BET Hip Hop Award nominations announced; will top nominee Kanye show?

The collective universe (current and former presidents included) may still be hard at work condemning Kanye West’s actions at this past Sunday’s VMA Awards, but someone still loves him.

The divisive hip-hop star leads the pack of BET Hip Hop Award nominees this week with nine — including Best Live Performer, Lyricist of the Year, CD of the Year, and MVP of the year, as well as People’s Champ (a.k.a. Viewers Choice).
Ice Cube will be honored as this year’s “I Am Hip-Hop” Icon Award recipient, and the late DJ AM garners a nod for for DJ of the Year. Two new categories have also been added: “Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip Hop Style)” and “Best Hip-Hop Blog Site.”
Will Kanye’s current mea culpa tour be sufficiently wrapped up for him to attend the show, slated for October 10 in Atlanta? When reached for comment, a BET spokeswoman said, “Most guests start confirming next week or the first week in October, so we wouldn’t really know yet. But we would love to have him there!”