Remember when there was this idea that the day when the king and queen of “urban” music graced the BET Awards with their presence, pigs would fly?
Could you hear all those oinks in the air when this year’s Black Entertainment Awards finally rolled around and Jay-Z and Beyoncé were in the front row? Sure, those oinks may just have been snorts of suppressed laughter from the crowd at Samuel L Jackson and Spike Lee attempting to rap. Watch the Flop, indeed. And that kilt, Mookie? Really? Okay, where was I?
Ah, yes. This year’s BET Awards brought with them an air of hope that things were getting better for the channel that is accused of being a vehicle for misogyny and a glorifier of violence.
But it seems that the BET Hip Hop Awards – which sit alongside the BET Awards, the BET Honours, Black Girls Rock and more under the channel’s umbrella of award ceremonies – are never without incident.
The 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards – to be aired in America tomorrow and in South Africa on TopTV’s BET Channel on Saturday – have already raised eyebrows for all the wrong reasons.
No, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have not been confirmed as guests at these awards this year. Nor has there been any word of them bringing their entourage, which includes the younger Knowles sister, Solange, and friend Kanye West – as well as Ray-J’s ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian, to boss around the front row again.
Speaking of bosses, one of the controversies at the taping of the awards last week came courtesy of rapper and Maybach Music Group (MMG) head, Rick Ross.
Often referred to as the Bawse (pronounced “boss”) or Ricky Rozay or Please-Put-Your-Shirt-Back-On-Sir, Rick Ross was allegedly involved in a scuffle with rapper Young Jeezy.
The pair have a long-standing beef so it is not surprising that they would blow their tops once they got face to face backstage.
Since the taping of the awards in Atlanta, a gazillion stories have come out about the fight not being between the two popular rappers but between lesser-known people and that shots were fired in the parking lot. Yawn.
That stuff won’t be shown on your television, so how about we concern ourselves with what will?
This year, The God Emcee, Rakim, will be honoured with the I Am Hip Hop Icon Award.
Producer and rapper, Missy Elliot, makes a much-anticipated comeback as she lights up the stage.
The shindig that is hosted by comedian Mike Epps will also feature performances by Rick Ross and MMG, 2Chainz, Wiz Khalifa and more.
As is the norm, the hugely popular The Cypher will include six short black-and-white videos of various rappers dropping 16 bars in front of the camera. Past Cyphers include the G.O.O.D Music camp, the Shady/ Aftermath crew and Nicki Minaj. This year, A$AP Rocky, Talib Kweli, Eve, DMX, Snoop Dogg and more are a part of The Cypher.
Don’t miss it.
• The BET Hip Hop Awards will be aired on BET (TopTV channel 190) on Saturday at 8pm.