September 14, 2007

T.I., Kanye West, 50 Cent Scoop Up BET Hip-Hop Award Noms; Lil Wayne, Nelly To Perform At Sho

By Jayson Rodriguez

With all the hype surrounding the first-week-sales showdown between Kanye West's and 50 Cent's recently released albums, people might have forgotten about another giant in the rap game: T.I. (No more "or is it T.I.P.?" jokes, OK?)

The Atlanta rapper - who rocked Jermaine Durpi's bash after the VMAs last weekend - has notched nine BET Hip-Hop Award nominations, easily besting 'Ye and Fif as top dog at the second annual show, it was announced Thursday (September 13). The event will take place October 13 in his own backyard, at the ATL's Civic Center, and air October 17 at 9 p.m.

T.I. - who won big at the inaugural BET Hip-Hop Awards last year - is being recognized in the Lyricist of the Year, Best Collabo ("You Know What It Is" [featuring Wyclef]) and MVPs of the Year categories, among others.

Not to be totally upstaged, however, is West, who is up for seven awards in his own right, including Track of the Year for "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and Best Live Performance. In light of the splash West made at last weekend's VMAs, this might give 'Ye a chance for redemption - or a chance to shoot off his mouth again.

Lil Wayne - who helped open the VMAs by performing with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger - also scored seven nominations.

Fif, on the other hand, is considerably behind the pack with only three notices. Common (five) and Jay-Z (four) outrank 50 in terms of nominations; Ludacris also scored three.

Both Com - who performed in Kanye West's Fantasy Suite during the VMAs - and Jay received nods in the Lyricist of the Year category. Fif scored big with a nod for Best Hip-Hop Video for his "I Get Money" clip.

Diddy and UGK are also multiple nominees. The veteran Texas duo are up for Best Collabo for their Three 6 Mafia-produced hit, "Int'l Players Anthem" (featuring Outkast).

Dances are also being recognized this year, with New York's Aunt Jackie and "Chicken Noodle Soup" up against Southern steps like Soulja Boy's "Crank That" and the "Pop, Lock & Drop It."

Comedian Katt Williams will return as host, and a slew of artists are scheduled to perform, including Wayne, (avid poker player) Nelly, and KRS-One, who will receive the Icon Award for his contributions to rap culture.