Former Def Jam President Receives Parisian Top Honor

It seems as if the French hold hip-hop in a higher regard than we may think. Recently, rap mogul Kevin Liles was named an honorary citizen of Paris and honored with the Médaille de la Ville de Paris -- the highest award an individual can receive for their contributions to Parisian culture.

Kevin received his award during his last visit to France for the 5th Annual Paris Hip-Hop Awards which took place from June 22–July 4. The former Def Jam president shared his admiration for the culture and graciously accepted the prestigious Médaille de la Ville de Paris award.

"I am profoundly honored to receive the Médaille de la Ville de Paris, especially for my role in helping to make Hip-Hop a mainstream art form globally," Kevin Liles said. "Spreading the message of Hip-Hop and what it can mean to anyone has long been a personal passion of mine. To be given such a special honor in one of the world's best cities for just that purpose is genuinely overwhelming."

During the upscale awards ceremony Paris' Vice Mayor Christophe Girard spoke on behalf the Parisian government and expressed his sincere gratitude for Liles' efforts in spreading the art to his city, "Kevin Liles represents for me hope and talent, energy and commitment. He never gave up his battle for hip-hop and today hip-hop is a fully recognized art," said Girard. "He is an example for the new generations and now he is my friend and a friend of Paris."

Back stateside Kevin continues to work as CEO of KWL Enterprises and is currently preparing for release Def Jam's latest video game 'Def Jam Rap Star' which is scheduled for release in October 2010. Over the weekend Liles also wed longtime girlfriend Erika Jones in Birmingham, Alabama.