08 BET Hip Hop Awards:: Red Carpet

You can expect multiple surprises when you watch the 2008 BET Hip Hop awards on Oct 23rd, 2008. Well, they might not be surprises anymore but you know you want that exclusive. Bossip staff was there for the barrage of bling, Obamania, and skankocity that was this year’s hip hop awards show.

Check the recap:
Ludacris and TI opened the show with their new song, “Wish you would.”

We told you that T-pain and his vocoder had to host because Katt Williams was ganked up by one-time. For what, you ask? Stay tuned…. During his opening monologue, T-Pain said, “I got a call around 4am this morning asking if I could host the show.” The circus ape was actually quite hilarious and even did a segment with his beloved vocoder where the machine referred to itself as “Ike” and T-Pain as “Tina.”

Unlike last year’s waste of video footage, this year’s award show was politically charged and did not go 30 seconds without mentioning Obama or “Barack the vote.” Several video montages included the hopeful presidential elect and EVERY thank you speech included a little push to vote. The overall tone of the evening was, ‘If you don’t vote for Barack Obama, you’re a waste of hair, skin and teeth.” Bossip concurs.

Weezy, who won about 564 awards, kept the syrup cups piling up as he announced during one of his acceptance speeches that “I got a son about to drop any day now, so shout out to him.” Shout out to a womb? Really, Weezy?

Derek Luke, who was apparently in character because he was rocking that diddy-esque soul-glo curl, gave us a extended preview of the biographical film of Biggie’s life, “Notorious”.

In old school girl power fashion, MC Lyte, Yo-yo, Lady of Rage and Salt n Pepa rocked the stage and, of course, Salt n Pepa performed “Whatta Man” as a video montage of Michelle and Barack played.
The Game was a no-show yet again (he recently missed a performance in New Orleans; we assume it’s because his sister was shot up) and Ice Cube, who was supposed to be a surprise, ended up performing a new joint featuring Musiq.

‘Blood Diamond Russ’ received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” and gave an impassioned speech about, well…. everything. You know BDR is long winded.

In what was a strange move for BET, the show closed with what T-Pain called “another midget in his circus,” Bow wow and Soulja Boy performing “Marco Polo”…… The hoards of junior high school girls will be asleep before they can even see the ish. As we were leaving, one chick said, “Well Bow Wow was definitely the highlight of the evening,” as she smirked. Our sentiments exactly.

The BET hip hop awards will air on October 23rd, 2008 at 8:00pm.

images & story via: bossip.com