Lil Baby (born Dominique Armani Jones) will be this year’s recipient of the ASCAP Songwriter Of The Year trophy at the 2021 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. The Quality Control recording artist is being honored for songs such as “The Bigger Picture” and “Emotionally Scarred.”
Hip Hop performer Cardi B was awarded ASCAP Songwriter Of The Year at the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards the last two years. Gucci Mane and Quavo of the Migos tied for the award in 2018. Paul “Nineteen85” Jefferies and Allen Ritter tied for Songwriter of the Year in 2017.
Over the last year, Lil Baby became one of the most critically acclaimed acts in music. Apple Music named the 26-year-old rapper 2020’s Artist of the Year. He was included on Forbes magazine’s tenth annual 30 Under 30 list. The three-time Grammy nominee’s 2020 album My Turn is certified 3x-Platinum and was named the RIAA’s Top Album for 2020.
Lil Baby recently earned his 90th entry on the Hot 100 chart, and he was selected to headline Jay-Z’s Made In America Festival. The Atlanta-bred entertainer also attended a White House meeting in May with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
This year, Lil Baby aligned with Lil Durk to release The Voice Of The Heroes collaborative studio LP. Baby and Durk’s joint effort opened at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 150,000 first-week units. NBA All-Star James Harden is credited as an executive producer for The Voice Of The Heroes.
In addition, Anderson “Vinylz” Hernandez, Che Ecru, Joshua “J-Louis” Huizar, Matthew “Boi-1da” Samuels, and Noah “40” Shebib will be presented the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music’s Top Hip-Hop/R&B & Rap Song award for Chris Brown’s “No Guidance” featuring Drake.
The Top Gospel Song will go to Kanye West’s “Follow God” which co-written by Bryant “XCELENCE” Bell and Jahmal “BoogzDaBeast” Gwin. “Follow God” lives on West’s ninth album Jesus Is King. The project has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
Universal Music Publishing Group is set to receive Publisher Of The Year for the company’s writers’ songs including “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Rockstar” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Rich, and “Laugh Now Cry Later” by Drake featuring Lil Durk.
Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and DJ D-Nice will accept the ASCAP Voice Of The Culture Award. Plus, the 2021 ASCAP Experience conversation titled Voices of the Culture: How Swizz Beatz, Timbaland & D-Nice United the World Through Music is scheduled to take place today (June 22).
The 2021 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards will run from June 22-June 24 on the @ASCAP & @ASCAPUrban social media accounts as well as the ASCAP YouTube channel. The 34th annual event recognizes distinguished songwriters, producers, and publishers behind the biggest Hip Hop, R&B, and Gospel hits.
