Lil Wayne, Cardi B, Kevin Costner in attendance – The Hollywood Reporter

Lil Wayne brought the heat, Cardi B was both hilarious and warm, and Kevin Costner remembered Whitney Houston at Clive Davis’ annual hot pre-Grammy gala, a comeback after three years.

Lil Wayne was brimming with energy on stage, keeping audiences on edge — from Machine Gun Kelly to Swizz Beatz — with a fiery performance of his hits, including “Lollipop,” “A Milli, ” “Uproar,” “John” and more.

“I am here on behalf of Young Money Records. Davis for having,” Lil Wayne, microphone in one hand and articulation in the other, said Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton. “If you know anything about me, I love having fun on stage.”

Davis’ event, held the day before the 2023 Grammy Awards, began with Italian rockers Måneskin taking the stage with the national anthems “I Wanna Be Your Slave” and “Beggin”, prompting the R&B duo Chloe x Halle had to wince and shake her head. Chance the Rapper jumped out of his seat to dance and sing along to 88-year-old Frankie Valli, who captivated audiences with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

Other performers included Lizzo, Elvis Costello alongside Colombian singers Juanes, Lil Baby and Latto, who were nominated for best new artist and best melodious rap performance for the multi-platinum hit. her needle, “Big Energy.”

“I can’t believe I’m here right now – I could cry,” she said.

Jennifer Hudson honored Houston by singing a stellar performance of “The Greatest Love of All,” while Sheryl Crow honored Christine McVie with a performance she will repeat in the show’s In Memoriam segment. television Grammys. Myles Frost, who won a Tony Award for her role as Michael Jackson in the Broadway production Musical MJ, ending the night with a performance from the musical. Frost was nominated for a Grammy for his work on the play’s soundtrack.

Musical and other entertainment and business heavyweights are tracked, including Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Joni Mitchell, Tim Cook, Adrien Brody, Janelle Monae, Olivia Rodrigo, Emilio Estevez , Lil Nas X, Ron Artest, Earth Wind & Fire, Miranda Lambert, Demi Lovato, Luke Combs, HER and Nancy Pelosi, who received the biggest applause of the night after Davis introduced the Speaker of the House.

Cardi B read a speech she wrote from her phone as she paid tribute to Atlantic Records executives Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman, both of which have received Industry Icon Awards of the Grammys in 2023.

“I have to say I don’t have this fancy speech about Craig and Julie tonight because I want them to give me a bigger budget for my next album and music video,” Cardi B told the crowd. big laugh. “I am here tonight because I want to thank them for believing in me. When I signed with Atlantic six years ago, other labels put me down and didn’t give me what I thought I deserved, but Atlantic has always been there to respect me and my vision of my career.”

“When I was in the process of making my first album, I was scared. I’m pregnant and I’m afraid to tell anyone. I fear that people will want me to decide between my family and my career because I know it will happen with other artists and other labels. But with Craig and Julie, the exact opposite happened,” continued Cardi B. “You told me I could do both, and I’ll never forget it.”

Christian singer Lauren Daigle performed “Son of a Preacher Man” in tribute to the executives and also in honor of Atlantic Records’ 75th anniversary.

Houston – whom Davis debuted at his event decades ago – was also at the center of the night. Kevin Costner appeared on stage to introduce Davis and pay tribute to his ex bodyguard costar.

“I don’t know Clive as much as most of you in this room… [but] We both love music. I can’t dance very well. I don’t know how to dance at all, but we were both struck by Whitney the first time we saw her,” Costner said in his lengthy introduction.

“Thanks for being her bodyguard, Clive,” Costner said.