Hip Hop Awards in the ATL – THE URBAN BUZZ

The metro Atlanta area was a buzz for the last week with all things BET and all things hip hop. There were pre-events and parties, welcome events, kick-off events, gifting events, green carpets events, VIP events, post-party events, grand finale events and then some. Many were of the opinion that the hot ticket wasn’t to the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards but to T.I’s Peep Show Birthday Bash. There were a few ministers in the building (yes Lord I said that) who may or may not have been surprised by the “grown folks sights and visual entertainment display” that was served up long before the birthday cake!!! You can fill in the blank. Everyone from Diddy and Nelly to Brandy and Miss Nikki Gilbert were up in the spot! The BET Hip Hop Awards airs on October 15th at 8pm(et). I won’t give anything away, however you can certainly expect surprises, unfortunate OMG and SMH moments, good entertainment and jokes as well as time for extended snack breaks!!! Shout out to Cat Daddy Snoop Dogg for hosting and rocking his grown man gray roots.

On the BET Green Carpet Hip Hop Icon, MC Lyte, Snoop Dogg aka Lion and Nelly

Another shout out to Atlanta’s WVEE on the success of their 2013 Hip Hop Conference. It was reminiscent of the Urban confabs many of us have attended, yet a valuable and priceless tool to the vast array of entertainment entrepreneurs based in the “Hollywood of the South.” There was not one “no show” amongst the scheduled panelists or performers. KKDA-FM PD George Cooke shared radio etiquette tips to industry neophytes who felt their music is ready for airplay. George broke it down and kept it real as only he can do. Never one to disappoint, T.I. captivated the crowd , not only with his quick, witty comments but his solid business acumen while essentially stressing “if you don’t know the business, you have no business. ” Artist 2 Chainz shared career highs, lows, the process of humbling himself to reinvent himself in order to have another opportunity for a career.

Whether you aspired to be an artist, CEO, manager, A&R Executive or Executive Producer, the industry icons present shared information and experiences that could never be taught in any classroom or read in any book. A great display of humility on the part of BET’s ButtahMan and hip hop icon MC Lyte who went above and beyond in making themselves available to attendees after the event did not go unnoticed. It goes to show, that there are people in this business who have remained grounded.