BET Hip Hop Awards 2014: The must-see list
There aren’t many award telecasts that can get away with a gluttony of F-bombs or references to sex tapes and weed, but the BET Hip Hop Awards are a little different.
For a second year in a row, BET tapped Snoop Dogg to oversee its annual rap spectacle. Traditional categories such as best album, video, collaboration and live performer are doled out alongside less conventional honors (MVP, Hustler and the Who Blew Up Award among them). Drake led the nominations with eight nods, while Jay Z, Pharrell and Future were behind him with six nods.
The pretaped telecast premieres on Tuesday, and Pop & Hiss caught an early look — but we won’t spoil the winners. For those who plan on tuning in, here are three things to watch for:
1. The Cyphers. It’s not the awards that matter much here, and it’s a good thing considering not many are handed out. Viewers have long tuned in for the heaping of freestyle rap exchanges (better known as cyphers) showcasing veteran and rising emcees. This year’s show is packed with an impressively diverse roster. But the must-sees? That would be Vic Mensa, Snow Tha Product, David Banner, Detroit Che, G-Eazy, Remy Ma & Papoose, Emilio Rojas and, believe it or not, Lil Mama.
2. Throwbacks. Revisiting history is a must for any award show. One of the night’s most moving moments came courtesy of veteran rapper Doug E. Fresh, who received the “I Am Hip-Hop Award.” The beatboxing pioneer moved the audience to tears as he paid tribute to his mother, who recently died. And R&B singer Brandy marked the 20th anniversary of her debut by performing the hip-hop remix of her debut single, “I Wanna Be Down,” with MC Lyte, YoYo and Queen Latifah.
3. Performances. This year’s telecast is heavy on young, buzzy emcees. It won’t surprise anyone watching “No Flex Zone” from Rae Sremmurd and Bobby Shmurda’s “Hot Boy” open and close the show, respectively, as they are two of the catchiest rap songs currently on hip-hop radio. There are also performances from Rich Gang, Migos and DJ Mustard, the latter carting out the hits he’s produced from YG and Ty Dolla Sign. The night’s best performance went to Common. His stirring run-through of “Kingdom,” featuring Jay Electronica and Vince Staples, doubled as a tribute to slain teenager Michael Brown that included his parents and a powerful moment of silence (have some tissues ready).
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‘BET Hip Hop Awards 2014’
Where: BET
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14)
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