Fat Joe, the Bronx rap legend and three-time host of the BET Hip-Hop Awards, sharply criticized BET’s decision to pause its flagship music ceremonies. He labeled the move “a form of gentrification.” BET announced it is suspending both the Hip-Hop Awards and the Soul Train Awards, sparking debate across hip-hop communities and media alike.
A Cultural Shift, Not Just a Pause
In a candid conversation with Jadakiss on their podcast, Fat Joe traced the change back more than two decades. He pinpointed the network’s 2001 sale to Viacom for $3 billion as a turning point. “Outspoken people started getting fired, budgets got smaller, and the soul of BET slowly started to fade,” he said. “This is a form of gentrification.”
He painted a stark picture of backstage erosion. “Little by little over the years, quietly they’ve been firing a lot of people behind the scenes at BET,” he charged. “I know ’cause I’ve been working on the BET Hip-Hop Awards for three years. … The budget… just kept getting chopped and chopped and chopped.”
MTV, BET and the Value Divide
Joe didn’t mince words comparing BET to its corporate cousin. He pointed to last year’s MTV VMAs as a high-budget spectacle and noted how BET’s production didn’t match that energy. He dismissed the difference bluntly: “Ratchet.” His implication was clear: hip hop deserves respect and investment from platforms that claim to uphold its culture.
BET CEO Scott Mills responded to criticism by stressing the measure is temporary. He told Billboard the network is “actively thinking about where those award shows might best live as the media climate.” Still, many insiders and fans worry the break hints at deeper creative and cultural costs.