The BET Hip Hop Awards 2010 is over and off to post-production editing. The annual Atlanta event draws most of the big names in urban music for a weekend of partying and networking. This was my second year covering the event for AllHipHop.com, so I knew to arrive very early. The city of Atlanta had other events like an important Atlanta Braves baseball game that added to the ridiculous amount of traffic. Luckily, BET improved this year by supplying a shuttle for media, since every street within a 2-3 block radius was blocked off.
The carpet opened promptly at 2:30 and lasted until close to 5PM. Early on things went smooth. Artists were escorted by their publicists one by one slowly across the line to speak with selected media outlets. But soon, the easygoing pace morphed into organized chaos as more artists and media arrived. Still, the BET volunteers and black carpet escorts were an immense help in getting interviews secured. Below are some of the interesting, and sometimes humorous quotes I got from some of the attendees.
The actual show airs on October 12 at 8PM. Be sure to check out www.allhiphop.com additional coverage of the show.
LOLA “LUV” MONROE
Best Cypher Performer She’s Seen So Far: “I’d have to say Cory Gunz. That was a few years ago but he killed it.”
Next Project: “Being that I’m not going to rush an album, I’m going to give my fans an EP. I’ll definitely be working with different producers, even underground.”
RAEKWON
On his return to form: “Now I’m where I need to be at. I’ve been in shape [lyrically] the last three years. Still a chubby gangster, though.”
Predicting Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Paquiao: “Wow, I’m riding with Floyd. I think Floyd is our Muhammad Ali of today.”
DJ Greg Street and journalist Chloe Hilliard on the Upcoming BET’s Top 10 Rappers of the 21st Century Show
Chloe: “What I said about Lil Wayne, you’ll have to see the whole thing. The teaser was to entice you.”
Greg Street: “She said Weezy was the greatest!”
Chloe: “I will not confirm nor deny that!”
TONY NEAL, CORE DJS FOUNDER
On today’s DJ: “I think we get more respect. It started with the DJ, but we’re kind of being recognized for that [now]. With sales and everything, artists need as much help as possible, so it’s been taken back to the DJ.”
Laws
Next mixtape: “I’m coming out with a dedication to Paul McCartney called Yesterday’s Future. So it’s a lot more ambitious than the last one.”
YELAWOLF
Two albums in six months: “0-60 is coming out November 23, my first album for Interscope. After that, I’m going to be releasing an album in March [2011] called Radioactive.”
WAKA FLOCKA FLAME
New album coming October 5: “Flockaveli on October 5,get it! [Buy] one for the car, one for the house, and one in plastic. Flockaveli is a classic!”
THE NEW BOYZ
On new album in early 2011: “We don’t have to prove anything, but we want people to know what it really is. We’re going to keep working hard so people don’t think we’re just a jerk dance phase.”
LLOYD
On his next album: “You’ve never heard music like this. You’ve never heard this side of me. It’s gonna be one of the best albums of 2010-2011. I guarantee it. You are the average of the five people you are around. When you add up my five people you get Polow Da Don, Stakeboard P, Timbaland, Jimmy Iovine and myself.”
SOULJA BOY
On working with Kanye West: “I listened to the finished product and that really opened my mind. I don’t even want to say as a rapper, just as a musician. It really opens your mind to different sounds, drum kicks and all of that.”
TERRY KENNEDY
Top 5 Dead Or Alive: “Jay-Z, Nas, Tupac, Biggie, and Kanye West.”
ROSCOE DASH
Top 5 Dead Or Alive: “Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Ice Cube. I say that because they all played a role in inspiring artists to get out there and make something for themselves, and that you can achieve you dreams.”
BIG BOI AND SON
KANGOL KID OF UTFO
PRINCESS
TWISTA AND TRAXSTER
Emcees that kept him focused lyrically: ” That’s a good one, it was never really one person. It was different people like Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, Tupac, and Outkast. Those type of artists that were hot from the perspective of doing their thing lyrically. Those guys kept me on my toes.”
MERCEDES LADIES, FIRST FEMALE HIP HOP GROUP
DJ DRAMA
BONES BRIGANTE, 106 & PARK FREESTYLE CHAMPION
TREY SONGZ
YOUNG MONEY
NELLY
DIGGY SIMMONS
MR. BOOMTOWN, DIRECTOR
ELISE NEAL
GUCCI MANE
DJ PREMIER AND THE LATE GURU’S YOUNG SON
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 