BET announced its nominees for the BET Hip Hop Awards. Unlike the BET Awards in the summer that highlights black excellence in various field, this only focuses on Hip-Hop.  Below are my choices.What’s yours?

Best Hip-Hop Video

2 Chainz – “Watch Out”

Desiigner – “Panda”

DJ Khaled F/ Jay Z & Future – “I Got the Keys”

Drake – “Hotline Bling”

Fat Joe & Remy Ma F/ French Montana & Infared – “All the Way Up”

Kanye West F/ Rihanna – “Famous”

I said this before with the VMA’s: Drake’s video made a huge song monumental. The video was released last fall and it still has tons of memes going around.

Best Collabo, Duo or Group

DJ Khaled F/ Drake – “For Free”

DJ Khaled F/ Jay Z & Future – “I Got the Keys”

Drake & Future – “Jumpman”

Drake F/ Wizkid & Kyla – “One Dance”

Fat Joe & Remy Ma F/ French Montana & Infared – “All the Way Up”

It was a bit hard to choose between “One Dance” and “Jumpman.” I think “One Dance” is a bigger song; however, I don’t think that it’s known for its collaborators.  I think “Jumpman” is the best Drake/Future collab song, and the best collaboration of the year.

Best Live Performer

Drake

Future

J. Cole

Kanye West

Kendrick Lamar

I’ve actually seen all of these people live, and it’s hard to choose. I would say for this year, it would be Kendrick Lamar. His Grammy performance was incredible, and his tour for “To Pimp a Butterfly” in small, intimate settings was something different for such a major act.

Lyricist of the Year

Chance the Rapper

Drake

J. Cole

Kanye West

Kendrick Lamar

I’ve been a huge Chance fan for years. But I do think this year, with his mixtape “Coloring Book” and his work on “Life of Pablo,” I think he definitely deserves this.

Video Director of the Year

Benny Boom

Colin Tilley

Director X

Hype Williams

Kanye West

Director X directs video for a lot of different genres, and he directed my video pick of the year, “Hotline Bling.”

DJ of the Year

DJ Drama

DJ Envy

DJ Esco

DJ Khaled

DJ Mustard

DJ Khaled basically owned this year with Snapchat. That led to several endorsement deals, him touring with Beyonce and eventually his first number one album.

Producer of the Year

DJ Mustard

Dr. Dre

Metro Boomin

Mike WiLL Made-It

Pharrell Williams

Metro Boomin has been working with Future for some time, but with his work on “What A Time To Be Alive” and “Life of Pablo” made his the topic of conversation.

MVP of the Year

DJ Khaled

Drake

Future

Kanye West

Kendrick Lamar

This is a hard one, because I feel like they all deserve this.  Write in vote for Chance The Rapper though.

Track of the Year

“All the Way Up” – Produced By Cool & Dre and Edsclusive (Fat Joe & Remy Ma F/ French Montana & Infared)

“Controlla” – Produced By BOI-1DA (Drake)

“Hotline Bling” – Produced By Nineteen85 (Drake)

“I Got the Keys” – Produced By Southside (DJ Khaled F/ Jay Z & Future)

“Panda” – Produced By Menace (Desiigner)

I assume this is based on the beat and production, since they show the producer. I would say Panda, because the track is on two huge songs, “Panda” itself and “Father Stretch My Arms Pt. 2.”

Album of the Year

DJ Khaled – I Changed A Lot

Dr. Dre – Compton

Drake – Views

Fetty Wap – Fetty Wap

Future –DS2

Kanye West – The Life of Pablo

Even though I’m a huge Drake fan, I’m not into “Views” as an entire album. I thought “Life of Pablo” was a great project for Kanye, it’s featured radio friendly songs like “My Dark Twisted Fantasy” did, but also also featured the industrial production elements of “Yeezus.”

Best New Hip-Hop Artist

Anderson .Paak

Bryson Tiller

Chance the Rapper

Desiigner

Tory Lanez

I wouldn’t consider Chance The Rapper to be a new hip hop artist by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel like this year he has become more commercially known. I do enjoy all the pics for the category go, and I really like Anderson .Paak’s “Malibu” and Bryson Tiller’s “TRAPSOUL.”

Hustler of the Year

DJ Khaled

Drake

Future

Jay Z

Kanye West

I think DJ Khaled stepped up his career is such an unconventional way with Snapchat. He’s very consistent on Snapchat, showing sides of himself you haven’t seen before, such as his infinity with flowers and his “elliptical talk.” Because of his hustle, the key emoji is synonymous with DJ Khaled.