Rick Ross and Young Jeezy Brawl at BET Hip Hop Awards
Some of hip-hop’s biggest stars hit the stage at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2012 taping in Atlanta on Saturday, but the real action was backstage. Rick Ross and Young Jeezy were reportedly involved in a brawl.
According to TMZ, a fight broke out between the Miami MC and Atlanta rapper that may have resulted in shots being fired.
Eyewitnesses saw them exchange heated words backstage before pushing and shoving one another. Bodyguards and BET security eventually stepped in to break things up.
After things calmed down, a member of Rozay’s entourage allegedly pulled out a gun in the parking lot and shots were fired.
The rappers, who are both signed to Def Jam, have had beef in the past with each taking thinly-veiled shots at one another on their records.
The show went on as planned and Ross performed with his MMG signee Omarion. It will air Tuesday, October 9, at 8 p.m.
The BET Hip Hop Awards are no stranger to controversy. Five years ago, T.I. was arrested before the show on gun charges.
UPDATE: There are conflicting reports as to whether or not gunshots were fired. A spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department released the following statement to TMZ.
“Shortly after 7:15 pm Saturday, a fight broke out in the parking lot at the Atlanta Civic Center between two groups. Atlanta Police Department officers on scene responded to break up the fight and used OC spray in the process. Individuals fled the scene. There were no arrests or reports of serious injuries. Reports of shots fired appear to be untrue.”
TMZ’s sources still maintain that they heard gunshots in the parking lot.
UPDATE 2: BET has released its own statement acknowledging the events.
“BET Networks works very hard to bring the best in entertainment to the city of Atlanta. For the past 7 years BET has celebrated the true art form of Hip Hop. Due to some misjudgment of select attendees, it is unfortunate that certain incidents took place. BET Networks does not condone any type of violence. Local authorities are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”