The%20Culture%20Creators%u2019%20fifth%20annual%20Innovators%20and%20Leaders%20Awards%20Brunch%2C%20with%20spotlights%20the%20best%20of%20black%20culture%2C%20highlighted%20the%20wins%20of%20several%20prominent%20leaders%20within%20the%20Black%20community.

The%20festivities%20featured%20award%20recipients%20and%20hip-hop%20luminaries%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/search/all/Swizz%2520Beatz%22%3ESwizz%20Beatz%3C/a%3E%2C%20co-founder%20of%20hit%20virtual%20music%20battle%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/search/all/Verzuz%22%3EVerzuz%3C/a%3E.%20He%20received%20the%20Icon%20Award%2C%20while%20D-Nice%2C%20the%20DJ%20behind%20Instagram%20Live%u2019s%20Club%20Quarantine%20was%20recognized%20with%20the%20Innovator%20of%20the%20Year%20Award.%26nbsp%3B

The%20brunch%20was%20in%20person%20this%20year%2C%20hosted%20by%20DeMorgan%20and%20Tanika%20Ray%2C%20the%20Culture%20Creators%20Award%20opened%20its%20door%20for%20industry%20to%20mingle%20and%20celebrate%20their%20wins%20after%20a%20year%u2019s%20absence%20due%20to%20the%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/search/all/coronavirus%22%3Ecoronavirus%3C/a%3E%20pandemic.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B

Also%20Read%20%7C%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/bow-wow-verzuz-soulja-boy-rap-battle-wins-over-fans%3Fref%3Dshare_post%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EBow%20Wow%20%27Verzuz%27%20Soulja%20Boy%20rap%20battle%20wins%20over%20fans%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

During%20the%20speech%20at%20the%20Beverly%20Hilton%20hotel%20in%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/topic/los-angeles%22%3ELos%20Angeles%3C/a%3E%2C%20Swizz%20Beatz%20said%2C%20%u201CI%20always%20knew%20that%20when%20creatives%20celebrated%20each%20other%20it%20would%20work%20when%20two%20creatives%20get%20together%20instead%20of%20being%20in%20competition%20and%20pitted%20against%20each%20other%20%u2014%20although%20it%20is%20called%20Verzuz%2C%20it%u2019s%20still%20a%20celebration.%27%27%20The%20award%20was%20presented%20by%20son%20Nasir%20Dean%2C%20also%20during%20a%20brief%20Q%26amp%3BA%2C%20he%20addressed%20recently%20selling%20Verzuz%20to%20Triller%20Network%2C%20as%20part%20of%20the%20deal.

%u201CWe%20turned%20down%20hundreds%20of%20millions%20of%20dollars%20of%20money%20that%20wasn%u2019t%20in%20our%20favor.%20We%20went%20with%20the%20company%20that%20allowed%20us%20to%20bring%20our%20friends%2C%20allowed%20us%20to%20bring%20our%20family%2C%20and%20still%20run%20the%20company%20and%20have%20ownership%20in%20that%20company%2C%u201D%20Swizz%20Beatz%20continued.%26nbsp%3B

Also%20Read%20%7C%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/billboard-music-awards-2021-xx-wins-top-artist-award%3Fref%3Dshare_post%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EBillboard%20Music%20Awards%202021%3A%20The%20Weeknd%20wins%20Top%20Artist%20award%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

He%20said%20that%20when%20people%20heard%20him%20and%20Timb%20selling%20Verzuz%2C%20they%20didn%27t%20understand%20the%20concept%20behind%20it%20and%20why%20they%20did%20that.%20%u201CYou%20can%20own%20100%20%25%20of%20nothing%20and%20I%20don%u2019t%20like%20that%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20our%20culture%20we%20can%u2019t%20sell%20anything.%u201D%20Adding%20that%20Triller%20Network%20plans%20to%20go%20public%20in%20the%20coming%20weeks%2C%20where%20all%20the%2043%20artists%20will%20be%20going%20public%20with%20it.%20%u201CIt%u2019s%20going%20to%20be%20the%20biggest%20creative%20IPO%20in%20history%2C%u201D%20he%20said.

D-nice%20took%20the%20stage%20shortly%20after%20him%2C%20he%20looked%20back%20on%20the%20last%20year%20when%20he%20was%20dubbed%20an%20overnight%20success%20by%20some%20media.%20In%20his%20speech%2C%20he%20remembered%20the%20origins%20of%20Club%20Quarantine%20and%20becoming%20one%20of%20the%20first%20to%20popularize%20Instagram%20lives.%20%u201CI%u2019ve%20been%20in%20this%20business%2035%20years%2C%20this%20is%20the%20longest%20night%20ever%2C%u201D%20D-Nice%20continued%2C%20%u201CIt%20was%20beautiful%20to%20know%20that%20something%20that%20started%20with%20200%20people%20ended%20up%20becoming%20something%20that%20kept%20the%20world%20inspired%20during%20a%20very%20dark%20time.%20He%20ended%20his%20speech%20with%2C%20Black%20music%20and%20Black%20people%20save%20the%20fucking%20world.%u201D

Also%20Read%20%7C%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/isley-brothers-will-take-on-earth-wind-and-fire-in-next-verzuz-battle%3Fref%3Dshare_post%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EIsley%20Brothers%20will%20take%20on%20Earth%2C%20Wind%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E%2C%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/isley-brothers-will-take-on-earth-wind-and-fire-in-next-verzuz-battle%3Fref%3Dshare_post%22%3E%3Cstrong%3E%20and%20Fire%20in%20next%20Verzuz%20battle%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Former%20NBA%20player%20Baron%20Davis%2C%20TikTok%20exec%20Kudzi%20Chikumbu%2C%20and%20Beyonc%E9%u2019s%20stylist%20and%20wardrobe%20curator%20Zerina%20Akers%20were%20honorees%20at%20the%20show.%26nbsp%3B

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Rapper%22%20data-user-id%3D%22BVBljCGgmlON%22%20href%3D%22/topic/rapper%22%3E%23Rapper%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Awards%22%20data-user-id%3D%22uztqXqWoWKRL%22%20href%3D%22/topic/awards%22%3E%23Awards%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Hollywood%22%20data-user-id%3D%22USHEbLCv0R2i%22%20href%3D%22/topic/hollywood%22%3E%23Hollywood%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B