Reggae and dancehall artists are taking over the BET Hip Hop Awards stage tonight.
The 20th annual BET Hip Hop Awards will be simulcasted tonight (Tuesday, Oct. 27). Hosted by the trio of comedians who go by the moniker 85 South, the show is slated to feature a lengthy list of performers, including some from the dancehall music category. BET announced on its official social media pages that we can expect performers like Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Koffee, Shenseea, Skip Marley, and more to be among the stage performers this year.
The Grung Gad appeared in a video clip shared by BET with the accompanying caption, “Yuh no seh Jamaica ah run tings!” they wrote. “Thanks to Dancehall/Soundclash culture, Hip Hop gained its competitive roots! Tune in to see @grunggaadzilla mash up di set.” Other performers include Skip Marley, who will take the stage at the BET Awards for the first time this year after having already performed at the NAACP Awards and the Grammys.
Dancehall fans are in for a treat as BET announced that the ShenYeng Boss is also set to perform tonight. “Stand up, Shenseea is bringing the vibes to the #HipHopAwards!” they scribed. The “Blessed” singer will be a part of the cypher performance along with other acts, including Koffee and Beenie Man. They will each have an opportunity to sing, rap, or deejay their own verse, which might mean we will be hearing something new from these reggae and dancehall stars tonight.
Reggae and dancehall music has interfaced with hip-hop culture a great deal this year. Not only from the incessant sampling of dancehall sounds and language into hip-hop music but also with the epic collaborations and crossover mash-ups like the highly publicized Verzuz battle between Bounty Killer and Beenie Man. It’s only right that dancehall finally gets a seat at the table tonight. After all, the culture was instrumental in the conception of hip-hop.
The BET Hip Hop Awards will premiere on Tuesday, October 27 at 9/8C on BET. Will you be tuning in to witness the dancehall takeover?
