Greetings to all of our readers and followers, it is time for our yearly awards once again!!!!!!!
I would like to start this article by thanking each and every reader for their continuous support and want you to know that without you, there is no us.
For those who have not read our previous NBA Hip Hop Awards here is a rundown. Those who are familiar with sports are likely aware that at the end of the regular season there are awards presented to athletes and coaches alike for their performance during the year. With the NBA Hip Hop awards we have added a small twist, we have listened, watched, and read about many various artist across the hip hop culture and wanted to bring recognition to those individuals. Why NBA awards you ask? It's actually quite simple, the NBA has an adequate amount of awards, has forward descriptions on the type of player they represent, and are not specified by position (or type of rapper in this case).
Award Descriptions:
D-League MVP - Best Underground Artist
Most Improved - Artist who has shown the most growth as an artist or person
Sixth Man of The Year - Best Producer
Defensive Player of the Year - Artist who has witnessed the most hardship and persevered
Rookie of The Year- Best New Artist This Year
MVP - Artist with the all-around best year (on and off the mic)
Coach of The Year - Artist/Mogul with the greatest influence away from the microphone
Champions - Label or Group that has controlled the trends of the year
Now it's time for some awards!!!!!
D-League MVP: Run The Jewels
Hip hop duo Killer Mike (right) and El-P (left) have had a monstrous year in music. The duo is lead by the production of El-P, who also raps on the tracks, and brought into the light by Grammy winning artist and social activist Killer Mike. What makes this duo so unique is not only the relationship between a New Yorker and southern rap artist, but by the boom bap heavy sound they bring along with their hardcore lyrics. After releasing the self-titled debut album Run the Jewels, the duo began to gain traction in the underground community. Most listeners of underground hip hop were not new to artist Killer Mike and El-P, what as new, however, was the sound they brought together. After averaging out a score of 86 out of 100 with metacritic the duo drew in fans from old school hip hop all the way to rock. They followed up with RTJ2 (Run the Jewels 2) which received even higher praise then its predecessor. It also helped that the duo began a kickstarter to recreate the entire album produced with cat sounds, that's right people, cat sounds. The brash, but fun lyricism of their music ranged from kicking someone's teeth in for talking smack, to social injustice and poverty, making the duo insightful and unpredictable. Run the Jewels is hands down one of the most exciting groups to listen to in recent years.
Most Improved: Logic
If you have not heard of Logic you are definitely missing out on some great talent and positive vibes. Labeled as one of the best current lyricist by Lupe Fiasco himself, Logic has made many strides to show that passion gets you very far in the world of music. After releasing a stellar debut album Under Pressure, Logic came under fire for not finding his own original sound in the hip hop game. Now I know hearing "unoriginal" and "stellar" in the same sentence sounds unreal, but there is a simple explanation to this. Around the time of Logic's debut many reviewers and casual listeners were still coming down from the high of Good Kid, M.a.a.d City, unfortunately for Logic he released an album great enough for high praise, but only received backhanded compliments. Riding the wave of being considered a great rapper with no individuality he went to radio stations to build hype for his second album The Incredible True Story by ripping away at freestyles and completing Rubix cubes at the same time. After the album's release he honed in a whopping 131,000 sales in the first week without a single or music video. His core following has not only become larger, and stronger, but it has pressed him to write like never before and also try new avenues. Logic stepped out of his comfort zone and put together a journey that later became one of the year's biggest albums.
Sixth Man of The Year: Metro Boomin
After hearing the words "If young metro don't trust you I'm gone shoot", and "Metro Boomin want some more" you should be very familiar with some of Metro Boomin's work. Working with the likes of Pro Era, Future, Young Thug, Kanye West, Yo Gotti, Drake, and Travis Scott, it is very easy to say that Metro Boomin is a talented man with a packed schedule. Metro's rise to fame came from producing for Atlanta natives such as Gucci Mane and Waka Floka, and exploded to a sound that would rule the airways for months. In just the past couple years his production has revived 2 careers and given a few others major hits that have received lots of radio play, it's quite easy to say Metro knows what he's doing on the boards. "Karate Chop", "Tuesday", "Jumpman", and "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1"are just the names of a few singles Metro has produced, and with him being only 22 years old, there is plenty of time to create more hits.
Defensive Player of the Year: Meek Mill
Yes, we know, you are currently thinking that this award segment now holds no credibility and are beginning to consider that you've had enough internet for one day, but there is a definite purpose for this recipient being chosen. We all know about his fall out with Drake, 50 Cent, and literally most of the internet, but there is one thing that you have to give this man credit for...he kept pressing forward when most would have retired from music all together. After being shunned from the internet for releasing an underwhelming response to "Back to Back" Meek Mill became the butt of all jokes. Even some of Meek Mill's core fans started to questions his efforts as the street battle rapper had been bested by a lyrical pop artist who has been called "soft" even more times than he's been called a rapper. The tables turned in favor of Meek late into his beef with Drake after Drake released his "Summer Sixteen" track claiming he would rule this summer in music, in a span of 15 minutes Meek Mill posted his response to the Toronto native, confirming that there is someone assisting Drake in the writing of his lyrics and also line for line attacked every statement Drake attempted to make. On a side note, this beef actually boosted Meek's career, Dreams Worth More than Money received more sales than any of his previous work, and was the highest among all MMG artist current projects. Meek was also one of the top three most talked about artist of 2015. Meek did not only turn his beef around with Drake, he was the biggest profiteer of it.
Rookie of The Year: Fetty Wap
New Jersey native, Fetty Wap found his rise to fame after posting his breakthrough single "Trap Queen" onto many hip hop and music sites such as WorldStarHipHop. Fetty's popularity catapulted due to his catchy hooks and distinctive voice which balanced the line of crooning and rapping. Another contributor to the fame of Mr. 1738 was his appearance, after a childhood accident he was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma in both of his eyes, fortunately for Fetty it did not cost him his eye sight completely. His unique story and pop rap crossover sound caught on quickly, leading up to the released of his self-titled debut album. Following up the radio craze of "Trap Queen" Fetty Wap released other major hits like "679", "My Way", and "Again". Fetty Wap even managed to work with the likes of DJ Khaled, Future, Chris Brown, and even Drake, which is highly unexpected for an artist with only one album in his discography. Fetty Wap has had the fastest and most impressive ascension to mainstream super stardom since Drake and Wiz Khalifa, and if his fan base remains as strong as they have been since his debut, we are likely to see even more of him.
Coach of The Year: Killer Mike
There are times that we have to separate an artist from their craft, but rarely do we separate the two in order to ensure that we give an adequate amount or recognition to the person and not the art. Though we are well aware of what Killer Mike is capable of on the microphone, his impact away from music reigns supreme. In the city of Atlanta, Killer Mike is a hometown hero for opening the doors to social awareness. This impact has not only taken place in his neighborhood, but across the country. The entire ordeal began when Killer Mike announced his personal endorsement of Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Mike's heartfelt speech about social injustices, morality, and integrity captivated crowds and even made a few ask "Who the hell is this guy?". Though in music Killer Mike, along with many other artist, never steered away from giving their opinions on politics, it didn't resonate with anyone outside of the hip hop realm. After the speech endorsing Senator Sanders there was a wave of news outlets who wanted to hear more about this endorser and what he saw in the Vermont representative. Killer Mike was questioned on everything from the origin of his name to the lyrical content of his music, and in most intelligent fashion Michael Render (Killer Mike) explained not only what the media desired, but what they desperately needed to hear. He destroyed the negative stereotypes of black Americans in regard to being politically disengaged and uneducated with each question he answered. Killer Mike also defended the state of hip hop music and denounced the idea that all rap music is a promotion of vanity and violence. It seemed that Killer Mike had not only opened the eyes of reports, but viewers as well. His advice on self-education, community service, humility, and morality made people not only look at rappers in a different light, but also how people interacted with each other.
MVP: Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole (Co-MVP)
This was another year so big for two artist that it was nearly impossible to edge one over the other. Kendrick Lamar (left) and J. Cole (right) have been running the rap game with intense lyricism, lush production, and the most creative hip hop minds you can seek. J. Cole has boosted himself into hip hop royalty after releasing his surprise album 2014 Forest Hill Drive. It may seem like minimal promotion releases would hurt artist, but in this case it may be the biggest game changer in a rapper's career. Along with gaining the #1 spot on the Billboard charts, he became the first rapper EVER to go platinum with no features, and let's also not forget that J. Cole completely produced the album as well. His lyrical content has become more in-depth as his discography has grown, and his sound seems to be even more perfected. J. Cole has even boosted his label Dreamville into the mainstream with artist Bas and Cozz has his front runners who have also received moderate to high praise for their musical releases. Cole's impact away from the microphone is just as sound, he has given back by paying for a young student's college books for being a fan and graduating with honors, lending the actual home on 2014 Forest Hill Drive to single mothers and troubled children, walking to the anniversary of the death of Michael Brown and speaking to the citizens of the town, and even built his Dreamville Foundation to help keep kids in school. J. Cole is not only a great rapper/producer, he is all around a great man.
Now onto another man who has ruled this year...Mr. Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick is no stranger to creating music with strong lyrical content and sound production, but this time around the entire sound was different. To Pimp A Butterfly has been seen as an album that will live throughout our generation and continue to impact and influence the hip hop culture. Not only is this album creative, funky, and grand, but the message speaks to everyone...even Kendrick himself. This platinum album received the highest of praise seen in years, and became the highest rated rap album of all time, and the 7 Grammy's were nice too. Kendrick Lamar proved that he could create music that didn't follow the rules of traditional hip hop, that didn't conform to the trends of today, and refused to make a single for the sake of radio play. To Pimp A Butterfly spoke on topics such as institutionalized racism, gang violence, greed, triumph, love, and perseverance while creating a project that not only sounded good, but meant well. Aside from TPAB, Kendrick Lamar has been a very busy man, his Reebok shoe campaign aims to end gang violence in crime ridden areas, held concerts for impoverish children in India, spoken in schools to encourage furthering education, and has also personally worked with Red Cross. Lastly, we cannot forget about his social messages being spread everywhere he goes, promoting self-love, cultural awareness, social change, and acceptance. His impact has been seen widely, and he even has collegiate courses that incorporate his music as an educational tool. Kendrick Lamar is MVP simply because he makes music that will live on beyond himself, and desires to change the way we see our world.
Champions: Independent Artist
Though these images are not a proper representation of all the independent artist that have had a great year, it is an example of how even some of the most noticeable faces aren't partnering with major labels these days. The reason behind Independent artist being crowned the champions of this year is not only well deserved, but passed due. Artist take years perfecting their craft and attempting to create a solid fan base, and when done with a record label funding your projects and promoting your music, it takes a lot of responsibility off of your hands. Sadly, this comes as a double-edged sword for most, when signed to major labels you have to adhere to their personal standards, you may have to sell a certain amount of records, have so many radio ready singles, tour a certain length of time, or even worse...make music you don't personally enjoy. While the independent artist feel all the lows of trying to book shows, travel, getting air time, interviews, and so on, they don't sacrifice any creative authority over the music they make. No matter how much you may or may not like artist like some of the ones in the images, you have to respect the hard work and commitment it takes to get yourself grounded in the music industry. Independent artist have actually been ruling over the rap game in recent years, artists like Yo Gotti, Action Bronson, Chance the Rapper, Young Thug, Bryson Tiller, Migos, and many others have been receiving an ample amount of airtime and endorsements without the backing of a major label. Hopefully the music industry will cease its ways and treat artist such as Big KRIT, Lupe Fiasco, Logic, Mike Posner, and others like actual human beings and not cattle. Once this change happens there will be more creativity and passion in the music we are delivered, rather than the constant pressures to peruse materialistic items and immoral action.
I would like to start this article by thanking each and every reader for their continuous support and want you to know that without you, there is no us.
For those who have not read our previous NBA Hip Hop Awards here is a rundown. Those who are familiar with sports are likely aware that at the end of the regular season there are awards presented to athletes and coaches alike for their performance during the year. With the NBA Hip Hop awards we have added a small twist, we have listened, watched, and read about many various artist across the hip hop culture and wanted to bring recognition to those individuals. Why NBA awards you ask? It's actually quite simple, the NBA has an adequate amount of awards, has forward descriptions on the type of player they represent, and are not specified by position (or type of rapper in this case).
Award Descriptions:
D-League MVP - Best Underground Artist
Most Improved - Artist who has shown the most growth as an artist or person
Sixth Man of The Year - Best Producer
Defensive Player of the Year - Artist who has witnessed the most hardship and persevered
Rookie of The Year- Best New Artist This Year
MVP - Artist with the all-around best year (on and off the mic)
Coach of The Year - Artist/Mogul with the greatest influence away from the microphone
Champions - Label or Group that has controlled the trends of the year
Now it's time for some awards!!!!!
D-League MVP: Run The Jewels
Hip hop duo Killer Mike (right) and El-P (left) have had a monstrous year in music. The duo is lead by the production of El-P, who also raps on the tracks, and brought into the light by Grammy winning artist and social activist Killer Mike. What makes this duo so unique is not only the relationship between a New Yorker and southern rap artist, but by the boom bap heavy sound they bring along with their hardcore lyrics. After releasing the self-titled debut album Run the Jewels, the duo began to gain traction in the underground community. Most listeners of underground hip hop were not new to artist Killer Mike and El-P, what as new, however, was the sound they brought together. After averaging out a score of 86 out of 100 with metacritic the duo drew in fans from old school hip hop all the way to rock. They followed up with RTJ2 (Run the Jewels 2) which received even higher praise then its predecessor. It also helped that the duo began a kickstarter to recreate the entire album produced with cat sounds, that's right people, cat sounds. The brash, but fun lyricism of their music ranged from kicking someone's teeth in for talking smack, to social injustice and poverty, making the duo insightful and unpredictable. Run the Jewels is hands down one of the most exciting groups to listen to in recent years.
Most Improved: Logic
If you have not heard of Logic you are definitely missing out on some great talent and positive vibes. Labeled as one of the best current lyricist by Lupe Fiasco himself, Logic has made many strides to show that passion gets you very far in the world of music. After releasing a stellar debut album Under Pressure, Logic came under fire for not finding his own original sound in the hip hop game. Now I know hearing "unoriginal" and "stellar" in the same sentence sounds unreal, but there is a simple explanation to this. Around the time of Logic's debut many reviewers and casual listeners were still coming down from the high of Good Kid, M.a.a.d City, unfortunately for Logic he released an album great enough for high praise, but only received backhanded compliments. Riding the wave of being considered a great rapper with no individuality he went to radio stations to build hype for his second album The Incredible True Story by ripping away at freestyles and completing Rubix cubes at the same time. After the album's release he honed in a whopping 131,000 sales in the first week without a single or music video. His core following has not only become larger, and stronger, but it has pressed him to write like never before and also try new avenues. Logic stepped out of his comfort zone and put together a journey that later became one of the year's biggest albums.
Sixth Man of The Year: Metro Boomin
After hearing the words "If young metro don't trust you I'm gone shoot", and "Metro Boomin want some more" you should be very familiar with some of Metro Boomin's work. Working with the likes of Pro Era, Future, Young Thug, Kanye West, Yo Gotti, Drake, and Travis Scott, it is very easy to say that Metro Boomin is a talented man with a packed schedule. Metro's rise to fame came from producing for Atlanta natives such as Gucci Mane and Waka Floka, and exploded to a sound that would rule the airways for months. In just the past couple years his production has revived 2 careers and given a few others major hits that have received lots of radio play, it's quite easy to say Metro knows what he's doing on the boards. "Karate Chop", "Tuesday", "Jumpman", and "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1"are just the names of a few singles Metro has produced, and with him being only 22 years old, there is plenty of time to create more hits.
Defensive Player of the Year: Meek Mill
Yes, we know, you are currently thinking that this award segment now holds no credibility and are beginning to consider that you've had enough internet for one day, but there is a definite purpose for this recipient being chosen. We all know about his fall out with Drake, 50 Cent, and literally most of the internet, but there is one thing that you have to give this man credit for...he kept pressing forward when most would have retired from music all together. After being shunned from the internet for releasing an underwhelming response to "Back to Back" Meek Mill became the butt of all jokes. Even some of Meek Mill's core fans started to questions his efforts as the street battle rapper had been bested by a lyrical pop artist who has been called "soft" even more times than he's been called a rapper. The tables turned in favor of Meek late into his beef with Drake after Drake released his "Summer Sixteen" track claiming he would rule this summer in music, in a span of 15 minutes Meek Mill posted his response to the Toronto native, confirming that there is someone assisting Drake in the writing of his lyrics and also line for line attacked every statement Drake attempted to make. On a side note, this beef actually boosted Meek's career, Dreams Worth More than Money received more sales than any of his previous work, and was the highest among all MMG artist current projects. Meek was also one of the top three most talked about artist of 2015. Meek did not only turn his beef around with Drake, he was the biggest profiteer of it.
Rookie of The Year: Fetty Wap
New Jersey native, Fetty Wap found his rise to fame after posting his breakthrough single "Trap Queen" onto many hip hop and music sites such as WorldStarHipHop. Fetty's popularity catapulted due to his catchy hooks and distinctive voice which balanced the line of crooning and rapping. Another contributor to the fame of Mr. 1738 was his appearance, after a childhood accident he was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma in both of his eyes, fortunately for Fetty it did not cost him his eye sight completely. His unique story and pop rap crossover sound caught on quickly, leading up to the released of his self-titled debut album. Following up the radio craze of "Trap Queen" Fetty Wap released other major hits like "679", "My Way", and "Again". Fetty Wap even managed to work with the likes of DJ Khaled, Future, Chris Brown, and even Drake, which is highly unexpected for an artist with only one album in his discography. Fetty Wap has had the fastest and most impressive ascension to mainstream super stardom since Drake and Wiz Khalifa, and if his fan base remains as strong as they have been since his debut, we are likely to see even more of him.
Coach of The Year: Killer Mike
There are times that we have to separate an artist from their craft, but rarely do we separate the two in order to ensure that we give an adequate amount or recognition to the person and not the art. Though we are well aware of what Killer Mike is capable of on the microphone, his impact away from music reigns supreme. In the city of Atlanta, Killer Mike is a hometown hero for opening the doors to social awareness. This impact has not only taken place in his neighborhood, but across the country. The entire ordeal began when Killer Mike announced his personal endorsement of Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Mike's heartfelt speech about social injustices, morality, and integrity captivated crowds and even made a few ask "Who the hell is this guy?". Though in music Killer Mike, along with many other artist, never steered away from giving their opinions on politics, it didn't resonate with anyone outside of the hip hop realm. After the speech endorsing Senator Sanders there was a wave of news outlets who wanted to hear more about this endorser and what he saw in the Vermont representative. Killer Mike was questioned on everything from the origin of his name to the lyrical content of his music, and in most intelligent fashion Michael Render (Killer Mike) explained not only what the media desired, but what they desperately needed to hear. He destroyed the negative stereotypes of black Americans in regard to being politically disengaged and uneducated with each question he answered. Killer Mike also defended the state of hip hop music and denounced the idea that all rap music is a promotion of vanity and violence. It seemed that Killer Mike had not only opened the eyes of reports, but viewers as well. His advice on self-education, community service, humility, and morality made people not only look at rappers in a different light, but also how people interacted with each other.
MVP: Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole (Co-MVP)
This was another year so big for two artist that it was nearly impossible to edge one over the other. Kendrick Lamar (left) and J. Cole (right) have been running the rap game with intense lyricism, lush production, and the most creative hip hop minds you can seek. J. Cole has boosted himself into hip hop royalty after releasing his surprise album 2014 Forest Hill Drive. It may seem like minimal promotion releases would hurt artist, but in this case it may be the biggest game changer in a rapper's career. Along with gaining the #1 spot on the Billboard charts, he became the first rapper EVER to go platinum with no features, and let's also not forget that J. Cole completely produced the album as well. His lyrical content has become more in-depth as his discography has grown, and his sound seems to be even more perfected. J. Cole has even boosted his label Dreamville into the mainstream with artist Bas and Cozz has his front runners who have also received moderate to high praise for their musical releases. Cole's impact away from the microphone is just as sound, he has given back by paying for a young student's college books for being a fan and graduating with honors, lending the actual home on 2014 Forest Hill Drive to single mothers and troubled children, walking to the anniversary of the death of Michael Brown and speaking to the citizens of the town, and even built his Dreamville Foundation to help keep kids in school. J. Cole is not only a great rapper/producer, he is all around a great man.
Now onto another man who has ruled this year...Mr. Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick is no stranger to creating music with strong lyrical content and sound production, but this time around the entire sound was different. To Pimp A Butterfly has been seen as an album that will live throughout our generation and continue to impact and influence the hip hop culture. Not only is this album creative, funky, and grand, but the message speaks to everyone...even Kendrick himself. This platinum album received the highest of praise seen in years, and became the highest rated rap album of all time, and the 7 Grammy's were nice too. Kendrick Lamar proved that he could create music that didn't follow the rules of traditional hip hop, that didn't conform to the trends of today, and refused to make a single for the sake of radio play. To Pimp A Butterfly spoke on topics such as institutionalized racism, gang violence, greed, triumph, love, and perseverance while creating a project that not only sounded good, but meant well. Aside from TPAB, Kendrick Lamar has been a very busy man, his Reebok shoe campaign aims to end gang violence in crime ridden areas, held concerts for impoverish children in India, spoken in schools to encourage furthering education, and has also personally worked with Red Cross. Lastly, we cannot forget about his social messages being spread everywhere he goes, promoting self-love, cultural awareness, social change, and acceptance. His impact has been seen widely, and he even has collegiate courses that incorporate his music as an educational tool. Kendrick Lamar is MVP simply because he makes music that will live on beyond himself, and desires to change the way we see our world.
Champions: Independent Artist
Though these images are not a proper representation of all the independent artist that have had a great year, it is an example of how even some of the most noticeable faces aren't partnering with major labels these days. The reason behind Independent artist being crowned the champions of this year is not only well deserved, but passed due. Artist take years perfecting their craft and attempting to create a solid fan base, and when done with a record label funding your projects and promoting your music, it takes a lot of responsibility off of your hands. Sadly, this comes as a double-edged sword for most, when signed to major labels you have to adhere to their personal standards, you may have to sell a certain amount of records, have so many radio ready singles, tour a certain length of time, or even worse...make music you don't personally enjoy. While the independent artist feel all the lows of trying to book shows, travel, getting air time, interviews, and so on, they don't sacrifice any creative authority over the music they make. No matter how much you may or may not like artist like some of the ones in the images, you have to respect the hard work and commitment it takes to get yourself grounded in the music industry. Independent artist have actually been ruling over the rap game in recent years, artists like Yo Gotti, Action Bronson, Chance the Rapper, Young Thug, Bryson Tiller, Migos, and many others have been receiving an ample amount of airtime and endorsements without the backing of a major label. Hopefully the music industry will cease its ways and treat artist such as Big KRIT, Lupe Fiasco, Logic, Mike Posner, and others like actual human beings and not cattle. Once this change happens there will be more creativity and passion in the music we are delivered, rather than the constant pressures to peruse materialistic items and immoral action.
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