While the opening performance by Rick Ross, Diddy and MC Hammer was a respectable start, the show went downhill from there.
The most blaring issue of the night was the fact that hip-hop’s biggest stars shunned the awards show. Notable absentees included Kanye West (who appeared on “SNL”), Jay-Z, T.I., Drake, Nas and Eminem. Trey Songz presented an award, but other R&B acts, who work closely with hip-hop artists, such as Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, and Alicia Keys didn’t make the trip to Atlanta.
Another issue was the bickering that occurred between Waka Flocka and BET’s President Stephen Hill. During his sporadic performance, Waka Flocka jumped into the crowd and pulled Gucci Mane and his homeboys onstage. And Waka Flocka also forgot to rap. Hill was peeved at the performance and aired his grievances with Waka Flocka on Twitter.
But while Hill took the time to go after Waka Flocka for his impromptu performance, he should rethink his battles and figure out a way to make the show relevant. Besides the captivating pre-recorded freestyle cyphers, the “BET Hip-Hop Awards” currently stands as a big waste of time and money. –amir shaw
