Viewers tuning into tonight’s broadcast of the BET Hip-Hop Awards will have something to talk about, according to top BET executive Stephen Hill.
The inaugural awards show, hosted by comedian Katt Williams, was held Nov. 12 in Atlanta, and honored the best in Hip-Hop with nominees hailing from various regions.
“I felt great about the BET Hip-Hop Awards from the very beginning,” Hill, BET’s executive vice president of entertainment, music programming and talent, told AllHipHop.com. “Katt Williams was the perfect host. He’s smart, funny and tied into the culture. From Katt, to Grand Master Flash, to [DJ] Unk ‘walking it out,’ it was a great example of the wide range of Hip-Hop.”
Atlanta rapper T.I., who received eight nominations, was the big winner at the event with three awards.
Other honorees included Common, Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Chamillionaire, Jermaine Dupri and Grandmaster Flash, who received the I Am Hip-Hop Icon award.
The vibe of unity at the occasion echoed the atmosphere of the previously held BET Awards, Hill added.
“The one thing we have been able to do at both the BET Awards and the BET Hip-Hop Awards is establish the fact that it’s not really about competition. It’s about coming together to enjoy the show,” he said. “And you can see by how many artists stayed through the whole show, how many really enjoyed it.”
Although the East and West are more recognizable regions for Hip-Hop, Hill saw no flaws with holding the Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.
“The people have been wonderful, the production crew we got used out of Atlanta was as good as anywhere else and the party scene is off the chain,” said Hill. “There was a different energy than if it would have been in Los Angeles or New York. This city was about this event.”
The BET Hip-Hop Awards will air tonight (Nov. 15) at 9 p.m. on BET.