Cash Money's Bryan and Ronald Williams crowned “Leaders and Legends” at the YouTube Gala

“Don't let anyone tell you what you can't do!”

So said Ronald “Slim” Williams as he and his brother, Cash Money co-founder/co-CEO Bryan “Baby” Williams, accepted YouTube Music's Leaders and Legends Award. His comment also reflected the vibe that reverberated throughout the night before (June 27) as the music industry celebrated the venerable label's 30-year (and counting) legacy.

Guests arriving at Hollywood's nya Studios West for the second YouTube Leaders and Legends Gala were treated to a lively five-piece band (including tuba) paying tribute to the brothers' New Orleans roots. Black tie was in full force as attendees sipped specialty drinks like Hurricane tequila and visited a few booths with various memorabilia such as Cash Money logo bank bags with t-shirts inside. To enter the space itself, visitors walked through a replica of a record store that was run back in the day with Cash Money “records, tapes and merchandise.” A huge, glittering Cash Money dollar sign was mounted on one wall behind the album cases, while album covers chronicling the label's storied history graced another wall.

Kicking off the festivities inside was a series of video montages that colorfully depicted Cash Money's evolution from fledgling disruptor to Southern hip-hop icon. Interspersed were tribute clips with Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge (who appreciates the Williamses' “loyalty, warmth and humour”), as well as on-stage greetings from producer/friend Polow da Don, BMI vice president of creative Catherine Brewton, longtime Cash Money attorney Vernon Brown and UMG general counsel/executive vice president of corporate and legal affairs Jeffrey Harleston. After noting that Cash Money is the “longest-running black-owned record label,” Harleston added that Baby and Slim taught him three important lessons: “Never forget where you're from, never forget who your people are and bring them with them. your journey.”

While Lil Wayne was spotted in the house alongside LL Cool J, among others, there were no live performances. But music was a central force throughout the evening thanks to a rousing pre-dinner interlude hosted by DJ Trauma as the audience danced and rapped/sang along. They also took it home Cash money forever tapes and key fobs (which when placed on mobile phones provide a connection to the music). The 25-track playlist includes hits from Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Drake, Nicki Minaj and more.

Equally moving were the greetings delivered by Republic Records CEOs Avery and Monte Lipman and YouTube's global head of music, Lyor Cohen. Avery's comments touched on Cash Money's success over the years: more than 300 Hot 100 hits, with 41 top 10s and seven No. 1s, plus 80 Billboard 200 albums, including 15 No. 1s. He also reflected on he and Monte's longtime relationship with Baby and Slim, saying in part, “The Lipman brothers started around the same time as the Williams brothers, and we thought we were hot stuff. Then came Baby and Slim… These guys revolutionized the industry, music culture and even changed our vocabulary by adding the word “bling” to the Webster dictionary. I also saw firsthand their true superpowers: how they could literally manifest things in real life without any hesitation of fear and always with clear intent.”

In his remarks, Monte noted, “The lessons we learned from both Birdman and Slim as our mentors are forever in our DNA and have become part of our everyday culture… I can't recall ever having a conversation with Slim where he' don't ask me, “What do you think?” He always epitomized the importance of curiosity, patience, flexibility and the value of saying no. Baby to this day continues to reinforce the importance of artist integrity, strategy and timing. He is the perfect general. But definitely one of my favorite lessons from Birdman was just to never forget that we're in show business.”

Cohen, who presented the brothers with the award, opened by saying, “A lot of people don't understand how hard it is to actually build a business, a sustainable business. But you have to do the work. This is. That's what Leaders and Legends is all about: actually doing the work… Everyone thinks you can take a shortcut to fame and fortune. [there’s] there is no such thing. You have to have really great music and you have to work. That's why I'm so excited to invite you, Baby and Slim, to the stage to accept this honor. And will everyone in this room please stand up and show some respect?''

Indeed, the audience stood for the entirety of Baby and Slim's acceptance speeches, applauding heartily at various intervals. After thanking the room, Baby began reminiscing about his and Slim's childhood in New Orleans. “Life was not easy for us. living in every project in New Orleans. I was a real lost youth trying to find a way because I was in and out of houses, in and out of jail, jumping the streets at 12. at 14 I wore two Rolexes. I met some young people and I didn't want them to follow my path, right? [Cash Money rapper] BG was hitting this route and I saw it [Lil] Wayne seemed to be going that route as well. I wanted to save their lives. My whole mission was to try to save a life. And I also needed help because I was reckless. The only person I respected enough to lay down my life for was my brother. And my way to save them [B.G., Lil Wayne] he was putting their lives into the studio. The studio would be the new roads.”

Continuing, he added: “But all due respect to Jay-Z, I remember when he said he retired and Wayne made a video and said since the best rapper retired, I'm the best rapper alive. And a lot of sh-t has changed for us since that moment. At the same time, n—like they said hip-hop is dead. And honestly, what the heck are they talking about? We don't know anything about this kind of sh-t. So we felt like this was our time to take over hip-hop. Then came the birth of Young Money, came Nicki and Drake. We were kind of keeping hip-hop down. We survived the war in New Orleans. Now we're surviving life and we've done a great job at it. [When] we started, all I thought was to save four lives and we end up saving thousands of mothers' lives. I give all gratitude to my brother, who was like my father, who saved my life.”

Picking up where his brother left off, Slim said, “I just want to say that I'm so proud of Juvenile, Wayne, [Mannie] Cool because I saw them when they were in that studio. They were in friendly competition with each other. We started out doing two songs and ended up doing five songs a night. He was there playing like a basketball player. But what really makes me so proud is that they're continuing their careers with generational richness, doing other things outside of music while still making music. My brother and I went through a lot to get to this point. Someone once told me growing up that I'll never be sh-t and I'm not worth a quarter. But you have to do better than that to break me up. No breaking like that.”

Slim continued, “It made me want to go hard and work hard, so I've got a few more quarters now” as the audience laughed. “Don't let anyone tell you what you can't do! Do your thing. That's the only way you'll win.” Calling out many names including Polow da Don, Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, Jeezy, Turk and Wayne, Slim concluded: “I love you all. No one else alive is going to do what we did — ever.”