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Benzino Claims Fat Joe Played a Role in Lowering the BET Hip-Hop Awards Ratings

By DEVIN MORTON
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Benzino recently aimed at Fat Joe after the Bronx rapper blamed “gentrification” for BET canceling both the Hip-Hop Awards and Soul Train Awards. Benzino, however, believes Joe is ignoring what he sees as the rapper’s role in the shows’ declining ratings.

The former Source editor-in-chief didn’t hold back while criticizing Joe for speaking on BET’s internal decisions. According to Benzino, Joe’s run as host did nothing to boost viewership.

“Why did Fat Joe say it’s gentrification, after they let his ass host the awards two years earlier?” Benzino said during an Instagram Live session. “The ratings were the worst ever after he hosted it. Was it gentrification when you were hosting it, Joey? Stop, man. Joe, you’re putting out too much misinformation on the internet, bro. You gotta do better, man.”

Fat Joe, for his part, has claimed that BET’s struggles are linked to the network’s move away from Black ownership and culture. He’s described the cancellation of the award shows as “a form of gentrification,” while also alleging that the network has been cutting budgets and quietly letting staff go.

“Little by little over the years, quietly, they’ve been firing a lot of people behind the scenes in BET, and everybody who has something to say, they’ve been firing them,” Joe explained on his Joe and Jada podcast with  Jadakiss. “The budget, not for me, but the budget just kept getting chopped and chopped and chopped.”

Benzino, Fat Joe, BET Awards

 

The BET Hip-Hop Awards have been experiencing a steady decline in ratings over the last three years. Interestingly, Fat Joe has hosted all three broadcasts during that time. In 2022, the ceremony drew about 708,000 viewers.

By 2023, that number fell to 657,000, and in 2024, it dropped to just 333,000 — less than half of what it was two years prior. While it would be a stretch to say Joe alone is responsible for such a drop, Benzino argues that his hosting stint certainly didn’t help the situation.

For more than a decade, the BET Hip-Hop Awards served as an important cultural event. But in recent years, a lack of awareness about what’s current and relevant, along with changes in the network’s business strategy, has hurt the show’s appeal. BET has announced plans to “reimagine” both the Hip-Hop Awards and the Soul Train Awards, with the possibility of bringing them back in 2026.

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Angine de Poitrine Spark Another Viral Moment With Surprise Billboard Canada Awards Appearance

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By Max Pilley
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Angine De Poitrine once again have people talking after their silent acceptance at the Billboard Canada Awards.

The anonymous and mysterious polka-dotted Montreal duo have been one of the breakout musical acts of 2026, releasing their second album ‘Vol. II’ in April, going viral around the world for their eccentric live performances and winning celebrity fans including Dave Grohl.

On Wednesday (June 10), the band were the recipients of the Global Breakthrough Award at the ceremony in Toronto’s Massey Hall, and as they took to the stage, they teased the possibility of speaking in public for the first time.

However, guitarist Khn de Poitrine and percussionist Klek de Poitrine stood silently with their award, and after a moment of anticipation, Khn touched their polka dot hat and triggered an explosion of confetti over the entire audience.

Watch here:

 

Angine De Poitrine have been touring in recent months in their home country, as well as in the UK and Europe, with dates to come in North America throughout the rest of the summer. They then head to Europe again in September, with a string of shows in the UK in October, some of which have seen venues upgraded due to phenomenal demand, See all of the dates here and find any remaining tickets here.

Last month, they kicked off the opening night of The Great Escape in Brighton with an in-demand headline set at the opening party, presented by NME.

It was later named as one of the top 10 shows of the festival by NME, who noted: “The Deep End tent bursts open for the papier-mâché-headed headliners, inciting moshpits and adulation for the viral spectacle of their microtonal madness. While AI slop may be on the rise, there’s something in the startling unpredictability and sheer musicality of these two polka-dotted aliens that feels essentially human.”

Their rapid ascent and online buzz has also reportedly led to a fake version of the band popping up in Russia.

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