VH-1 paid homage to Southern pioneers in hip-hop at the 2010 Hip Hop Honors. Filmed at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, honorees included Organized Noize, Luke Campbell, J. Prince, Master P, Timbaland and The 2 Live Crew. The show will premiere Monday, June 7 on VH-1, but rolling out was on hand at the taping, which took place on June 3. Here are the most interesting tidbits from the ceremony. –amir shaw
The Good:
Miami Tribute – Led by DJ Khaled, Miami’s top artists (Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, Trina, Pit Bull and Flo Rida) reminded the crowd that south Florida rappers have hits for days and that Rick Ross is slowly becoming a Southern version of Biggie.
Jermaine Dupri – The self-appointed mayor of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene rapped alongside P. Diddy, Bow Wow and Dem Franchise Boyz and ran through a slew of hits that included “Jump” and “Welcome to Atlanta.”
Luke – With stripper poles and scantily clad dancers in tow, Luke bought the Miami strip club scene to the Hammerstein Ballroom. The crowd responded favorably to Luke’s hits “It’s Your Birthday” and “Scarred.”
Honorable Mention – Missy’s tribute to Timbaland, Houston’s tribute, Bun B’s performance with Drake and Romeo performing his father’s hit song “Bout It.”
The Bad:
Atlanta Tribute – Although Gucci Mane and Lil Jon kept the crowd moving with their respective hits “Wasted” and “Get Low,” the Atlanta tribute was an anticlimactic performance that displayed only a small portion of the hip-hop prowess that hails from the city.
The 2 Live Crew – With a questionable honor that was separate from Luke’s, the 2 Live Crew had to deal with technical issues and a lethargic crowd that seemed ready to go home once the Miami duo hit the stage.
Honorable Mention – Silkk the Shocker forgetting his verse. The mad Ying Yang Twins embarrassing themselves as usual on the red carpet.
The Ugly:
Snub of 8 Ball & MJG and Tennessee – For those familiar with Southern hip-hop, VH-1’s snub of 8 Ball & MJG and the entire state of Tennessee was a travesty.
8 Ball & MJG were one of the most important Southern rap groups in the ’90s.The only rappers to win an Oscar (Three Six Mafia) are from the state of Tennessee.
Southern Slang – During a taped segment, several artists discussed slang words that they view as common in the South. Although the segment was created to add comic relief, it made a few of the artists seem as if they had only achieved a sixth grade education.
