Fat Joe Slams BET's Decision to Suspend Hip Hop Awards: 'This Is a Form of Gentrification'

Fat Joe is speaking out about BET's decision to pause the Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards, calling it "a form of gentrification". The Bronx rapper and TV host believes the network's decision to suspend these awards shows is a result of the network's shift away from its roots in Black culture. According to Fat Joe, the downfall of BET's Black-focused programming began in 2001 when the network's founder, Robert Johnson, sold the company to Viacom for $3 billion. Since then, Fat Joe claims that "outspoken people started getting fired, budgets got smaller, and the soul of BET slowly started to fade

Fat Joe also pointed out the disparity in production quality between BET's awards shows and other networks, citing the 2024 MTV VMAs as an example. He noted that the MTV VMAs had high-budget performances, such as Katy Perry's, while the BET Hip Hop Awards seemed to be underfunded. Key Points: - *Gentrification Concerns*: Fat Joe believes BET's decision to pause the awards shows is a form of gentrification, stripping away the network's Black cultural identity. - *Comparison to MTV VMAs*: Fat Joe contrasts BET's budget with MTV's, highlighting the difference in production quality between the two networks. - *BET's Cultural Significance*: Fat Joe emphasizes the importance of preserving Black cultural representation on networks like BET, which claims to stand for the culture