BET has been instrumental in the development of various important programs that have helped broadcast hip-hop to millions of households around the world, from inventive to provocative. The network called Black Entertainment Television took up the burden — despite some resistance — to expose a misunderstanding rap culture decades before it became today’s most popular music genre, aside from its competitor show “Yo! MTV Raps.”
Everything will come together on Sunday night at the BET Awards. The 50th anniversary of the genre will be commemorated by show officials throughout the program, which has been labeled a “non-stop Hip-Hop Party.” Additionally, the network’s sale is just on the corner, so it comes at a crucial time. Byron Allen, a media executive, Tyler Perry, and rapper-entrepreneur Diddy are among the Black celebrities and businesspeople who are considering buying the network.
“E-40 referred to BET as a significant platform for hip-hop and urban music in general. His collaboration with the rap duo The Click on the song “Tired of Being Stepped On” was featured on BET’s “Video Soul,” which was launched in 1981 when MTV refused to air videos by the majority of African Americans. The rapper remembered how special guest host Jamie Foxx mocked The Click’s song, but he was unfazed by the comedian’s remarks. He believed that this exposure helped his group spread the word about their “unorthodox” brand of West Coast rap.
“The network took significant action. E-40, who also made a few performances on the BET program “Rap City,” which included hip-hop music videos, interviews, and freestyle booth sessions with prominent figures like Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Pusha T, stated: “We needed that.
Robert Johnson, the man of BET, is credited by E-40 with giving hip-hop a chance. Johnson created the brand with the intention of making it the top TV network for Black Americans by producing gospel, jazz, and comedic shows. He and the other founders weren’t sure about including a rap program at the time since they thought the genre wouldn’t last long.
However, “Yo! MTV Raps,” a rival MTV production, demonstrated hip-hop’s enduring power.
According to Scott M. According to Mills, president and CEO of BET, “after a sort of a brief first hesitation, the founders of BET really understood how hip-hop had transformed culture both broadly and specifically Black entertainment.”
They quickly included hip-hop in their mission statement, he said. “From BET offering shows with no hip-hop or music artists to artists and music starting to appear on shows, to this whole progression of establishing shows specifically celebrating hip-hop music, artists, and culture.