BET Hip Hop Awards: Highlights and Lowlights

Did you miss, skip or sleep through the BET Awards?

It's replaying tomorrow evening, but I'm guessing some of you don't really want to give the network two hours of your time. (Okay, I'm not guessing...some of you actually said that on Twitter and Facebook.)

Well, don't you worry one bit about BET.

Consider these your Kyles Files Cliff's Notes on the award program. I've broken the show down with my own award system. Check it out and comment after the jump....

Overall Thoughts:
Typically, the BET Hip Hop Awards can be...how to put this nicely....ridiculous. It's not surprising to see outright buffoonery and unjust recognition of radio crap over independent artistry.

That's why it was refreshing that they kept up their cool cypher tradition, putting real indie MCs out there sans instrumentals to remind us how rhymes can amaze and inspire.

BET Videos

I also am a big fan of their rappers-give-back clips, demonstrating that the artists -- even the most outlandish among them-- are cognizant of the communities that support them and make an effort to contribute something in return. Can't complain about that.

But the rest of the show is fair game, so here's how the rest of the show went.

WTF Performance of the Night Award
Please tell me why Gucci Mane looked like an orderly in an all white-outfit paired with what appeared to be a jewel encrusted whisk around his neck. Are you stumped? Then you'd be even more amazed by his awful performance, first with Mario and then Plies. The Mane -- a butt of many jokes by host Mike Epps -- does have a catchy, gimmicky flow, but on the show, he was awful and relied heavily on the backing track. He didn't do any justice to his hit "Break Up" and things worsened with an uneven, out-of-breath rendition of "Wasted." When Plies slid out onto the stage, it all went downhill, so I averted my eyes from the Axis of Ignorance.

BET Videos

Runner Up: I know that talented lyricist Wale shares a song with Gucci Mane, but did that have to be the one the D.C. MC performed at the show? I cringed when Gucci came out there on "Pretty Girls" and ruined the go-go goodness that is Wale.

Soulja shining bright. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Brrrr Award
The recession isn't hurting rappers, at least not the ones who came onstage looking like they'd been Bedazzled. Gucci and Soulja were in a two-way tie for their lucky charms.
Runner Up: Snoop Dogg, whose gigantic, jewel encrusted name ring made it possible to pulverize someone with one punch.

Who's Got the Props Award
Shawty Lo wins the stupid prop award for bringing a Gucci umbrella onstage and holding it over his head while he rhymed.
Runner Up: Big dazzling sunglasses a la Amber Rose on the women who accompanied Snoop onstage. At least Snoop Dizzle left the leashes at home.

Feel-good Moment of the Night Award
Busta Rhymes presenting DJ AM with the DJ Hero award, giving deserved recognition to a young talent gone too soon.
Runner-up: Kid n' Play doing their old-school steps to "Rolling with Kid and Play," as the New Boyz watched with respect and admiration. It was cool to see the rapper/dancers of the past and present united on the stage.

Ladies Night Moment
Missy Elliott winning an award, though I wasn't really sure why. I'm not questioning her talent, but the super producer-rapper-dancer-singer hasn't put out anything new in a minute. Still, it's great to see the women of rap highlighted in some way.
Runner-up: Fatimah Robinson getting honored for her incredible choreography career.

Sickest Cypher
Mos Def, Eminem and Black Thought in one cypher. What? I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Runner-up: And this was soooo close. KRS One surfaces in a cypher along with Wale and Nipsey Hussle and shuts it down like a closed laptop.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Speech, Speech
Ice Cube won the "I Am Hip Hop" award and he deserves it on "Death Certificate" alone. He delivered an inspirational speech, urging fellow rappers: "We gotta do what we feel. We can't be slaves to video programmers. We can't be slaves to radio programmers, to A&R.... we gotta be slaves to our own creative minds." Even better was the ending, when Cube grasped his award and said to BET: "Thanks for recognizing my life's work...I hope you give out two of these because I've got another life's work ahead of me."
Runner Up: Busta's shout out to fallen deejays

Go Sit Down Award
BET attempted a bit more balance with the types of artists on the show, but there was still a heavy Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy overload. If each of these young stunners had taken a powder backstage for at least an hour, the show would have been better for it.
Runner Up:
Little Scrappy. The Southern MC performed along with Ludacris midway through the show. Sure, Lil "You Don't Want No Problems" Scrappy has been missing in action, but who was looking for him?

Craziest Costume Award
I love GOODIE Mob and actually got off my couch to dance when they arrived onstage after a lead-in from Cee-Lo, but what in the heck were they wearing? Were they Superman high? GOODIE members were sporting capes so silly, I thought they were going to fly offstage at the finale.

So there it is...the BET Awards in mere minutes. Did you see it? Loved it? Hated it? Boycotted it? Let me know below...