Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” might have been a transparent favourite of the viewers contained in the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, CA final evening (June 30), however the 2024 BET Awards had been extra involved with highlighting that various kinds of “us” that make up international Blackness.
Between the world-stopping Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, a Black nation increase led by Beyoncé and Shaboozey and rap touring renaissance that includes Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion, 2024 has been stacked with defining moments in modern Black music.
Megan Thee Stallion kicked issues off with a bombastic medley of tracks from her newly-released Megan album, together with “Boa,” “The place Them Ladies At” and the Billboard Scorching 100-topping “Hiss.” Thee Scorching Lady Coaches fiery efficiency set the tone for a number of memorable feminine rap moments, with Sexyy Pink, Latto, Ice Spice and GloRilla all delivering sturdy performances. GloRilla — who carried out her reigning summer season anthems, “TGIF,” “Wanna Be” (with Megan Thee Stallion) and “Yeah Glo!” — started her set suspended within the air earlier than parachuting all the way down to flawlessly execute her funky choreography.
Clearly, Usher was one of many largest touchpoints of the evening, with each his lifetime achievement award acceptance speech and tribute sparking scores of discourse throughout social media. That includes Infantile Gambino, Keke Palmer, Chlöe, Tinashe, Summer time Walker, Coco Jones, Marsha Ambrosius, Victoria Monét, Teyana Taylor and Latto, Usher’s lifetime achievement award tribute efficiency highlighted not simply the present dominance of ladies throughout mainstream R&B, but in addition the “Burn” singer’s seminal affect throughout dance and music.
As traditional, a bulk of the awards had been handed out off-screen. The Knowles-Carter family introduced residence a pair of trophies because of Beyoncé’s Viewer’s Selection victory for “Texas Maintain ‘Em” and Blue Ivy Carter‘s YoungStars Award win for her performances on her mother’s blockbuster Renaissance World Tour. Nicki Minaj took residence finest feminine hip-hop artist for a record-extending eighth non-consecutive 12 months, Kendrick Lamar gained finest male hip-hop artist for a record-extending seventh non-consecutive 12 months, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese reigned as Sportswoman of the Yr and ¥$ (Kanye “Ye” West and Ty Dolla $ign) was topped finest group.
Listed below are the 7 finest moments of the 2024 BET Awards.
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Infantile Gambino Calls Out BET
On condition that he additionally spent the evening tributing Usher and sharing the official trailer for his forthcoming new movie, it was troublesome to know if Infantile Gambino was critical in his impromptu lambast of BET and the awards.
The Emmy and Grammy-winning multi-hyphenate — whose new “Lithonia” single is due July 2 — quipped that he has extra Grammys than Will Smith, however the identical quantity of BET Awards as Sam Smith. The Mr. and Mrs. Smith actor was right in that evaluation, highlighting some curious kinks in how the BET Awards honor and have fun left-of-mainstream tv, movies and hip-hop music. There have been some heads nodding alongside within the course of, however the crowd wasn’t precisely leaping on the probability to agree with Gambino and experience for him. Actually, most individuals had been preoccupied with the random jab at Sam Smith.
This wasn’t the one time a quip landed with a convincing thud through the telecast, however having a joke brick proper earlier than the album of the 12 months winner was introduced was clearly removed from ultimate. Nonetheless, the execution didn’t fully muddy Bino’s level, which loads of viewers members continued to chew on in particular person conversations all through the remainder of the evening.
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Tyla Unites the Diaspora With Gunna & Skillibeng
A two-time winner at this 12 months’s present (finest new artist and finest worldwide act), Tyla would have had a near-perfect evening even when she by no means carried out on the stage. Once more, that is Tyla we’re speaking about. In fact, the amapiano/afropop queen with the infectiously inimitable choreography ended up performing.
Well leaving her eponymous debut studio album’s different singles within the mud, Tyla selected to carry out her Afrobeats and dancehall-infused “Leap” for her BET Awards debut. That includes dancers painted to appear to be life-size tigers, huge stilt walkers, and a set with artwork path that performed on the earthiness of the Motherland, “Leap” was a feast for the eyes and ears.
A collaboration with America’s Gunna and Jamaica’s Skillibeng, “Leap” is a musical fusion of various sounds of the African diaspora, and South Africa’s Tyla well invited each of her collaborators to share the stage together with her. When Skillibeng walked on the stage and started his intro, dancehall queen Spice and her crew had been a number of the first folks to stand up on their ft and present the 27-year-old artist some love. Conversely, when Gunna appeared for his verse, he received a noticeably extra lukewarm reception than each Tyla and Skillibeng.
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Will Smith Rocks the Stage With Riveting Return to Rap
Though greater than sufficient folks had not a single care on this planet about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, sufficient folks had been despatched into full disbelief and tender that the Bady Boys: Trip or Die singer nonetheless thinks he must no less than half-participate in a standard apology tour. Enter Kirk Franklin and the Sunday Service Choir.
Simply two days after releasing the Fridayy-assisted “You Can Make It,” the Oscar-winning actor took to the BET Stage to ship the tune’s dwell debut, swapping out Fridayy for five-time Grammy-winning gospel artist Chandler Moore. Whereas the precise tune is nothing groundbreaking — it unfavorably remembers Macklemore circa 2017 — it illustrated a second a lot greater. An anthem of dedication and persistence, “You Can Make It” successfully served as Smith’s testimony for surviving the extra turbulent interval of his profession and popping out on prime with yet one more field office-topping flick.
“We’re not being punished; we’re being cast,” he preached shortly after Kirk Franklin practically blew out his mic sharing his personal exaltations of reward and thanks. “Dance in your darkest moments.”
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VanVan & Heiress Harris Deliver BET to the Playground
Between a salacious Sexyy Pink set and a tribute to an artist with a three-decade profession, the BET Awards aren’t actually the place for teenagers. Nonetheless, VanVan and Heiress Harris, daughter T.I. and Tiny, introduced each grownup within the room again to their elementary college days. The 2 pint-sized performers rocked the gang with “Be You,” effortlessly rapping, singing and dancing alongside to their anthem of individuality. It actually can’t be overstated simply how enamored with VanVan and Heiress the gang inside Peacock Theater was. Whether or not they had been cheering or observing barely incredulously, there was a smile plastered on each face within the crowd as these two Black women carved out house for themselves — and all children — in hip proper earlier than our very eyes.
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Taraji P. Henson Popped Out And Confirmed…
Going into the 2024 BET Awards, whether or not or not Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” could be referenced was a no brainer. The true query was how typically folks would name again to the Mustard-helmed banger.
By no means one to be outdone, the evening’s host, Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson, started her emcee duties donning a duplicate of Ok.Dot’s Pop Out live performance match, full with the sunshine wash denims and crimson hoodie. The Child Boy actress rapped a BET-specific model of the monitor, whereas the gang inside Peacock Theater continued to rap alongside to the unique lyrics of Kendrick’s newest chart-topper. Along with her backup dancers riffing on Kenny’s Pop Out live performance dance strikes and a pitch-perfect of these closing ad-libs, Taraji delivered the second-best factor to the actual Kendrick Lamar.
If the numbers weren’t proof sufficient, Kendrick Lamar dropped the 12 months’s defining anthem with “Not Like Us.” No different tune — whether or not a part of a skit, DJ set, or scheduled efficiency — enthralled the crowed that a lot.
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Black Nation Artists Hit the Mainstage
4 years after Kane Brown grew to become the primary Black male solo male nation artist to carry out on the BET Awards, two rising nation stars scored huge appears to be like at Tradition’s Greatest Night time.
For her efficiency on the BET Amplified stage, Tanner Adell — who featured on “Blackbiird” and laid background vocals for “American Requiiem” on Beyoncé‘s Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter earlier this 12 months — delivered a medley of her breakthrough hit “Buckle Bunny” and “Cowboy.” Donning a lacy white gown harking back to a basic Southern belle, Adell confirmed off each her vocal prowess and onstage charism — each of which gained over the gang in Peacock Theater though she was performing exterior of the venue.
Shaboozey — who featured on Cowboy Carter’s “Spaghettii” (with Linda Martell) and “Candy * Honey * Buckiin” — blew the roof off the venue together with his smash hit “A Bar Music (Tipsy).” Regardless of the tune’s eye-popping No. 3 peak on the Scorching 100, it took a little bit of time for the gang to actually lose themselves in Boozey’s efficiency. By the point J-Kwon got here out to carry out “Tipsy” — which “A Bar Music” interpolates — on the honky-tonk-themed set, the gang completely misplaced their minds. As soon as the 2 artists began going backwards and forwards with “everyone on the membership gettin’ tipsy” and “everyone on the bar getting tipsy” on the very finish, they unlocked a stage of hip-hop/nation synergy that hasn’t been seen since peak Nelly.
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All About Victoria
If anybody had a case for proudly owning the evening exterior of Usher, it’s Victoria Monét. The R&B powerhouse — who gained three Grammys earlier this 12 months and earned the Vanguard Award on the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards final week — was virtually glued to the stage between her victories and performances.
For her solo efficiency, she delivered a sweltering medley of “On My Mama” and her newest single “Alright,” which featured a shock look from Kaytranada, who produced the house-infused monitor. Between an HBCU-nodding rendition of her breakthrough hit and an “Alright” efficiency that featured an outfit change, water-set choreography, and a literal jaguar outro, Victoria Monét mounted one of the vital technically spectacular performances of the evening. Later within the present, Monét returned to the stage alongside Teyana Taylor for an unbelievably attractive recreation of Usher and Beyoncé’s iconic “Unhealthy Lady” routine for the lifetime achievement award tribute.
Nonetheless, Monét’s most lovely moments got here throughout her acceptance speeches. When she gained the BET Her Award for “On My Mama,” she accepted the award alongside her precise mom — who additionally seems within the monitor’s acclaimed music video — making for a priceless full-circle second and a welcome coda to the saga of her quest to reunite together with her beginning father. When she closed the evening because the victor of video of the 12 months (“On My Mama”), Monét used her acceptance speech as a chance to advocate for dancers — the important thing gamers within the music trade who are sometimes instrumental in breaking a tune but receives a commission in literal scraps. She even introduced her longtime collaborator and “Alright” choreographer onstage together with her whereas receiving her award. In spite of everything, it’s Monét’s spectacular execution of Bankhead’s choreography that has helped elevate each her stage present and the business success of her singles.