Some things I picked up while watching the BET hip hop awards

[R=G]

Hmm..how can someone shove Kendrick down your throats? If he doesn't sell, he disappears and he's a nobody. Simple as that.

 

[emoney]

Actually, BET only had one year with the awards, coming off a year with bad publicity for the awards, but feel free to link me to where it reports that they got great ratings? As for BET wanting to do their own show, they created the BET Awards for all black msc which made more sense for their channel. It's clear that even now with Viacom money they don't have the budget to support two shows.

In any case, reviving the source awards ain't doing shyt. The main demographic who watches awards shows, and even these young dudes in hip hop right now who's career has not been affected one bit by the source, does not care about a source awards. I'm also not expecting BET to air an award show full of obscure people the club/radio friendly listener won't know and won't care to watch...so I couldn't care less if the higher ups aren't "hip hop guys" this is corporate media, why do people still spout this idealistic rhetoric? It's not happening anymore!, what BET does need to do do is come up with a different format to showcase the genre and a tradional award show isn't it...

I'm of the mentality that if you can't do it right, don't do it at all.

It's not about reformatting. The show just lacks authenticity and credibility as a result of it not being run and operated by "Hip-Hop guys" (as @Homeboy Runny Ray stated). I believe there is a need for an authentic hip-hop awards show that honours old school legends and rewards current performers and producers for their achievements. A lot of peoples complaints on here that rappers and hip-hop artists take other non-hip-hop award shows and platforms more seriously. That was one of the main complaints I heard about the most recent Grammy Awards Ceremony. The reason we take those platforms, award shows and markets more seriously is because they are more professional, have more tradition, more prestige, and most important of all longevity.

 

[Dettol]

Dudes actually still watch BET?????
I guess yall still watch that 106 and park show too, right? LOL.

 

[emoney]

I've given my opinion on reformatting in multiple of my replies in this thread.

- it could be an honors format taking a look at 4-5 specific cats or entities throughout the entire culture with some cyphers in between (honor a legendary rapper, take a look at the new kid on the block, honor the hottest club track, take a look behind one of the dope hip hop mags, etc) it doesn't need to be "category x - 5 nominees - winner"
- they could create a hip hop academy similar to that created by the oscars and Grammys to decide awards so that it's not just some "BET says so" award
- its not live so it doesn't need to be an auditorium, why not have rappers send in performances (done specifically for BET) with a group of fans who won a contest, or them rocking out in Germany, or at the fox theater somewhere

I'm sure people can come up with a lot of ideas. I love honoring hip hop specifically, but the traditional award format isn't the only way to go about it.

I like these ideas you have listed. A Hip-Hop Academy or Association should definitely be created and composed of the elders of the culture.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

I'm of the mentality that if you can't do it right, don't do it at all.

It's not about reformatting. The show just lacks authenticity and credibility as a result of it not being run and operated by "Hip-Hop guys" (as @Homeboy Runny Ray stated). I believe there is a need for an authentic hip-hop awards show that honours old school legends and rewards current performers and producers for their achievements. The only reason you don't believe a need exists and call to it as "idealistic rhetoric" is because you probably not HIP-HOP like that..but I don't want to make an assumption about you. If you are, how can you like something such as that is not necessary? I mean aren't a lot of peoples complaints on here that rappers and hip-hop artists take other non-hip-hop award shows and platforms more seriously? That was one of the main complaints I heard about the most recent Grammy Awards Ceremony. The reason we take those platforms, award shows and markets more seriously is because they are more professional, have more tradition, more prestige, and most important of all longevity.

One of my suggestions was to make it a honors show, but Im also being realistic about what corporations need in return, and simply honoring legends probably won't get them the views they need to keep airing..thus it'd have to a honors in way that also finds a way to include young dudes, not honoring their career, but an achievement or two from the past year.

Again, I ask you like I asked runny ray, what to you is authentic? IMO there are no clear cut authorities in hip hop anymore nor one cohesive vision/culture so I feel that term is vague in the face of today's hyper critical market and one where there seem to be fewer and fewer listeners who actively listen to and appreciate ALL the faces of hip hop.

I consider myself someone who does love hip hop, but I know the artists and vibe I feel is authentic may not match up with what others think, thus I feel that rhetoric is idealistic because you will not get one view all can agree on. that "authenticity" of the 80's-early 00's isn't present in the culture (well at least the mainstream) right now, it's also an era/vibe/level of control we can't recapture. So why keep pretending like that's the way a show will ever be pulled off again. As long as its a corporate backed event and not rappers/hip hop community members putting up their own money to create something, I think people need to be more realistic in what to expect.

 

[emoney]

Crowd was dead all night...dudes didn't even respond to bone, their performance wasn't the best, but on some GP shyt you acknowledge them. And regardless of your feelings, hip hop heads, net nerds, and everyone in between make up the k dot fanbase, I don't know why people act like because there are certain artists they don't fukk with their popularity has no organic makeup

And like I said, you keep talking about authentic but provide no specifics - what do YOU feel would be authentic? What do you want to see in an award show, what do you think benzino/etc would do that makes the show any different? The words "authentic" and "real" are diluted at this point because so many people are looking for different things, no one will be happy. I dont think there is one poisition of authentic amongst kids nor adults.

And you have said its not about budget, it's not about awards, it's not about who attended or didn't...then wtf is an award show about?

I know you asked this question to another poster but I wanted to answer it....For starters they could include more categories for indie and underground artists and not make the award show so mainstream focused. Also, they could honour specific years in hip-hop or even honour albums that were game changing or culture changing...have artists perform their favourite tracks as tributes to the emcee.

 

[Another Man]

when they showed shots of the crowd 99% of the time it was a hoodrat groupie

Struggle awards for real

 

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

Crowd was dead all night...dudes didn't even respond to bone, their performance wasn't the best, but on some GP shyt you acknowledge them. And regardless of your feelings, hip hop heads, net nerds, and everyone in between make up the k dot fanbase, I don't know why people act like because there are certain artists they don't fukk with their popularity has no organic makeup

And like I said, you keep talking about authentic but provide no specifics - what do YOU feel would be authentic? What do you want to see in an award show, what do you think benzino/etc would do that makes the show any different? The words "authentic" and "real" are diluted at this point because so many people are looking for different things, no one will be happy. I dont think there is one poisition of authentic amongst kids nor adults.

And you have said its not about budget, it's not about awards, it's not about who attended or didn't...then wtf is an award show about?

I just watched the performance. bone got a standing ovation before they even started rapping and the whole crowd had their hands in the air. you sure you watched the same show? was the crowd live and amped? no but they certainly weren't dead.

also, it looks like the crowd was largely made up of groupies and instagram models(which was obviously BET's idea. which further proves my point). how lively can a crowd like that possibly get? them singing along to the records is the furthest they can go without their tittays poppin out. where that pic of brown skin at? besides, most award shows, the industry portion of the crowd is iffy. and unfortunately, they seem to have eliminated the fans or decreased the number of fan attendance at a lot of these shows. theyre the ones that you could always count on.

I didn't say that Kendrick's entire fanbase was made up of one group. you cant say that for anybody. but we know what the majority of his fanbase is, and we know how he got to where hes at. lets not play dumb.

if I have to provide "specifics" when I use the term "authentic", then no offense, but this just isn't for you.

its not about a budget. THIS IS HIP-HOP. this chit was birthed from plugging turntables into street lights. we don't need all that extra chit to rock out. stop comparing this to other music and stop expecting it to follow the same protocol. this is where you get lost.

I mean, you cant see how the people behind this show aren't hip-hop? first off, I guess you don't know who Stephen hill is. if you do, then you know he should be nowhere near having a say on anything hip-hop-related. I mean COME ON. I remember a couple years ago they had antoince f*ckin Dodson perform. what type of chit is that? this is supposed to be a hip-hop show?

 

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

Again, I ask you like I asked runny ray, what to you is authentic? IMO there are no clear cut authorities in hip hop anymore nor one cohesive vision/culture so I feel that term is vague in the face of today's hyper critical market and one where there seem to be fewer and fewer listeners who actively listen to and appreciate ALL the faces of hip hop.

I consider myself someone who does love hip hop, but I know the artists and vibe I feel is authentic may not match up with what others think, thus I feel that rhetoric is idealistic because you will not get one view all can agree on. that "authenticity" of the 80's-early 00's isn't present in the culture (well at least the mainstream) right now, it's also an era/vibe/level of control we can't recapture. So why keep pretending like that's the way a show will ever be pulled off again. As long as its a corporate backed event and not rappers/hip hop community members putting up their own money to create something, I think people need to be more realistic in what to expect.

youre making a mountain out of a molehill ms.

there was never and most likely will never be a time when all facets of hip-hop are appreciated by most listeners. whats your point?

the authenticity of the '70s, '80s, '90s, early '00s, etc is still there. its just not present in the mainstream like that because the powers that be want nothing to do with it. but that doesn't mean that the real rap community has disappeared. and truth be told, these puppet rappers and whatever followings they garner, they all want that acceptance for themselves and their favorite rappers. and since you want to talk about Kendrick, lets talk about him and the real reason he did that control verse.

 

[DaddyFresh]

People who watch Bet Awards... Bootleg your music...

People who watch MTV Awards... Buy your Music


Not a hard choice.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

I just watched the performance. bone got a standing ovation before they even started rapping and the whole crowd had their hands in the air. you sure you watched the same show? was the crowd live and amped? no but they certainly weren't dead.

also, it looks like the crowd was largely made up of groupies and instagram models(which was obviously BET's idea. which further proves my point). how lively can a crowd like that possibly get? them singing along to the records is the furthest they can go without their tittays poppin out. where that pic of brown skin at? besides, most award shows, the industry portion of the crowd is iffy. and unfortunately, they seem to have eliminated the fans or decreased the number of fan attendance at a lot of these shows. theyre the ones that you could always count on.

this contradicts your jab earlier takling about Kendrick got the same response as French...if its a groupie crowd, then of course a club nikka like French gets love...and I watched the crowd, they were not live during bone's performance, they may have been standing but they weren't with it...plenty of time people clap or stand cuz it's the right thing to do versus enjoying the speaker/performer

I didn't say that Kendrick's entire fanbase was made up of one group. you cant say that for anybody. but we know what the majority of his fanbase is, and we know how he got to where hes at. lets not play dumb.

who is the majority of his fan base? I fukk with him..my brothers (37 and 41) fukk with him, my nephew (16) fukks with him, white folks I saw at rock the bells fukk with him, ratchet hoes at the club fukk with him, LSA groupies fukk with him, my college girls fukk with him, my boys from high school fukk with him....only on the net do I see such one sided depictions of his fanbase (among other artists that get pigeon holed as just have one type of fan). And how did he get where he got? Everyone in the mainstream dating back to even the 90's done had labels, media, hype, and white fans propel them. I give zero fukks, I like the music I like, I don't care if interscope pays 1 mil for me to hear it via the radio or if someone drops a YouTube link to their shyt in my email - a dope artist is dope

if I have to provide "specifics" when I use the term "authentic", then no offense, but this just isn't for you.

its not about a budget. THIS IS HIP-HOP. this chit was birthed from plugging turntables into street lights. we don't need all that extra chit to rock out. stop comparing this to other music and stop expecting it to follow the same protocol. this is where you get lost.

you keep dismissing my question as if that invalidates me as a hip hop head or it's because "it isn't for me". Im asking you to provide specifics cuz Id like to understand what you think is missing from this show - specifically to see if that's still even prevalent in the "culture" point blank.

I'm also asking because people do have different views of authenticity. I had a debate on here with someone who dismissed acts like heavy d, young mc, and kid n play from hip hop cuz he didn't feel it was authentic....I felt differently and we both explained our views. I'd simply like to understand your view and you keep skirting the question.

"THIS IS HIP HOP" doesn't mean answer anything. turntables in street lights is not what's going on right now, how do we capture something that's not the reality at the moment? Like I said, idealistic nostalgia versus the present reality. Kids aren't doing hip hop out in the park after dark, they're doing it in the basement with software and collaborating via social media. hip hop isn't being passed hand to hand via cassette, it's blasted via twitter.

And no where did I compare hip hop to another genre, what are you talking about?

I mean, you cant see how the people behind this show aren't hip-hop? first off, I guess you don't know who Stephen hill is. if you do, then you know he should be nowhere near having a say on anything hip-hop-related. I mean COME ON. I remember a couple years ago they had antoince f*ckin Dodson perform. what type of chit is that? this is supposed to be a hip-hop show?

I don't know who Stephen hill is I don't really keep tabs on the background/corporate guys aside from label execs

And I don't remember Dobson being there - I actually don't remember any of these shows outside of the cyphers, but it's no different than the pants on the ground dude and Dobson being at the other (white) award shows (think it was billboard or AMA's), the music industry is full of fukkery and the integration of social/pop culture memes, I'm not going to pretend like hip hop/black media/black music is immune to it...I don't appreciate it, but I'm not going to bang my head over it, I know it's not for me and KIM

 

[Woodwerkz]

Drake is gay and nobody want to do anything about it

eww!

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

Shyt showed me how corny the current climate is. Like folks grasping for straws now. None of those cyphers impressed me.


Showed me how desperate Slaughter house is as well. They felt they got some shine last year on some Shady 2.0 shyt but this year no one really gave a fukk.

Whole game is honestly a bunch of Z-list cornball brothas.

This. I'm a rappers rapper. I only respect bars. And all these cyphers were straight trash. Slaughterhouse definitely had the bars but they spit them like they was trying to stay awake or something. No energy. No emphasis on the bars.

I honestly got more excitement and bars off smack battles than for any of the cyphers. And this is supposed to be the best and the next up. No one grabbed me or stood out. Crown wasn't even ooooooo and ahhhhhhh like past years

What this showed me is rap is turning into pop. If it ain't a hot beat and some club banger, the crowd no longer cares. But what's worse is the rappers are starting to rap like they know it too. Looked like a bunch of rappers who hate their job

 

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

CLEMSON TIGERS ALL DAY!!!!!

LOL @ THAT PIC.

this contradicts your jab earlier takling about Kendrick got the same response as French...if its a groupie crowd, then of course a club nikka like French gets love...and I watched the crowd, they were not live during bone's performance, they may have been standing but they weren't with it...plenty of time people clap or stand cuz it's the right thing to do versus enjoying the speaker/performer
who is the majority of his fan base? I fukk with him..my brothers (37 and 41) fukk with him, my nephew (16) fukks with him, white folks I saw at rock the bells fukk with him, ratchet hoes at the club fukk with him, LSA groupies fukk with him, my college girls fukk with him, my boys from high school fukk with him....only on the net do I see such one sided depictions of his fanbase (among other artists that get pigeon holed as just have one type of fan). And how did he get where he got? Everyone in the mainstream dating back to even the 90's done had labels, media, hype, and white fans propel them. I give zero fukks, I like the music I like, I don't care if interscope pays 1 mil for me to hear it via the radio or if someone drops a YouTube link to their shyt in my email - a dope artist is dope

you keep dismissing my question as if that invalidates me as a hip hop head or it's because "it isn't for me". Im asking you to provide specifics cuz Id like to understand what you think is missing from this show - specifically to see if that's still even prevalent in the "culture" point blank.

I'm also asking because people do have different views of authenticity. I had a debate on here with someone who dismissed acts like heavy d, young mc, and kid n play from hip hop cuz he didn't feel it was authentic....I felt differently and we both explained our views. I'd simply like to understand your view and you keep skirting the question.

"THIS IS HIP HOP" doesn't mean answer anything. turntables in street lights is not what's going on right now, how do we capture something that's not the reality at the moment? Like I said, idealistic nostalgia versus the present reality. Kids aren't doing hip hop out in the park after dark, they're doing it in the basement with software and collaborating via social media. hip hop isn't being passed hand to hand via cassette, it's blasted via twitter.

And no where did I compare hip hop to another genre, what are you talking about?
I don't know who Stephen hill is I don't really keep tabs on the background/corporate guys aside from label execs

And I don't remember Dobson being there - I actually don't remember any of these shows outside of the cyphers, but it's no different than the pants on the ground dude and Dobson being at the other (white) award shows (think it was billboard or AMA's), the music industry is full of fukkery and the integration of social/pop culture memes, I'm not going to pretend like hip hop/black media/black music is immune to it...I don't appreciate it, but I'm not going to bang my head over it, I know it's not for me and KIM

wow. youre giving me a headache.

if you don't know who Stephen hill is, then you better look him up like yesterday. if you don't want to keep tabs on things like this, and just be a casual fan, then do that. but don't try to play both sides of the fence. it kinda wastes peoples time. u argued me down about how you don't see how the show doesn't have authentic people behind it, yet you don't even actually know whos behind it. its all good tho. I appreciate such dedicated posting from a female but dam homie you could've saved some of us a lot of time with the responses.

the fact that you just throw your hands up and keep it moving when some chit like Antoine Dobson performs at the "hip-hop awards" is part of the reason why we're in this predicament now.

im not trying to invalidate you as a hip-hop fan. youre just asking some real tick-tacky questions. especially considering that I already gave numerous examples as to why the show isn't authentic, whats missing, what shouldn't have been done and what should be done.

you are indeed comparing hip-hop to other genres. youre just not doing it intentionally. also, the kids still do "hip-hop in the park after dark". just in a different form. and I don't know where youre from, but most of the young buls I know that can really spit, they don't have all the software hookups in their "basement" and youre over-hyping social media.

the Kendrick jab still rings true because he never gets a big response ever. and I didn't say he got the same reaction as French. he got far less of a reaction. stop it. as for your description of examples of his fans, you can say that about every rapper with hella promotion and airplay. that's just automatic at that point. you obviously don't really get IT.

meh, I see what youre saying about the legends automatically getting a standing-room-only response when they perform. but there was genuine excitement when bone came out, and its not like they performed any of the tracks that set if off at their own shows. they cut TRB off real quick, and most of the performance was crossroads. the crowd sang along and stuff but I myself didn't get the urge to do anything more. did you? honestly? good performance but it was more of a "them bone boys is back" moment than anything else.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

^^^

CLEMSON TIGERS ALL DAY!!!!!

LOL @ THAT PIC.



wow. youre giving me a headache.

if you don't know who Stephen hill is, then you better look him up like yesterday. if you don't want to keep tabs on things like this, and just be a casual fan, then do that. but don't try to play both sides of the fence. it kinda wastes peoples time. u argued me down about how you don't see how the show doesn't have authentic people behind it, yet you don't even actually know whos behind it. its all good tho. I appreciate such dedicated posting from a female but dam homie you could've saved some of us a lot of time with the responses.

the fact that you just throw your hands up and keep it moving when some chit like Antoine Dobson performs at the "hip-hop awards" is part of the reason why we're in this predicament now.

im not trying to invalidate you as a hip-hop fan. youre just asking some real tick-tacky questions. especially considering that I already gave numerous examples as to why the show isn't authentic, whats missing, what shouldn't have been done and what should be done.

you are indeed comparing hip-hop to other genres. youre just not doing it intentionally. also, the kids still do "hip-hop in the park after dark". just in a different form. and I don't know where youre from, but most of the young buls I know that can really spit, they don't have all the software hookups in their "basement" and youre over-hyping social media.

the Kendrick jab still rings true because he never gets a big response ever. and I didn't say he got the same reaction as French. he got far less of a reaction. stop it. as for your description of examples of his fans, you can say that about every rapper with hella promotion and airplay. that's just automatic at that point. you obviously don't really get IT.

meh, I see what youre saying about the legends automatically getting a standing-room-only response when they perform. but there was genuine excitement when bone came out, and its not like they performed any of the tracks that set if off at their own shows. they cut TRB off real quick, and most of the performance was crossroads. the crowd sang along and stuff but I myself didn't get the urge to do anything more. did you? honestly? good performance but it was more of a "them bone boys is back" moment than anything else.

other than "authentic people" you haven't given me shyt in what you're looking for and have yet to describe what authentic even means to you. What am I gonna do when the hip hop awards has Antoine Dodson? Turn the channel and kim...I didn't say I co signed that. And you're playing both side of the fence with some "this is hip hop" street lights shyt then co-signing How shyt is done now, if you understand how things shifted, then you understand how vastly the culture shifted and how there is no one way to describe authenticity (every segment of consumers can poke holes in everyone else's view)

I'm done tho, you haven't answered not one of my questions nor made a clear point of what you're looking for...I bid you ado