A historical era in rap
Most of our younger readers might have been way too young (or not even born) when one of the most classic award shows in the history of hip-hop went down. The Source Awards in 1995.
This was the one you always hear about, where Snoop Dogg got on stage and asked why the East Coast had no love for him or Death Row. The one where Outkast got booed. Where Suge Knight called out Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records for having “the producer all in the videos.” This is what some point to as what ignited the East Coast / West Coast beef that ultimately led to the death of 2pac and The Notorious B.I.G.
Up until now, Dave Mays and Ray Benzino have remained relatively silent since their reign with the magazine, but they spoke to Complex about the origins of the award show on the 20th anniversary, how they got their start, what the eventual downfall of the publication was (and why Benzino took the unwarranted blame), plus details about the infamous award show that lives in infamy.
When Snoop came on and did his rant, what was the mood in the theater?
DM: There was some back and forth. As passionate and demonstrative as Snoop was, I think that was a reaction to the energy he was getting from the crowd. People booing, people talking shit. Whatever he felt out there. This wasn’t the Grammys. For these artists, this was like a dream come true, to be a part of something like this. All that you see, the emotion of the moment, is real. That’s the authenticity, and that’s what The Source represented as a magazine, its award shows, and other things that it did. That authenticity, it isn’t there [now]. You don’t see that at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, or anywhere else.After the award show, did you think this would blow up and become a whole East Coast-West Coast beef?
RB: Once Suge said what he said, I knew right from there this was gonna keep going. I didn’t know it was going to go to the extent that it did, but at the end you didn’t see Suge and Puff hugging. Suge had over 100 people in the audience. All from L.A. Gangbangers. I don’t think New York really grasped the whole thing about gangbanging until that time. You had bloods and crips sitting in New York City, and I think that was the first time that was taking place.
Read the entire story over at Complex.