Drake made a surprise appearance to salute his friends and collaborators Boi-1da and Noah “40” Shebib at ASCAP’s 24th Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in Beverly Hills on Friday (June 24). The Canadian producers, who helmed the bulk of the Young Money rapper’s debut Thank Me Later, were the Songwriters of the Year recipients.

“I was blessed over the course of my life to meet two individuals. One of them is Boi-1da and the other one is 40. Together we took our experiences in a city called Toronto and we turned them into music,” said Drizzy. “I just want to let you know that I love you both and I’m super proud of you, and I’m honored to honor you this evening.”

A nervous Boi-1da stepped to the mic to accept his award. “I also want to thank my brother Drake. Like he said, we came a long way. It’s a beautiful thing to just watch him grow into the artist that I already knew he was going to be,” said the humbled hitmaker, who is working on Drake’s sophomore album Take Care.