Best Hip-Hop
Video
Nominees:
- 2 Chainz f/ Drake – “No Lie”
- A$AP Rocky – “Goldie”
- Drake f/ Lil’ Wayne – “HYFR”
- Wale f/ Miguel – “Lotus Flower Bomb”
- Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Big Sean x Pusha T – “Mercy”
Perhaps the
biggest award of the year, the best hip hop video is a representation of well,
the most viewed hip hop video on TV. The biggest contenders as far as I’m
concerned are Drake for HYFR and
Kanye West and his G.O.O.D posse for Mercy.
Personally I’d go for Kanye West, but I’ve learnt to never underestimate Drake
and his drone of fans. That being said 2 Chainz can cause an upset with his No Lie video, which features Drake.
Who should win: Drake for HYFR
(based off his MTV win).
Reese’s Perfect Combo Award
Nominees:
- 2 Chainz f/ Drake – “No Lie”
- Drake f/ Lil’ Wayne x Tyga – “The Motto”
- J. Cole f/ Missy Elliott – “Nobody’s Perfect”
- Wale f/ Miguel – “Lotus Flower Bomb”
- Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Big Sean x Pusha T – “Mercy”
This is for
collaborating as the name indicates. Personally I’d go for J. Cole’s
collaboration with Missy Elliot, but Mercy
has been playing in clubs, Nobody’s
Perfect hasn’t.
Who will win: Kanye West for
Mercy.
Best Live Performer
Nominees:
- A$AP Rocky
- Drake
- J. Cole
- The Throne (Jay-Z x Kanye West)
- Kanye West
This is between
The Throne and one half of its members, namely Kanye West. If you’ve ever seen
Jay-Z perform (I have, I just thought I’d throw that out there) you’ll know
he’s very laid back kind of like his personality, but that doesn’t mean he
doesn’t engage the crowd. He has 40/40 vision after all. Kanye West on the
other hand is a monster on stage as evident to his numerous live performances.
Who should win: Kanye West Who will win: The Throne.
Lyricist of the Year
Nominees:
- J. Cole
- Jay-Z
- Kendrick Lamar
- Nas
- Kanye West
This is arguably
my favourite category of all. I’m going to say hands down this award belongs to
Nas and if he wins perhaps he can address that ghostwriting accusations
levelled against him. Personally I don’t care if Stic-man and Jay Electronica ghostwrote
or co-wrote his Nigger album, it was
never one of his best works. However, Life Is Good has re-energized my faith in
the true God Mc (Jay- who?). I can’t undermine the lyrical achievements of
young cats like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, but Lamar will be judged largely on
his previous works (two mixtapes) and J.Cole on his debut, which was a notch
less than a classic. Kanye & Jay-Z (although nominated separately) will be
judged on their collaborative debut, which really didn’t have them saying
anything new, so we’re back to Nas, the only one with a classic album in the
last year (all the other albums are too distant to be remembered).
Who should win: Nas
Video Director of the Year
Nominees:
- A$AP Rocky x Sam Lecca
- Benny Boom
- Chris Robinson
- Kanye West
- Hype Williams
Videos aren’t my
thing, you’ve seen one booty shaking video, you’ve practically seen them all.
That being said, the fact that Hype Williams is still relevant today makes me
wanna vote for him. Let’s face it, as big as an underground artist that A$AP
Rocky is over in the United States, his videos aren’t getting airplay over here
like those directed by the other on the list, so he and Sam Lecca are out.
Who will win: Hype Williams
(All Of The Lights is still in our memory)
Producer of the Year
Nominees:
- Hit-Boy
- J. Cole
- J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
- No I.D.
- Kanye West
By virtue of
producing the biggest hit of last year, Hit Boy should win, but one hit don’t
make you shit, unless you can follow it up with another and so far Niggas In Paris has been Hit Boy’s
biggest accomplishment, which brings me to No I.D who is finally getting some
shine. The man who taught Kanye West the basics finally gets the spotlight
himself and oh what a spotlight. After single-handedly producing most of Big
Sean’s debut album, he went back to work on long time collaborator Common’s
ninth album, The Dreamer, The Believer
and assisted by producing half of Nas newest opus Life Is Good. If we’re going off one hit, Hit Boy is your man, but
sincerely:
Who should win: No.I.D Who could win: Hit Boy.
MVP of the Year
Nominees:
- 2 Chainz
- J. Cole
- Jay-Z
- Rick Ross
- Kanye West
Here’s a
category I never really understood its purpose, but nonetheless if there’s
anyone who’s had a presence in the last year, it’s Rick Ross, love him or hate
him. Again, I believe 2 Chainz who was written off since Player’s Circle had
that one moment of fame seems to be the award’s underdog.
Who should win: Rick Ross Who could win: 2 Chainz.
Track of the Year
Nominees:
- “Cashin’ Out” (Ca$h Out)
- “I’ma Boss” (Meek Mill f/ Rick Ross)
- “N–gas In Paris” (The Throne)
- “No Lie” (2 Chainz f/ Drake)
- “The Motto” (Drake f/ Lil’ Wayne x Tyga)
This is fairly
easy; as it stands now, Cash Out is a one hit wonder, so let’s eliminate him. Niggas In Paris is undoubtedly a hit of
the year, but I’ma Boss is that
Street Banger of the year. No Lie
hasn’t been around long enough to be embedded in your membrane, so let’s put 2 Chainz
out as well. The Motto is a great
contender and I’ve learnt to never underestimate Drake and his fan of drones
who go where ever he go.
Who could win: Niggas In
Paris. Who should win: I’ma
Boss.
CD of the Year
Nominees:
- The Dreamer, The Believer (Common)
- Take Care (Drake)
- Cole World: The Sideline Story (J. Cole)
- Watch The Throne (Jay-Z x Kanye West)
- TM 103: Hustlerz Ambition (Young Jeezy)
Huh, album of
the year. Let’s do this by elimination. Drake is going to bring his fans to the
table, The Throne is going to bring their prestige, Common is going to bring
some good production from No I.D. Three of the nominated albums made my list of
album of the year for 2011. I eliminated Take Care from that list, because I
slept on it last year. I admit now it was an okay album. So we have four
nominees here (let’s eliminate Young Jeezy first). Let’s pit Drake against J.
Cole, lyrically Drake can’t touch Cole, but musically a Drake album has more
songs to be remembered, so let’s remove Cole
World. Common vs. Drake: There’s no common sense about Drake fans, they
just vote for him regardless, which is funny cause Drake had beef with common,
who used to be known as Common sense. Production wise I’d put Common’s album
ahead of Drake’s, really I would, but when it comes to the masses, Drake is a
more recognizable face, which brings us to his only competition: The Throne.
Who should win: The Throne.
Who could
unfortunately win:
Drake (I just think Watch The Throne was a better CD)
DJ of the Year
Nominees:
- DJ Drama
- DJ Enuff
- DJ Envy
- Funkmaster Flex
- DJ Khaled
This is between
Funkmaster Flex, who had dropped some great exclusives on his show this year
and Hip Hop’s great curator D.J Khaled. In case you don’t know what a curator
is, he’s the guy who takes care of a museum, that’s what D.J Khaled is. He
figures out which rappers go together and on which track and then he takes
credit by shouting, “We The Best”. D.J Khaled does not produce shit; he just
collects the art and puts it on display. D.J Envy hosts MTV 2’s Sucker Free, my
favourite show on MTV, but that just makes you a TV presenter, not a D.J. D.J
Drama put out one of the best mixtapes this year, if not the best so far,
Slaughterhouse’s On The House. So he’s the only D.J with some sort of D.J
achievement, but today a D.J is much more than that, he’s a curator as Khaled
has made it clear.
Who will win: WE THE BEST.
Rookie of the Year
Nominees:
- 2 Chainz
- A$AP Rocky
- Ca$h Out
- Future
- Meek Mill
For a lack of
better nominees (I presume J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar were nominated last year),
Future, 2 Chainz and Meek Mill stand out as clear favourites. Future could win,
he resurrected auto-tune, which Ca$h out banked on, but I’m seeing no better
winner than Meek Mill here.
Who could win: Meek Mill
Who should win: 2 Chainz
(considering how he rose to the top after being left for dead… figuratively
speaking)
Made You Look Award (Best Hip-Hop Style)
Nominees:
- 2 Chainz
- A$AP Rocky
- Big Sean
- Nicki Minaj
- Kanye West
This is one of
those crap vanity awards (that has nothing to do with Hip Hop, but
commercialism) and the only one I’m looking at is the one with the booty. How
you going to vote four guys over a girl?
It Better Be:
Nicki Minaj.
Best Club Banger
Nominees:
- “Cashin’ Out” (Ca$h Out)
- “The Motto” (Drake f/ Lil’ Wayne x Tyga)
- “Same Damn Time” (Future)
- “Ni–as In Paris” (The Throne)
- “Mercy” (Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Big Sean x Pusha T)
I really want Same Damn Time to win, for its
simplistic lyrics, but Mercy, The Motto and Niggas In Paris are great contenders. Once again, let’s eliminate Cashin’ Out, though I loved the remix
with Akon.
Who should win: Same Damn Time
(the song even got a remix featuring Diddy and Ludacris at the same damn
time!!!)
Best Mixtape
Nominees:
- LiveLoveA$AP (A$AP Rocky)
- 1999 (Joey Bada$$)
- Dreamchasers 2 (Meek Mill)
- Rich Forever (Rick Ross)
- Taylor Allderdice (Wiz Khalifa)
The clear winner
here is Rick Ross; which mixtape dropped like an album with all original beats
and had a video or two?
Who should,
could and will win:
Rich Forever (Rick Ross)
Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse
Nominees
- 2 Chainz – “Mercy”
- Diddy – “Same Damn Time (Remix)”
- Drake – “Stay Schemin’”
- Ludacris – “Same Damn Time (Remix)”
- T.I. – “Magic (Remix)”
Everybody knows
Diddy don’t write his rhymes, but whoever wrote his rhyme on the Same Damn Time Remix did a good job, but 2 Chainz verse is so ahead of everyone
else’s on this list including, dare I say, Luda’s verse on Same Damn Time. T.I’s verse on Future’s Magic was the only memorable thing about the song in my opinion,
which says a lot and Drake’s verse on Stay Schemin’ was what started his verbal
beef with Common, it was a good verse, but how you going beef with Common and win?
You think Ice Cube na your mate?!
Who should win: 2 Chainz (for
some great colour descriptions: “coupe the colour of mayonnaise” “chain, the
colour of Akon/ black diamonds”
Who could win:
Diddy/Ludacris.
Hustler of the Year
Nominees:
- 2 Chainz
- Jay-Z
- Lil’ Wayne
- Rick Ross
- Kanye West
The top two
contenders for me here are Rick Ross and 2 Chainz for getting signed to Def Jam, then being a sort of member of
Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music team. That’s
hustling!
Who should win: Rick Ross.
Impact Track
Nominees:
- “Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free)” (Lupe Fiasco)
- “Bitch Bad” (Lupe Fiasco)
- “Daughters” (Nas)
- “Murder To Excellence” (The Throne)
This is easy, as
much well good-intentions Lupe’s Bitch
Bad meant to do; it’s caused as much debate over the use of the word, which
paves the way for Nas’ personal dilemma, Daughters
to take the award.
Who should win: Nas.
People’s Champ Award
Nominees:
- 2 Chainz f/ Drake – “No Lie”
- Driicky Graham – “Snapbacks & Tattoos”
- Meek Mill f/ Rick Ross – “I’ma Boss”
- The Throne – “Ni–as In Paris”
- Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Big Sean x Pusha T – “Mercy”
I want to give this
to the underdog here, not 2 Chainz, but Driicky Graham. This could go anyway.
Who should win
(based on my sentiments): Driicky Graham.
Best Hip-Hop Online Site
Nominees:
- 2DopeBoyz.com
- AllHipHop.com
- Complex.com
- HipHopDX.com
- NahRight.com
- RapRadar.com
- WorldstarHipHop.com
I’m a bit
partial here to Complex.com, too bad XXL didn’t make the nominees (see what
happens when you fire your bloggers). I don’t care who wins this, pretty much
like all the other categories.
No comments:
Post a Comment