Predicting the 2018 BET Hip Hop Awards winners

Nominees:

• Cardi B: "I Like It" feat. Bad Bunny & J Balvin
• Childish Gambino: "This Is America"
• Drake: "God's Plan"
• Kendrick Lamar: "Loyalty" feat. Rihanna
• Migos: "Walk It Talk It" feat. Drake

Winner: Childish Gambino, "This is America"

Childish Gambino is known for putting meaningful messages into his art, and his video for “This Is America” symbolizes the many facets of race and gun violence in America. It shows how tragedies and violence are consumed as entertainment news, but also how a country needs deep conversations about the topics.

Nominees:

• Cardi B
• Childish Gambino
• Drake
• Kendrick Lamar
• Travis Scott

Winner: Travis Scott

After Travis Scott released his sophomore album "Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight," there were talks if he could earn the same success on a follow-up. He released his third album "Astroworld" in August 2018, and the album landed at No.1 on the Billboard 200. He also took notes from artists like J. Cole and Lil Wayne when he announced his first Astroworld Festival will be in his hometown this November. 

Nominees:

• Cardi B: "Invasion of Privacy"
• Drake: "Scorpion"
• J. Cole: "KOD"
• Migos: "Culture II"
• The Carters: "Everything is Love"

Winner: Drake, "Scorpion"

Once Drake found himself in a rap beef with Pusha T, the Toronto rapper had to change up his album rollout and some of his music content. In spite of the diss records and Pusha airing out Drake’s dirty laundry, the "Nice For What" rapper still progressed to earning a No. 1 album filled with collaborations from the likes of Jay-Z and Ty Dolla $ign. Fans can also catch him headlining one the year’s hottest tours alongside Migos.

Nominees:

• "Apesh—": Produced By Pharrell (The Carters)
• "God's Plan": Produced By Cardo, Young Exclusive and Boi-1da (Drake)
• "I Like It": Produced By Craig Kallman, JWhiteDidIt and Tainy (Cardi B Feat. Bad Bunny & J Balvin)
• "Nice For What": Produced By Murda Beatz (Drake)
• "This Is America": Produced By Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson (Childish Gambino)

Winner: "Apesh—"

Whenever Beyonce and Jay-Z collaborate on a track, it’s pure magic. Whether it’s “Crazy In Love” or “Bonnie & Clyde 03,” they know how to give the fans musical bliss, and they continued to do so on their track “Apesh—.” Pharrell co-wrote and co-produced the fiery track and the music video was filmed at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Nominees:

• Benny Boom
• Dave Meyers & The Little Homies
• Director X
• Eif Rivera
• Hiro Murai
• Karena Evans

Winner: Karena Evans

At 22 years old, Karena Evans has received a lot of praise for her directorial work on Drake’s “God’s Plan” and “Nice For What” videos. She started out as an intern under Director X, who’s known for bringing visuals to life with artists like Usher, Jay-Z and Rihanna. With cosigns from Director X, Drake, along with SZA, Evans is easily becoming one of the most sought-out video directors.

Nominees:

• Childish Gambino
• Drake
• J. Cole
• Kendrick Lamar
• Travis Scott

Winner: J. Cole

J. Cole is a hip-hop king who tends to let his music speak for itself. His latest album "KOD" was an acronym for Kids On Drugs, King Overdosed and Kill Our Demons that discusses topics such as addiction, greed and black culture. After five albums and a number of mixtapes under his belt, it’s safe to say J. Cole is becoming a rap veteran who wants to help the younger generation coming after him. 

Nominees:

• Cardi B
• Childish Gambino
• Drake
• J. Cole
• Travis Scott

Winner: Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino aka Donald Glover is the true definition of a renaissance artist. Rapper, singer, actor, comedian — and he excels at each one. With his hit TV show "Atlanta" earning Emmy nominations, winning a Grammy for his song “Redbone,” hosting "Saturday Night Live" and currently on his final tour under his Gambino moniker, he’s becoming one of the most praised artists of our time.

Nominees:

• Ben Billions
• DJ Esco
• DJ Mustard
• Metro Boomin
• Pharrell Williams

Winner: Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams is known for working with a number of artists, and he’s continued to kill the game for over two decades. In 2018, he produced some of the year’s biggest songs including Migos’ “Stir Fry” and Camilla Cabello’s “Sangria Wine.” In addition to his heavy work on Justin Timberlake’s latest album "Man of the Woods and Ariana Grande’s "Sweetener," Pharrell is a natural-born hit-maker. 

Nominees:

• 21 Savage & Offset & Metro Boomin: "Ric Flair Drip"
• BlocBoy JB: "Look Alive" Feat. Drake
• Cardi B: "I Like It" Feat. Bad Bunny & J Balvin
• Post Malone: "Rockstar" Feat. 21 Savage
• The Carters: "Apesh—"

Winner: The Carters

With Beyonce taking over Coachella and Jay-Z securing the top spot on Forbes' hip-hop list, the two are the definition of a true power couple. They released their first joint album "Everything Is Love" earlier this year, and the single “Apesh—” became a fan favorite.

Nominees:

• BlocBoy JB
• Juice Wrld
• Lil Baby
• Rich The Kid
• XXXTentacion

Winner: Juice Wrld

Chicago newcomer Juice Wrld released his debut album "Goodbye & Good Riddance" in May 2018. The album’s second single “Lucid Dreams” peaked at No. 3 on the charts and became one of the most streamed songs of the year. With his album blending emo and hip-hop, he’s well on his way to becoming of hip-hop’s brightest young stars.

Nominees:

• BlocBoy JB: "Simi"
• Future: "Beast Mode 2"
• Juicy J: "Shut Da F— Up"
• Lil Wayne: "Dedication 6: Reloaded"
• Zoey Dollaz: "Sorry Not Sorry"

Winner: BlocBoy JB

After securing a top-five  Billboard hit with his Drake-assisted track “Look Alive,” newcomer BlocBoy JB released his critically acclaimed mixtape "Simi." The project featured collaborations with artists such as Lil Pump, 21 Savage and YG.

Nominees:

• 21 Savage: “Bartier Cardi” (Cardi B feat. 21 Savage)
• Cardi B: “Motorsport” (Migos feat. Cardi B and Nicki Minaj)
• Drake: “Look Alive” (Blocboy JB feat. Drake)
• Kendrick Lamar: “New Freezer” (Rich The Kid feat. Kendrick Lamar)
• Nicki Minaj: “Big Bank” (Yg feat. 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Nicki Minaj)

Winner: 21 Savage

Cardi B had something to prove about her second single being just as successful as her debut, and rapper 21 Savage was by her side floating effortlessly on “Bartier Cardi.” Although his tone is a bit simpler compared to Cardi’s on the track, the collaboration works and the single gained double-platinum momentum. 

Nominees:

• Childish Gambino: "This Is America"
• Dej Loaf and Leon Bridges: "Liberated"
• Lecrae: "I'll Find You" feat. Tori Kelly
• Meek Mill: "Stay Woke" feat. Miguel
• N.E.R.D: "1,000" feat. Future

Winner: Meek Mill

Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill was released from prison earlier this year, and hip-hop fans rejoiced. During the BET Awards in June, he debuted his newest song alongside R&B crooner Miguel called “Stay Woke.” The dramatic performance was an insight into how Meek may possibly shift his music content to discuss his legal troubles and America’s political state.

Nominees:

• Calvin Harris
• DJ Envy
• DJ Drama
• DJ Khaled
• DJ Mustard

Winner: DJ Khaled

At this point, there’s nothing DJ Khaled can’t do. From releasing his summer banger “No Brainer” with Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper, to touring with Beyonce and Jay-Z on their OTR 2 Tour, to releasing a home decor line, Khaled isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Nominees:

• Cardi B
• Migos
• Nicki Minaj
• Remy Ma
• Travis Scott

Winner: Cardi B

Cardi B is known for giving looks wherever she goes, from slaying award show red carpets to her presence at New York Fashion Week — she knows how to keep people talking about her style. She’s worked with some of the fashion industry’s top designers such as Tom Ford, Alexander Wang and Christian Siriano. She’s also set to release her own Fashion Nova collection in November.

Nominees:

• ALLHIPHOP
• Complex
• Hot New Hip-Hop
• Worldstar
• XXL

Winner: Complex

Complex first came on to the scene back in 2002 as a print magazine focusing on music, fashion and pop culture. Over the years, the publication has established itself as an essential digital medium that provides the latest news in entertainment. Video content and artist interviews are a key factor to its success. 

Nominees:

• Cardi B
• DJ Khaled
• Drake
• Jay-Z
• Kendrick Lamar
• Travis Scott

Winner: Cardi B

After releasing her widely successful debut album "Invasion of Privacy" and giving birth to her daughter Kulture, Cardi took time away from touring with Bruno Mars to focus more on motherhood. However, that hasn’t completely stopped Cardi from getting the bag. She’s collaborated with artists such as Jennifer Lopez and Maroon 5, while her very own Tom Ford lipstick line sold out in one day. She has the hustler mindset and continues to win.