ATLANTA (AP) — The 10th annual BET Hip-Hop Awards are getting ready for next week’s broadcast with a taping in Atlanta, and Drake is back as the top nominee for a second straight year.
Veteran rapper Scarface will receive the “I Am Hip Hop” award for musical achievement at the taping Friday night at the Boisfeuillet (BOH’-fihl-ay) Jones Atlanta Civic Center.
Drake received the most nominations with 12. The Canadian rapper topped the charts with “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” became the first platinum-selling album this year. He had 14 songs simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, tying a record set by The Beatles in 1964.
Big Sean followed with 10. Nicki Minaj scored nine nods. Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole each had eight nominations.
Rapper Snoop Dogg returns for the third straight year as host. The show airs Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Scarface initially gained fame in the late 1980s with the group Geto Boys through the song “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.” One of the few Houston acts to win acclaim outside Texas before 2000, he became a respected influencer in hip-hop with his gritty lyrics and street wisdom.
With 12 solo albums released, Scarface is known for songs such as “Smile,” ”My Block” and “I Seen a Man Die.” He has collaborated with some of rap’s greatest from 2 Pac to Jay Z.
Previous “I Am Hip Hop” award recipients have included Doug E. Fresh, MC Lyte, Rakim, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Ice Cube, Russell Simmons, KRS-One and Grandmaster Flash.
Chris Brown, T.I., Fetty Wap and Sean “Diddy” Combs are expected to perform.
The awards also will include a taped pre-show performance by rapper Future. He recorded his act Wednesday night before a crowd at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, performing several of his hits from “March Madness” and “Where Ya At.”
Rehearsals started on Thursday.
