Snoop Dogg declared himself upbeat about
life and the future of rap as the veteran star was recognized for
career achievement at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on Tuesday.
In an industry infamous for bitter beefs
between rappers, the 44-year-old Snoop Dogg instead took an
inspirational approach as he was presented the “I Am Hip-Hop” award at a
televised ceremony in Atlanta.
“I’m content. I love who I’ve been
through my whole journey,” said Snoop Dogg, who emerged from
California’s gangsta rap scene before creating his own more mellow
sound.
“I’m just thankful to have been given a
position to speak to people, to mentor people, to become Uncle Snoop, to
not become some bitter old rapper who’s mad because the young MCs is
happening. That’s not me,” he said.
Snoop Dogg advised younger rappers to “stay original,” describing music as having a universal power.
“I’m loving where hip-hop is going, I’m
loving how you’re taking it across the world, and how you’re all uniting
people,” he said.
Politics was also in full display at the
awards, one of the biggest annual events on the hip-hop calendar which
is broadcast on BET, or Black Entertainment Television.
The rapper T.I. performed his new song
“We Will Not,” which voices solidarity with the Black Lives Matter
movement against police abuses.
As T.I. rapped, his dancers took the
stage as if protesters holding up signs. One by one they were knocked
down by two actors playing club-wielding white police officers.
When the police tried to strike T.I.,
the officers instead tumbled to the ground and the rapper ascended
stairs, closing the song with the line, “They can’t kill us all.”
Kendrick Lamar, one of the rappers most identified with Black Lives Matter, won the award for Lyricist of the Year.
A fellow West Coast rapper, Lamar presented the career award to Snoop Dogg.
Toronto rapper Drake won for Album of
the Year with “Views,” which is so far the top-selling album released
this year in the United States across all genres.
He beat major names in hip-hop including Kanye West and Dr. Dre.
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