By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
BET prides itself on being a serious medium of Hip Hop, and the network continues to keep its prominence with the genre with the BET Hip Hop Awards and it’s long running show “106 & Park.” While there’s already buzz surrounding the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards although it hasn’t aired yet as a result of Kendrick Lamar reportedly taking shots at Drake in a cypher, it appears the show is getting even more buzz for a new controversy. According to CBC News, White and Canadian rapper Corey Charron is putting the network on black because he says the network denied his appearance at the BET Hip Hop Awards although he won the appearance after winning rap contest on “106 & Park” (Freestyle Friday). Charron was told by winning the competition on 106, he would be granted an appearance in the annual cypher at the awards show. Instead, he got an email a week before the awards show was taped and he was told the cypher was being scaled down and there was no longer room for him. Charron seems to think it’s because he’s white and Canadian. He took to his Facebook page to put the network on blast:
B.E.T. Decided to remove me from the cypher this year. 200+ hours of bussing on my own dollar only to have the prize stripped from me. It’s unfortunate that discrimination still exists in 2013. Who cares if I’m a White Canadian? I still managed to beat every American and win a prize we contractually agreed on. I phoned and emailed numerous times since March. After 6 months I got a response saying they already Pre filmed the cyphers and there was nothing that could be done. This isn’t the first time A white Canadian was treated unfairly by the network. Organik won a contest 2 times to be on BET and was never given the shot he earned. Thanks to everyone that reached out to BET on twitter and voiced their opinion. I have a lot of fans that wanted to see my verse on the cypher. Looks like I’m going to have to film it from Canada and put the whole industry on blast…
Check out Corey Charron’s interview with CBC News below:
He’s no Eminem but if he won, they should have honored the contest. BET is wrong for this.
I’m not surprised. I’m embarrassed that BET is supposed to be an accurate representation of who we are as a culture.
BET is so ratchet. Smh.
This is shameful. But I am not surprised. BET is a very unethical network.
Damn really BET? They could have let who come on the show. So what if he’s white! He won!
Raise your hand if you’re surprised…*crickets* LOL.
It’s crazy to think BET was created because other networks weren’t diverse enough and now their the ones being racist! Oh the irony!
This is so messed up. Smh.
BET probably thought they were doing us a favor. Idiots. Let that boy rap. They were probably mad as hell he won too.
A hot mess. Way to go BET. *rolls eyes*
Oh so deny the white rapper what he was promised but continue give the half a-s ratchet rappers exposure BET makes sick smh.
Bet doesnt represent me or the community. Its actually an embarrassment…. *still wondering why they fired the previous hosts on 106*.
Oh the irony. A white rapper upset at a white network for not keeping their word.