Lil Wayne was presented the “I AM Hip-Hop” Awards as part of the 2018 BET Hip-Hop Award on Tuesday night. Before the man with the number one album in the world took the stage, his friends and collaborators, including Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz, sang Wayne's praises in a pre-taped video package. DJ Khaled and Bun B had introduced their musical brother to the crowd. 
 
Despite all the high praise and momentous honor, Weezy took the stage in humble fashion and wanted to focus on everyone who never gave up on him.
 
“You’re awesome,” he said to the Fillmore Miami Beach audience. “To all my friends that was involved in the tribute, everybody whose face, whose voice I heard; you didn’t have to do that. I swear to God I appreciate every single one of y’all. To everybody in here who I know feels the same way, I appreciate y’all. This award right here... I must give this award to the people who refuse. What I mean is the people who refuse to stop supporting me during... You already know. The people who refuse, who haven’t seen me put an album out in six years, four years; you guys respected me. You guys supported me, you guys came to every show, you respect every album,  every feature… My family refused, refused to stop motivating me, to stop treating me as if I am not the man. As if I am not the father that I am. As if I am not the person that I am. Never let me feel anything less. Give it up for my family for that.”
 
He also had a special thanks for an extended family member he affectionately refers to as “Uncle Bob,” the New Orleans' police officer who responded to the call when Wayne accidentally shot himself as a child. 
 
“He came into an apartment one day,” Tunechi explained. “He bust in the door, guns drawn.  He saw nobody. He saw legs on the floor,  they were my legs. He saw blood everywhere. A bunch of police hopped over me, he refused to do so.’
 
Wayne disclosed that EMS were on the scene and tried to revive his lifeless body twice, to no avail. Uncle Bob drove the him to the hospital in a police car and had very clear instructions to the doctors. 
 
“He said ‘you do whatever you got to do and make sure this child makes it,’” the Grammy award winner continued detailing. 
 
Since then, Bob has never let Wayne give him any type of monetary thanks. 
 
“He refused to let me pay for his meal, refuse to let me do anything, take care of anything,” Weezy described. “I saw Uncle Bob the other day and said ‘let me help you in any kind of way.’ This man has two amputated legs. He refused to stop. He’s not in a wheelchair, he’s walking. You know what he asked for, a job. To my fans my family, my supporters, to BET, I refuse to stop. Thank you.” 
 
The 2018 BET Hip-Hop Awards also featured performances by T.I., Lil Pump, Lil Duval, Gunna, Gucci Mane, and Cardi B among others.