BET is officially putting the brakes on both the Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards — and Fat Joe is calling it like he sees it: “This is a form of gentrification.”
The Bronx icon didn’t hold back during a candid convo with Jadakiss on their podcast. He’s been hosting the BET Hip Hop Awards for the last three years and said he’s seen the signs coming.
Joe believes the downfall started back in 2001 when BET founder Robert Johnson sold the Black-owned network to Viacom for a jaw-dropping $3 billion. That moment, according to him, was when things started spiraling.
“Outspoken people started getting fired, budgets got smaller, and the soul of BET slowly started to fade,” Joe shared.
Joe Points To MTV VMAs As Proof BET Awards Are Undervalued
Fat Joe gave a side-by-side that was hard to ignore. He brought up the 2024 MTV VMAs, where Katy Perry’s performance was clearly a high-budget production. But when it came to the BET Hip Hop Awards?“Ratchet,” Joe said straight-up, making it clear there was a major difference in how the culture gets treated — even on its own turf.He made the point that hip hop — a genre birthed and built by Black and Brown voices — should never have to beg for proper representation, especially from a network that claims to stand for the culture.
BET CEO Scott Mills Says It’s Just A ‘Pause,’ But Many Ain’t Buying It
When TMZ reached out to BET about Joe’s comments, CEO Scott Mills told Billboard the shows aren’t gone for good — just paused for now.
Meanwhile, MTV Still Pushing Forward With The 2025 VMAs In NYC
While BET’s still trying to “figure it out,” MTV is full steam ahead. The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are locked in for September 7 in New York City.
