By: Amanda Anderson
Did you catch VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors last night? I tuned in this time around, as this year they chose to honor the veterans of the Dirty South. As an Atlanta native, I had hopes to get a glimpse of some of Atlanta’s most trail blazing artists. But I was a little disappointed as some artists that I felt should have been honored last night, never set foot on stage, nor were they even mentioned.
Here’s why Hip-Hop Honors didn’t deliver on the honor part…
1. Outkast’s songs were performed without Outkast.
Sure, I know Big Boi made it pretty clear that he and Andre 3000 were declining the invite, but I was slightly confused as to why other artists were performing some of Outkast’s biggest hits as if they were they duo themselves.
2. Am I the only one that felt like Atlanta and Tennessee got the short end of the honor stick?
You can’t talk about Dirty South Hip-Hop without mentioning Goodie Mob, Pastor Troy, Three Six Mafia, Eightball & MJG, Ludacris, and Cash Money Records…so why weren’t they there? The show seemed rushed without having all the artists who made the Dirty South what it is today. And to those of us that grew up listening to these artists, it was pretty insulting.
Tennessee’s failure to get any recognition is probably the most baffling out of all these no shows.
3. Did Jermaine Dupri really think it was appropriate to bring Bow Wow on stage instead of Kris Kross?
Bow Wow really should not have replaced Kris Kross last night and I really don’t understand the purpose of him flashing the audience his little birdie chest and boxer drawers. I understand he was trying to give the ladies some sex appeal, but eh…it just didn’t do it for me. I could have done without that appearance. Besides…Bow Wow was never really part of the Dirty South legacy.
Overall, the show wasn’t awful. It was great to see some of my old favorites and hear some of the songs that took me back to my childhood. And for that reason alone, Hip-Hop Honors was definitely worth the watch. I only hope in the near future, artists that were forgotten about will get the proper recognition.