Memphis Outraged at VH1 Hip-Hop Honors Omission
This year's VH1 Hip Hop Honors paid tribute to the Dirty South honoring artists from Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and other regions in the South, but one city in particular was overlooked and is speaking out about it. Memphis, Tennessee -- home to artist such as 8Ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia and Young Buck -- was none to happy about not being recognized.
In an interview with My Fox Memphis, Radio Personality Kevin Steele at Memphis radio station K97 says, "The absence of Memphis was the ultimate show of disrespect. You ask T.I., if you ask Lil Wayne, Jeezy -- all the people that are out now -- some of their influences they are always going to say Scarface, UGK, and 8Ball & MJG when it comes to the South. I think somebody just really didn't do the research ... I hate to say that we're used to it, but it should make everybody want to do better and want to do more.
The accolades that the Memphis hip-hop scene has acquired over the years is honorable. 8Ball & MJG has sold over 20 million records, Three 6 Mafia was the first hip-hop group to win an Oscar, and the city's latest batch of rappers -- Yo Gotti, Kia Shine and Drama Boy -- have all become successful.
DJ Squeeky, a well known producer in Memphis who has been credited for his work with artists such as 8Ball & MJG, also added his thoughts on the situation. "For them to not to even say anything about us is like you ain't even studdin' us," he said. "You'll come take our music, steal our songs, (pretend) to sound like us and all those things ... but you won't credit us for it."
Watch as My Fox Memphis talks about Memphis being left off this years VH1 Honors after the jump.