When the 50th annual Juno Awards celebrates its half-century milestone on Sunday, the spotlight will also be shining on another anniversary — 30 years since the creation of its rap category.
When the Junos launched Rap Recording of the Year in 1991, the statue went to the hit single Let Your Backbone Slide by Maestro Fresh-Wes.
“I mean, I was excited that I won. I was excited I got nominated. I was also excited the fact that for Black music, you know, this is like like a catalyst for us as artists to take it to the next level,” he told CBC News.
“I was a little nervous saying my speech because I knew it was bigger than me. It wasn’t just about me. It’s about my brothers and sisters coming with me.”
On Friday, during the 2021 Juno Awards’ opening night, the award for Rap Recording of the Year went to Toronto rapper TOBi for his album Elements Vol. 1.
