The 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards are finally here and your favorite artists showed out on the red carpet. The award show took place in Atlanta last week. Fat Joe is the host for the second time after hosting the award show last year.
“Overall it’s a dream come true for me,” Joe told PEOPLE. “It’s the second year I’m doing the Hip Hop awards, but I always think back to being in junior high and doing the talent shows and then Apollo Theater Amateur Night and it all leads to this. And so it’s an honor for me.”
Fans can expect performances by Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, Offset, Da Brat, Grandmaster Flash, Sexxy Red, GloRilla, DaBaby, and more. There will also be a So So Def 30th anniversary tribute featuring Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow, Ludacris and Da Brat.
The “Lean Back” rapper was asked his thoughts on the current state of hip-hop and what he thinks of the next generation coming up.
“Whether I like the music or I don’t, I always encourage the youth to do better, to keep rocking, to uplift the hip hop community, to hire more people, take care of their kids,” he told CNN. “That’s what I’m about. I don’t really throw shade on the youth.”
As for nominations, Cardi B and 21 Savage lead the pack with 12 nominations each. They share seven categories including Best Collaboration, Lyricist of the Year, Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, Hustler of the Year, Best Hip-Hop Video, Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse, and Song of the Year.
Behind 21 and Cardi is Drake, Burna Boy, and DJ Khaled received seven nods each, followed by J. Cole with six, and Coi Leray, GloRilla, and Jay-Z with five nominations each. Other nominees include Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, and more.
The 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards airs tonight (Oct. 10) at 9 p.m. on BET. Take a look at some of the best looks of the night below:
