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Our Predictions for the 2016 BET Hip-Hop Awards

It’s that time of year again, where hip-hop’s biggest night brings together the best and most popular artists, albums and songs for the BET Awards. Drake leads for another year with 14 nominations, his third consecutive year at the top. Hot on his heels are Future, ten nominations, DJ Khaled with nine and Kanye West with eight nominations. No hosts have been named as of yet. The 2016 BET Hip-Hop Awards will be taped on Sept. 17 at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre and premiere on Oct. 4 (8 p.m. ET/PT).

Here are our winners predictions:

Best Hip-Hop Video

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Image: BET


Watch Out 2 Chainz
Panda Desiigner
I Got The Keys DJ Khaled ft. Jay-Z and Future
Hotline Bling Drake
All The Way Up Fat Joe and Remy Ma ft. French Montana and Infared
Famous Kanye West ft. Rihanna

Who Should Win: FamousKanye West and Rihanna.

The artistic direction, meaning and subtext of this video, not to mention the controversy and subsequent battle with Taylor Swift more than earns Kanye and RiRi’s video as the 2016 Video of the Year. It shows Kanye is still the leader when it comes to blending hip-hop and art.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Hotline BlingDrake.

The theme for this years awards seems to be ‘You can’t deny a phenomenon’, and if that is true, Drake has this in the bag. From gifs, to parodies to memes this video was a huge part of the hip-hop landscape over the last year, not just breaking out but outright exploding into mainstream pop culture.

Best Collab: Group or Duo

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Image: BET


All The Way Up Fat Joe and Remy Ma ft. French Montana and Infared
One Dance Drake ft. Wizkid and Kyla
Jumpman Drake and Future
I Got The Keys DJ Khaled ft. Jay-Z and Future
For Free DJ Khaled ft. Drake

Who Should Win: JumpmanDrake and Future.

Who Will Most Likely Win: JumpmanDrake and Future.

This song is the definition of a hip-hop banger. Featuring two of the most important artists right now, on a beat made by the hottest producer in the game right now in Metro Boomin, there is no doubt that Jumpman is the most deserving track.

Best Live Performer

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Image: BET

Drake
Future
J. Cole
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar

Who Should Win: Kendrick Lamar.

Whilst other performers had great shows, both visually and from a performance perspective, Kendrick Lamar brought us back the music. No fancy screens or visuals, just KDot, a mic and a live band. He simply didn’t need anything else to keep an audience utterly spellbound. Showing off why he is the greatest rapper of our generation, Kendrick Lamar is our pick for this award.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Drake.

There’s no denying that the Summer Sixteen tour was perhaps the most anticipated hip-hop tour of the year. With Drake constantly in the headlines and the parade of special guests appearing, it’s no stretch of the imagination why this would be the winner.

Lyricist Of The Year

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Image: BET

Chance The Rapper
Drake
J.Cole
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar

Who Should Win: Kendrick Lamar or J.Cole.

Both artists delivered excellent lyricism in To Pimp A Butterfly, untitled.unmastered and 2014 Forest Hills Drive, respectively. KDot and Cole are showing the world that storytelling hip-hop, with a message that matters, is far from a thing of the past.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Kendrick Lamar.

A larger reach, and a bigger profile will be what gets Kendrick over the line. With Alright becoming the anti-Trump anthem, to Wesley’s Theory discussing the price of fame to, of course, The Blacker The Berry, Kendrick’s lyrics are already some of the all-time greatest and they deserve recognition.

Producer Of The Year

METRO-BOOMIN

Image: Lesley Kyle Harris

DJ Mustard
Dr. Dre
Metro Boomin’
Mike Will Made It
Pharrell Williams

Who Should Win: Metro Boomin’.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Metro Boomin’.

Hands down this award should go to the young producer currently defining the sound of popular hip-hop. How many times have you heard ‘Metro Boomin’ want some more n—-‘ or ‘If Young Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon shoot you’ at the top of the track? Working with the likes of Drake, Future and Kanye West helps as well. Metro is making waves everywhere.

MVP Of The Year

BET

Image: BET


DJ Khaled
Drake
Future
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar

Who Should Win: Kanye West.

Kanye has been everywhere in the media, the public eye and musically. From a new fashion line, a new album and a new baby, to dope features and producer credits on some of the hottest tracks and tapes of the year, it’s not hard to see why ‘Ye could take out this BET Award.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Drake.

With 14 nominations, and the recognition of being the top of the rap game right now, Drake’s case for the most valuable player in hip-hop is as strong as anyone’s. With Views right up there with The Life Of Pablo in terms of the biggest album of 2016, Drake’s breakout year might just push him past Kanye as this year’s MVP. God help us all if they ever do drop this collaborative album they’ve been teasing.

Track Of The Year

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Image: BET

All The Way Up Fat Joe and Remy Ma ft. French Montana and Infared (Produced by Cool & Dre and Edsclusive)
Controlla Drake (Produced by Boi 1da)
Hotline Bling Drake (Produced by Nineteen85)
I Got The Keys DJ Khaled ft. Jay-Z and Future (Produced by Southside)
Panda Desiigner (Produced by Menace)

Who Should Win: Panda Desiigner (Produced by Menace).

You can’t escape this song. You will never escape this song. He’s got broads in Atlanta, and you must know about it. Easily the biggest hip-hop song of 2016 and an insane surprise hit, Panda should scoop up this BET Award.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Panda – Desiigner. (Produced by Menace) or Hotline Bling- Drake (Produced by Nineteen85).

The only thing standing between Desiigner and BET glory is Drake’s mammoth 2015 hit. Can pop elements and mainstream longevity beat out hip-hop success? The decision is going to cause a divide whatever it is.

Album Of The Year

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Image: BET

I Changed A Lot DJ Khaled
Compton Dr. Dre
Views Drake
Fetty Wap Fetty Wap
DS2 Future
The Life of Pablo Kanye West

Who Should Win: The Life of Pablo- Kanye West.

Kanye delivered a sonically diverse and rich album blending the public and the personal. Whilst it may be a tougher album for new Kanye listeners, it is still arguably the best official release of the year. Strong samples, features and hooks, everything we love about Kanye is on this record. It feels like a combination of his past work on one project, a very hard thing for an artist of his level to achieve.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Views- Drake.

The popularity of Views is undeniable. Whilst not as strong as his previous releases, Views has achieved high levels of success.

Best New Hip-Hop Artist

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Image: BET

Anderson.Paak
Bryson Tiller
Chance The Rapper
Desiigner
Tory Lanez

Who Should Win: Anderson.Paak.

The last twelve months have been huge for Anderson.Paak. Formerly known as Breezy Lovejoy, Paak changed his sound and has become the 2016 darling in the funk-rap scene with some of the best pipes around. Collaborating with the likes of Dr. Dre and Mac Miller, the sky is the limit for this amazingly multitalented artist.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Chance The Rapper.

Chance’s profile is huge. His mixtape was huge. His co-signs are huge. Despite being around in the underground scene for a long time now, Chance The Rapper has been making tidal waves this year. From being heavily featured on Ye’s The Life of Pablo to dropping his third mixtape in Coloring Book, it will be highly unlikely that this BET Award will go anywhere else but to the Chicago native.

Best Mixtape

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Image: BET

Coloring Book Chance The Rapper
Wave Gods French Montana (Hosted by Max B)
Purple Reign Future
Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World Lil’ Uzi Vert
Slime Season 3 Young Thug

Who Should Win: Coloring BookChance The Rapper

Who Will Most Likely Win: Coloring BookChance The RapperColoring Book has achieved things that no other mixtape previous, not just this year, has achieved. A massive musical canvas that just might see a Grammy nod (one of the first of its kind given the only recent change to the rules) it’s undeniable that Coloring Book is the mixtape of the year and any other result would be a huge, huge upset.

BET Sweet Sixteen: Best Featured Verse

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Image: BET

2 Chainz on No ProblemChance The Rapper ft. 2 Chainz and Lil’ Wayne
Drake on WorkRihanna ft. Drake
Kendrick Lamar on FreedomBeyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar
Kodak Black on LockjawFrench Montana ft. Kodak Black
Nicki Minaj on Down In The DM (Remix)Yo Gotti ft. Nicki Minaj

Who Should Win: Nicki Minaj on Down In The DM (Remix)Yo Gotti ft. Nicki Minaj. 

This might come out of left field for some people. Nicki has been quiet over the last few months since wrapping up her Pinkprint Tour, only occassionally appearing on tracks of the likes of well… mostly Meek Mill. However, on Yo Gotti’s remix of his viral hit Down In The DM she reminds us, both literally in the song and from the verse, why she is still the Queen of Rap.

Who Will Most Likely Win: Kendrick Lamar on FreedomBeyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar.

This is a strong contender and, as a complete song, Freedom is an obvious winner. However, the BET Award is for the best verse and Kendrick’s verse on this track, whilst good, isn’t as powerful as other bars he’s dropped in the last twelve months. Coming out of To Pimp A Butterfly and untitled.unmastered leaves this verse feeling just a little short. Though Kendrick Lamar’s ‘a little short’ is still a creative peak most will never reach.

BET People’s Champ Award

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Image: BET

Panda Desiigner
For Free DJ Khaled ft. Drake
All The Way Up Fat Joe and Remy Ma ft. French Montana and Infared
Cut It O.T Genasis ft. Young Dolph
Antidote Travis $cott
Best Friend Young Thug

Who Should Win: AntidoteTravis Scott.

Despite massive success in the hip-hop scene, it’s surprising that Travis $cott hasn’t broken into mainstream success in a big way yet. Antidote was a major track and its corresponding album Rodeo was one of the best releases in recent memory. Considering the lack of major nominations for $cott in other categories, it would be good to see his work acknowledged by the fans.

Who Will Most Likely Win: PandaDesiigner.

Not much more needs to be said than BRRRRRAAAAAP!

You can vote for the People’s Champ here

That’s our predictions for September. Don’t miss out on all the hip-hop excellence at this years BET Awards. Let us know your picks out of the nominees on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: BET