OUTKAST, Nelly win two prizes apiece at the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards in Miami

<br>MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ Hip hop duo OutKast and newcomer Nelly bested some of the top rap artists in the industry at the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards on Monday night. <br><br>OutKast snagged best artist

Tuesday, August 21st 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ Hip hop duo OutKast and newcomer Nelly bested some of the top rap artists in the industry at the Source Hip-Hop Music Awards on Monday night.

OutKast snagged best artist of the year by a group and best live performer of the year, while Nelly took home best new artist of the year and best album for his CD ``Country Grammar.''

``Hopefully I can keep doing what I am doing and people will keep accepting me for what I'm doing because that's just me,'' said Nelly, whose album also was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Eminem won video of the year for ``Stan,'' a song about a demented fan driven over the edge by his hero's lack of response. He performed the song ``Purple Hills'' with his group D-12.

Rapper Ja Rule, who collected the single of the year award for ``Put It On Me,'' which featured artist Lil' Mo, called the Source honors ``the award'' for rappers.

``This is our culture, our music, our peers,'' he said.

The Neptunes won the producer of the year and R&B artist of the year went to R. Kelly, known for a remix of his hit song ``Fiesta,'' featuring artist Jay-Z.

Jay-Z, known for his songs ``Big Pimpin','' featuring UGK, and ``Izzo (H.O.V.A.),'' and his album ``Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter,'' won solo artist of the year.

Rapper Scarface defeated Eminem, Jay-Z and Prodigy for lyricist of the year.

``This is bigger than I can imagine,'' said Scarface.

OutKast _ Andre 3000 and Big Boi _ are known for their hits ``Ms. Jackson'' and their Grammy-nominated ``Rosa Parks.'' Their latest album, the multi-platinum ``Stankonia,'' is their biggest one to date.

LL Cool J, a longtime rap artist, producer and actor, received a Lifetime Achievement award and The Hip-Hop Image Award was presented to hip-hop mogul Master P.

Of the evening's performances, the live goat, cow and chickens brought on stage by Nelly and the St. Lunatics, who performed ``Midwest Swing'', was one of the most colorful.

Thousands of hip-hop fans joined the genre's top artists for the third annual awards show at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Some artists _ including the redhead Eve and Ludacris _ ran out to greet the stargazers.

This is the first year that the awards, put on by The Source Magazine, were held in Miami.

Fights broke out during last year's show, held in Pasadena, Calif. It was canceled after only three performances and a handful of awards were announced because of fights in the audience.

This year's award show will air on UPN on Aug. 28.