the very most beautiful or ugliest of ways you see fit. Kids who run and dance and sing and jump, all the things they tell you don’t matter, you matter more than you know.”
The Atlanta-raised emcee/entrepreneur/activist added, “The kids that are organizing, plotting, planning, and strategizing, right there on the ground, and mobilizing – you are needed more than ever. I am a culmination of all these things.”
While standing next to his wife, Shana Render, Killer Mike also gave a shout out to his family members, his mentors, his teachers, and his hometown for encouraging and supporting him. The 2020 Billboard Music Awards aired October 14 on NBC. Kelly Clarkson was the ceremony’s host. Post Malone was the night’s big winner.