A week has passed since the 2012 BET Hip-Hop Awards aired and I’ve spent much of the last seven days going back over the show, particularly the cyphers. As previously stated on HHSR, the cyphers take center stage on this show and the anticipation to hear this year’s collection of rhymers rock the mic was high.
Let’s take a look at each cypher and breakdown who shined and who left something to be desired when they had the spotlight.
Grand Hustle Cypher (Feat. T.I., Trae Tha Truth, B.O.B, Iggy Azalea, Chip & DJ Premier)
The Grand Hustle cypher was pretty solid, although nobody really ripped the mic to shreds. Tip wasn’t about to let any of his crew outshine him, and they didn’t. While Trae Tha Truth has been responsible for some songs that go hard, they have been heavily supported by featured acts. You get the impression that he is still trying to legitimize himself as a lyricist outside of the South. Unfortunately, his flow was pretty average and he didn’t do much to separate himself. Iggy Azalea and Chip definitely brought some international flair with them and Iggy’s verse was pretty decent. B.O.B. was solid; the more exposure he receives, the more he seems to deliver as an emcee, though his cypher performance from last year was a little bit better.
The Raw Cypher (Feat. Mac Miller, Mystikal, Schoolboy Q, Hopsin, Jay Bird the Purdi Boi (Sprite Hot 16 Contest Winner) & DJ Premier)
This was the weakest of the six rhyme sessions, punctuated by Mystikal, who lyrically had the worst verse of any artist in the 2012 show. This cypher was highlighted by the Hopsin, who’s surprisingly dope verse included the line, “Prepared for violence/Funk Volume’s an unfair alliance/We embarrass giants and rip mics til we get laryngitis.” Schoolboy Q and Mac Miller unfortunately didn’t spit quite as nasty as expected going in. And Jay Bird…well, sounded like a contest winner. Didn’t quite belong on this stage, but hey, he can rhyme better than I (see what I did there?).
Sidebar: Tip #1 for Mr. Purdi Boi- Get a new rap name.
The True School Cypher (Feat. Talib Kweli, Jean Grae, Ab Soul, Sarkodie & DJ Premier)
Kweli owned this cypher. Period. He easily had one of the best, and probably most slept on verse of the evening. Hip-hop heads know full well what Kweli is capable of and it was nice to see him show out on this stage, when his rhymes probably hit ears of many listeners for the very first time. Jean Grae’s flow was on a slow, almost lackadaisical tip, but it was still enjoyable. “Quarter loch ness, 75% Chuck Norris”— that was hot. Ab Soul didn’t crush the cypher, but definitely held his own. You can see the promise in Kendrick Lamar’s TDE crew.
It’s hard to comment on Sarkodie given that the freestyle was bilingual, but I still can’t understand why he bragged about having a parking lot named after him.
Man With The Iron Fists Cypher (Feat. Angel Haze, Joey Bada$$, Driicky Graham, Childish Gambino, A$AP Rocky & RZA)
Business really picked up with this cypher given the names and hype involved. Right out the gate, Angel Haze held it down for the ladies, while Joey Bada$$ repped for the new school. Joey’s freestyle actually had more real content than anyone else on the night. What does it say when the youngest emcee dropped more knowledge in his flow than anyone else?
Driicky Graham may have done more for his image as a rhymer than anyone on this night. When you hear “Snapbacks & Tattoos” on the radio, you assume he’s just another new kid making a radio record for the new kids, but he proved he can actually spit (though I wasn’t really digging his swagger). The final 2 emcees had a lot of hype coming in: Gambino didn’t disappoint (and even added a little bit of his trademark humor at the end), while A$AP Rocky was okay, but he didn’t knock his verse out of the park. Considering the fact that everyone is gassing this dude and the fact that he went last out of this group, it would’ve been nice to see him come a little bit stronger.
West Coast Cypher (Feat. Xzibit, YG, Kurupt, E-40, DJ Quik, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Lion & DJ Premier)
The “Fresh” Coast cypher was the most entertaining on the evening. The blend of old school legends and new school rhymers made for an intriguing group. Xzibit kicked things off with a very tough verse that I would classify as one of the more underrated ones on the evening. E-40’s performance was arguably the most fun to watch of all the rappers that participated in the 2012 cyphers. He was so true to his style; it was classic E-Fonzarelli. DJ Quick rapped his verse while providing his own production at the same damn time, which if you’ve ever tried to do at the lunch room table in the school cafeteria, you know is really difficult. Lyricist of the Year award winner Kendrick Lamar, who basically was the star of the entire show, was stellar lyrically as expected and Uncle Snoop and Kurupt did the damn thang, most likely off the dome. Had BET replaced YG with Game, this would have been an epic West Coast cypher, but it was pretty damn good anyway.
Ruff Ryders Cypher (Feat. Murda Mook, Cassidy, Eve, DMX & DJ Premier)
Double R was aired last for a reason. From a purely lyrical/punchline standpoint, this may have been the best group overall. Furthermore, they easily regained that hood feel that set them apart in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Mook, who is still trying to break out of the battlerap box in the eyes of many fans, (coming up in the battle circuit is both a gift and a curse) batted leadoff, and came with some clever and topical punchlines, as anticipated. Cassidy might have put on a little weight over the years, but he is clearly still heavy with the bars. Eve’s flow sounded like a 16 straight out of a song…I mean that in a good way! The way she spit so casually, especially at the end of the verse, was hot. And then…There Was X.
Proving that he hasn’t transformed into a nice guy who does charity work and stars in reality shows, X bodied the cypher like few others ever have. He was so gritty, so dark, so true to himself, which made his time on the mic (no seriously, he was the only one actually rocking the mic!) so enjoyable. I’ve always like DMX, but was never his biggest fan, yet I’ve always respected him and as a fan of hip-hop, a appreciate his ruggedness in the booth. Hence, I love hearing X rap about riding on cats at 4 a.m. and hacking up body parts. It may be gruesome, but it’s who he is as an artist, and it’s what he does best. X was the last performer on the night and he closed the show emphatically, just like Eminem did last year.
All in all, the 2012 BET Hip-Hop Awards did not disappoint from the cypher perspective. This was probably the most consistent group of emcees and cyphers the show has had in its brief history. All of the ladies did well, only one or two freestyles was truly wack and everyone involved stayed true to themselves as artists. It just goes to show the diversity within the game itself is vast, which is why hip-hop is such a unique form of expression.