The Hip-Hop-Challenged SDMAs

“I don’t feel I should have been nominated for the award,” says Jimmy Powers of his Best Hip-Hop nomination by tonight’s San Diego Music Awards at Viejas. “I’ve only released a limited-press EP.… I think local artists like Blame One, who hit the top 40 on iTunes this year, should be the ones getting a nomination.”

Hip-hop compilation Young Mass Presents: The Best of Daygo City is nominated for Best Hip-Hop Album even though a distribution and promotion deal with Jake Records wasn’t in place until after the 2009 nominations were announced.

Blame One says, “I got nominated twice [in the past]. Second time, I didn’t even bother to show up.… Those cats don’t intend on helping out because they have no desire to understand hip-hop culture.”

Another past nominee, Miki Vale, says, “I never went to the award ceremony.… Just do what you do and let the music be your trophy.”

Meanwhile, the SDMA hip-hop nominees for 2009 are being ridiculed in posts on websites such as Yelp.com and accesshiphop.com. “MC Flow nominated again,” complains Jen of the rapper’s award nod. “Geez. When will people learn? She’s terrible. Lame act. Lame weird-ass dancer dressed in American Apparel crap.”

Adamnt: “From the outsiders, it looks like…the groups that have the media backing win the awards, thus validating all the articles written about them.”

Alowishious1: “How come Mitchy Slick wasn’t nominated? That right there is proof that it’s all bullshit.… I’m sick and tired of these same lame ass niggas gettin’ nominated each year. Getting a SD Music Award is like makin’ a shot after the buzzer. It don’t count, bitch.”

MarkMyWords: “If the DMV was run by the SDMAs, 12-year-olds without arms and legs would have drivers licenses sent to their house.”

The bands scheduled to appear at SDMA 2009 include Burning of Rome, Scarlet Symphony, Get Back Loretta, the Silent Comedy, Steph Johnson, the San Diego Blues All Stars, and this year’s Lifetime Award honorees the Zeros.

— Jay Allen Sanford