Last week rocker Lenny Kravitz told Esquire Magazine that he felt slighted by black media outlets. Kravitz complained he has never been invited to the BET Awards and said Black publications don’t celebrate his success. In defense, former BET program director Stephen Hill quietly denies these accusations in an Instagram post before responding to a fan.
Stephen posted a photo of he and Lenny Kravitz with the caption:
#FlashbackFriday @lennykravitz and ya boy on the set of #106andPark on what I believe was his first, but I KNOW was not last visit to the show. One of my favorite muscians/performers of all time. Loved stretching the mold and programming his music on WILD-AM in the early 90’s, as well. Looking forward to his new music! Have a great day everybody!
When a fan asked, “But was he invited to the BET Awards?”
Stephen responded, “I respect that question because you don’t know me. Understandable. Anyone that knows, KNOWS. And that’s my answer. Merry Friday.”
Jermaine Dupri recently lit up Hip Hop with a revelation, but it has caused a firestorm involving Bow Wow and Da Brat. While recently on The Goats And Underdogs podcast, the So So Def icon said that the classic, iconic BET show 106 & Park was created by him for Bow Wow. The rapper thrived under Dupri’s umbrella in his youth, and according to the megaproducer, this was another stepping stone for the star.
“I was watching MTV and MTV had TRL. And they was catering to N’Sync, they was catering to the Backstreet Boys,” he stated. “Anything white that was coming out that was Pop, they was allowing these kids to scream and holler. I’m like, ‘Yo, we don’t have nothin’ for Black people. Like, where’s the Black kids that love music. Why don’t they have a show like this?’”
An interview clip quickly circulated online, and people soon praised Dupri for conceptualizing the series. However, Bow Wow jumped into the conversation to debunk Dupri’s claims.
“JD aint create 106&Park stop the cap,” Bow tweeted. “Stephen hill Rick Ghrimes & all the great people in the BET OFFICE & staff created that show. All I did was capitalize off of what they created and made it mine. I would know… I am Mr 106!”
He added, “I would never take away from someones creativity.”
This was a reaction that Da Brat certainly wasn’t fond of, and she took to the internet to unleash her disappointment in Bow.
“Bow what I can’t letchu do is discredit my big brother JD who u called your dad for so many years cuz that is pretty much the roll you gave him,” she wrote. “You are being so rude and disrespectful to the person who believed in you, nurtured you, made you a complete star, wrote all yo hits, accepted the challenge when Snoop brought you to him. He has never done ANYTHING to you but help.”
She wasn’t quite finished. “He isn’t and never would discredit BET execs.” Adding, “He discussed creating 106 b4 it was created so black people could have our own TRL. NO CAP!”
Former BET president Stephen Hill also chimed in on the conversation.
“Yeahhhhhh our memories on how 106 & Park was created differ GREATLY,” wrote Hill. “Now, NO ONE challenges that Bow Wow helped launch 106 to great heights…. that is for sure true. But ‘CREATED BY ME’ might be a bit of an overstep for ya, my man. Love you ALWAYS!!!”
Bow Wow still tripled down that Dupri wasn’t the catalyst for 106 & Park. Check out more below.
Merry Friday.”