Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In a heated Instagram Live session streamed from what appeared to be a bubbling jacuzzi, the former Source magazine co-owner fired back at Fat Joe’s recent comments about the BET Hip-Hop Awards’ hiatus.
The outspoken rapper and media personality accused Joe’s tenure as host of contributing to declining viewership, challenging the Bronx MC’s claim that the award show’s pause is due to “gentrification.”
“Why Fat Joe said it’s gentrification, after they let his a** host the awards two years earlier?” Benzino said. “The ratings were the worst ever after he hosted it. Was it gentrification when you was hosting it, Joey? Stop, man. Joe, you’re putting out too much misinformation on the internet, bro. You gotta do better, man.”
BET Pulls Plug — For Now
Earlier this month, BET announced that both the BET Hip-Hop Awards and the Soul Train Awards will be placed on indefinite hold while the network retools the shows. BET CEO Scott Mills assured fans that the awards aren’t gone for good.
“We have suspended the Soul Train and Hip-Hop award shows,” Mills explained. “But we have a team that’s actively thinking about where those award shows might best live as the media climate continues to evolve. They aren’t gone. And we also still have the NAACP Image Awards and the Stellar Awards.”
Fat Joe’s Take
During a recent episode of his Joe & Jada podcast with Jadakiss, Fat Joe suggested the move reflects a larger cultural shift.
“This is a form of gentrification,” Joe said. “BET came up as a community station for Black people and urban culture. Our man Bob Johnson took the check… he sold it to Viacom Paramount. MTV and them. VH1 and them.”
The rapper claimed budget cuts and behind-the-scenes layoffs have gradually stripped BET of its original identity.
“Little by little over the years, quietly they’ve been firing a lot of people behind the scenes… The budget just kept getting chopped and chopped and chopped.”
The Future of the Hip-Hop Awards
With BET promising a return for both shows but no clear timeline, the future of the Hip-Hop Awards remains uncertain. Whether Benzino’s criticisms or Joe’s gentrification argument carry more weight, fans will be watching closely to see how — and if — the network revives one of Hip-Hop’s biggest televised celebrations.
