Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch were big winners at last night’s (Oct. 27) BET Hip Hop Awards. Stallion won Hip Hop Artist of the Year beating out Roddy Ricch, who was nominated for 11 awards. Stallion also won Best Collaboration with Beyonce. Ricch took home Hip Hop Album of the Year for Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial and Song of the Year.
The pre-taped, no audience show opened with Cordae (Suitland, MD) with a plea to Vote. From that point on, vote served as the theme of the show. The 15th annual event was hosted by Karlous Miller of the comedy trio, The 85 South Show, along with DC Young Fly and Chico Bean.
Other winners included Rapsody, who was named Best Lyricist. Best Duo went to Chris Brown and Young Thug. Travis Scott won Best Live Performer, and the late Pop Smoke was voted Best New Hip Hop Artist.
The night also featured performances by Big Sean, Burna Boy, Chris Martin, City Girls, Gucci Mane, Jhene Aiko, Lil Baby, Mulatto, and Ty Dolla $ign. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz closed the show.
HIGHLIGHTS AND PERFORMANCES
- The show opened with Cordae (Suitland, MD) with a plea to Vote
- The theme of the show seemed to be VOTE. The word showed up in numerous talks and performances, as well as in commercials and written on screen.
- The new initiative was featured, “Hip Hop Cares,” which highlights artists who are doing their part to give back to their communities and the world at large. This year’s spotlight was on G Herbo, for his dedication to the mental health crisis. And Trae Tha Truth, for his work with natural disaster relief and community activism related to the Black Lives Matter movement.
- First award went to Rapsody, sitting in a chair on the set, she accepted from the hosts and said, “The women don’t always get represented for that so I’m grateful.”
- DaBaby lead this year’s nominations with 12 nods.
- Roddy Ricch had 11 nominations.
- Megan the Stallion and Drake both had 8 nods.
- Monica, who talked about the fact that she’s been performing for 25 years recalled her first recording when she was only 13. So she was honored to present for Best New Hip Hop Artist to the late Pop Smoke.
- In Tobe Nwigwe’s performance, he opened with “Try Jesus” and segued into “Eat.”
- One of the evening’s big collaborations was with Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, and Jhene Aiko. In what could be a music video, the performance started on a set, looking out windows watching a forest fire burn.
- Cordae who opened for Juice Wrld on his very first tour started off a tribute to the late performer and said he was “Somebody I could have real life, genuine conversations with.” Juice amassed 25 billion global streams.
- G Herbo said (about Juice Wrld) “What he left was enough to stay with us for a lifetime.” Juice Wrld died last year.
- With a jungle background, City Girls performed in leopard print full body cat suits to the tune of “Kitty Talk.”
- Snoop Dogg presented Master P with the 2020 I Am Hip Hop award for his contributions to music and philanthropy. His pre-recorded acceptance speech was in front of a wall of Platinum records. Master P said,” I wanted to take ordinary people out of the gutter and make them millionaires.”
THE CYPHERS
Ade (Silver Spring, MD)
Buddy (Copton, CA)
Flo Milli (Mobile, AL)
Deante Hitchock (Atlanta, GA)
Bobby Sessions (Dallas, TX)
Shenseea (Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica)
Skip Marley (Kingston, Jamaica)
Original Koffee (Spanish Town, Jamaica)
Pretty Yellow (Covington, LA)
Teyana Taylor (Harlem, NY)
Bounty Killer (Kinston, Jamaica)
Beenie Man (Kingston, Jamaica)
Polo G (Los Angeles, CA)
Chika (Montgomery, Al)
Jack Harlow (Louisville, Ky)
Flawless Real Talk (Providence, RI)
Rapsody (Snow Hill, NC)
Ruben Vincent (Charlotte, NC)
THE WINNERS LIST
BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
FUTURE FEAT. DRAKE, “LIFE IS GOOD”
BEST COLLABORATION
MEGAN THEE STALLION FEAT. BEYONCÉ, “SAVAGE (REMIX)”
BEST DUO OR GROUP
CHRIS BROWN AND YOUNG THUG
BEST LIVE PERFORMER
TRAVIS SCOTT
LYRICIST OF THE YEAR
RAPSODY
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
TEYANA “SPIKE TEE” TAYLOR
DJ OF THE YEAR
D-NICE
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
HIT-BOY
HIP HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
RODDY RICCH
SONG OF THE YEAR
“THE BOX” – Produced by 30 Roc & DatBoiSqueeze (RODDY RICCH)
HIP HOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
RODDY RICCH – PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR BEING ANTISOCIA
BEST NEW HIP HOP ARTIST
POP SMOKE
HUSTLER OF THE YEAR
MEGAN THEE STALLION
BEST HIP HOP PLATFORM
THE JOE BUDDEN PODCAST
SWEET 16: BEST FEATURED VERSE
BEYONCÉ, “SAVAGE (REMIX)” (MEGAN THEE STALLION FEAT. BEYONCÉ)
IMPACT TRACK
LIL BABY, “THE BIGGER PICTURE”
BEST INTERNATIONAL FLOW
STORMZY (UK)