VH1 Hip Hop Honors Producers Defend “Dirty South” Showcase

Written By S. Samuel

VH1 Hip Hop Honors producers Nelson George and Fab Five Freddy have defended this year's "Dirty South" showcase in light of recent criticism.

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George said there is no way to please everyone.

“They say all politics is local, all Hip-Hop to people is still local,” he explained. “There are some people who are transcendent stars, but people want their place represented. As much conversation that we get from southerners saying we’re ghettoizing it, conversely we get people saying why are you honoring those people down South? It goes back and forth. I don’t think there’s any way you can go into the space that’s called Hip-Hop and do something that’s going to appease everyone.” (All Hip Hop)

Freddy added by saying that there was no particular bias toward any artist not chosen for the ceremony.

“No matter how you feel people are still extremely passionate about it,” Fab Five Freddy told VH1. “We constantly explain there’s no chronological method to how we’re doing this…we try to pick people from different eras, whether it’s closer to the beginning from that late 80s into the 90s. And like I said it’s only been a 10 year criteria that we [use]. [We look for] people that carved out specific lanes and styles within the music.” (All Hip Hop)

Writing via Twitter, Scarface felt this ceremony segregated the South instead of respecting hip-hop as a whole.

“I regret to inform you that I will not be attending the dirty south hip hop honors that’s an insult to us DIRTY SOUTH huh????smh @vh1,” he wrote Thursday (May 13) morning. “As hard as we fought to be a part of general population they still wanna give a n*gga a label it’s hip hop f*ck where I come from. @DaunteWrites I was a nominee at 1st @KatrinaME 100% sure it did but they tryin 2 make a n*gga look xtra country and stupid we can call it dirty…@jackolantern80 let the honorees be honored I jus feel insulted…but f*ck me who am I? @DJ_GREENLANTERN bruh we fought hard to get in now we just “dirty south” huh….” (Scarface’s Twitter)

Producer Lil Jon recently spoke with SOHH and confirmed his attendance for the ceremony.

“Of course, I’m definitely going to be involved,” Jon told SOHH. “You’ll see me there. I love Hip-Hop Honors it’s great to show tribute to the old school and to teach the younger generation about the culture that some of them don’t have any clue about. [Uncle] Luke is a good friend of mine too. We did some work together years ago and of course I grew up on 2 Live Crew. Maybe they’re going to come back and honor him separately. He was in a group and then he went on his own and did his thing as well. Maybe they should’ve just done it all at once. I don’t know. But thank god they’re just recognizing the south in general and a group like the 2 Live Crew that totally broke the mold for traditional music at the time.” (SOHH)

This year’s special will air on VH1 Monday, June 7th at 9 PM EST.

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Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

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