According to a report from Vibe, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) and his mother, Dr. Gloria Carter, were both honored during a high-profile celebration at the Brooklyn Public Library in New York City on Monday, October 2nd.
The event drew several celebrities, including the likes of Questlove who DJed, Baratunde Thurston who hosted, Jelani Cobb who gave remarks, and Victory Boyd, who performed. Senator Chuck Schumer was also in attendance among those who were present for the event. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a native of Brooklyn, was also in attendance and announced the honorees of the night.
Jay gave a speech during the reception and expressed that his mother couldn’t be there due to a medical appointment. “I figured if these young men could speak on behalf of their dad, I could speak on behalf of my mom,” he said, referencing a speech from earlier in the evening. “Dr. Gloria had to see a doctor earlier. She’s gonna be very upset that I told y’all that. She gave me a very bad excuse, and I couldn’t do it and lie to the good people of Brooklyn.”
Providing a little humor by joking that Dr. Carter wasn’t present due to intoxication, he conveyed his mother’s desire to address the crowd despite her absence. “I think she’s hungover,” he added. “There’s no other way to put it. She wanted to be with you guys, but this is what she would want me to say. Y’all not taping this, are you?” he jokingly asked.
The event garnered over $1.5 million and comes during the Brooklyn Public Library’s Book of HOV exhibit taking over its central branch, not far from the Marcy Housing Projects where the emcee turned business icon was raised in the borough’s Bedford-Stuyvesant section. The Book of HOV exhibit was first unveiled in July and is able to be experienced through
December 4th, which is also Hov’s
birthday.
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