Louisiana lawmaker honors rapper Juvenile for contributions to hip-hop, Black America

Hip-hop legend Juvenile was presented with a congressional resolution to honor the New Orleans native’s contributions to the hip-hop and Black community. 

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) presented Juvenile, born Terius Gray, with the honor Wednesday.

In his resolution, Carter, also a New Orleans native, noted Gray’s accomplishments in his music career in and out of his home city, saying that the rapper is recognized as “a trailblazer of the Southern style of hip hop.” 

Gray became a household name as the flagship artist of then-fledging record label Cash Money Records, founded by the brother duo Ronald “Slim” Williams and Bryan “Birdman” Williams, and a member of the label’s Hot Boy group with fellow labelmate Lil Wayne in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

Gray, whose third album, 1998’s “400 Degreez,” was certified four-times platinum by the  Recording Industry Association of America, also achieved success on the Billboard charts with hit singles such as “Ha,” “Back That Azz Up,” and No. 1 hit “Slow Motion,” featuring late rapper Soulja Slim.

“This will live in the Library of Congress forever. This talks about your contribution to hip-hop, your contribution to the culture of Louisiana, and more specifically New Orleans. May you always encourage us to ‘Back That Azz Up,’” Carter said, when presenting the resolution to Gray, who had his family and longtime producer and friend Mannie Fresh by his side. 

This is the second honor the New Orleans native has received this month after the Louisiana State Legislature unanimously passed a resolution to honor the rapper for his contribution to the hip-hop community and culture. 

Juvenile, who recently launched his own alcoholic beverage, also gained national attention for performing “Back That Azz Up” at a Tom Steyer presidential campaign event in 2020. Steyer, who danced on the stage with Gray, dropped out of the 2020 race the following day. 

“Juvenile is most deserving of the highest recognition for proudly representing the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana as a globally recognized musical artist,” Carter added in his resolution. “I am proud to acknowledge Terius ‘Juvenile’ Gray for his musical and cultural contributions, recognizing his pivotal role in popularizing the New Orleans Bounce style of music around the world, extending sincerest wishes that he continues to flourish in all of his endeavors, both in Louisiana and across the Country.”