BET Awards present honors Busta Rhymes, hip-hop’s 50 years and pays tribute to Takeoff and Tina Turner

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES: The 2023 BET Awards celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with tributes to the style’s earliest voices, late legends, and new expertise throughout a present filled with spectacular performances that persistently felt like a celebration.

Sunday’s greatest shock got here when Quavo and Offset, the surviving members of Migos, carried out “Bad and Boujee” in entrance of a picture of Takeoff, who died in a taking pictures final December.

“BET, do it for Take,” the duo shouted close to the start of their set, as their backdrop switched from the picture of an area shuttle to certainly one of Takeoff pointing within the air.

Throughout the present, whether or not it was Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Biz Markie or Pop Smoke, performers and emcee Kid Capri paid homage to late hip-hop stars, typically by rapidly highlighting a style of their best-known hits. In a present the place few awards got, Capri and BET saved the emphasis on the music.

Busta Rhymes took dwelling the evening’s greatest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, handed to him by Swizz Beatz. The 12-time Grammy Award nominated rapper, producer, and pioneering hip-hop determine is extensively thought to be one of many nice MCs, with seven Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits to his title.

Diddy, Janet Jackson, Chuck D, Missy Elliot, Pharrell Williams, and Mariah Carey recorded a video tribute to Rhymes.

“Alright, Imma wear it on my sleeve. I do wanna cry,” Rhymes began his speech, as his eyes began to water. He talked about his six kids, being kicked out from his hip-hop group Leaders of the New School, and studying rebuild by going into studios, sharing a cigar with whoever was within the studio, and “quickly whipping up a 16 bar verse. … By default, I pioneered the feature,” he stated. “A lot of greatness from out people in our culture is by default. Because it’s just a magic we have.”

An energetic tribute to Rhymes adopted — the MC teamed up with Spliff Star for “Ante Up Remix”, “Scenario,” “Look At Me Now”, “I Know What You Want”, earlier than an extended record of A-listers jumped in: Scar Lip with “This Is New York”, Coi Leray with “Players,” BIA with “Beach Ball,” amongst them. Halfway by means of the efficiency, Rhymes shifted gears to rejoice dancehall alongside Dexta Daps “Shabba Madda Pot,” Spice, “So Mi Like It,” Skillibeng, “Whap Whap”, and CuttyRanks’ “A Who Seh Me Dun (Wait Deh Man).”

Throughout the present, old-fashioned hip-hop heroes and fashionable stars combined it up onstage, performing tracks celebrating rap’s most influential cities and innovation. For Miami, Trick Daddy and Trina rocked by means of “Nann” and Uncle Luke took on “I Wanna Rock (Doo Doo Brown).” For Atlanta, Jeezy ripped by means of “They Know”, T.I. hit “24’s,” and Master P did “No Limit Soldiers” into “Make ’Em Say Ugh.” And for hip-hop’s reggae affect, Jamaica’s Doug E. Fresh and Lil ’Vicious did an acapella model of “Freaks,” Mad Lion carried out “Take It Easy,” and PATRA nailed “Romantic Call.”

Capri spun a few of Tupac’s “Hail Marry” to tease a crash course on West Coast rap: Warren G’s “Regulate,” Yo-Yo’s “You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo,” Tyga’s “Rack City”, and E-40’s “Tell Me When To Go.”

An ode to lure began with Capri spinning the late Pop Smoke’s “Dior”, earlier than Chief Keef nailed “Faneto” and Ying Yang Twins did “Wait (The Whisper Song.”)

Audience members, danced, sang alongside (and some hopped up on stage) whereas Capri and MC Lyte preserve the hostless present shifting. It was a principally hiccup-free present — save for a hitch throughout Patti LaBelle’s efficiency and the present operating practically 4 hours — significantly noteworthy for an occasion scheduled within the midst of the continuing Hollywood writers’ strike.

LaBelle honored the Tina Turner with a efficiency of the late singer’s hit “The Best,” telling the viewers at one level she couldn’t see the phrases. “I’m trying, y’all!” she stated earlier than powering into the refrain.

A masked Lil Uzi Vert opened the present at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater earlier than it jumped into a fast historical past lesson. Capri walked the viewers by means of a medley of the earliest days of New York City ’80s rap tradition that includes The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” MC LYTE’s “Cha Cha Cha”, D-NICE’s “Call ME D-Nice” and Big Daddy Kane’s “Raw,” right into a partial cowl of “Just A Friend,” an homage to the late nice Biz Markie.

“I would not be in this business on the stage tonight if it wasn’t for one person,” Big Daddy Kane stated introducing the tune. “Rest in peace.” He invited viewers members to sing alongside to the tune’s infectious refrain.

ALSO READ | BET Awards: Stars use stage to strongly criticize Roe v. Wade ruling

The coveted finest new artist award went to Coco Jones, in a class that featured solely feminine performers.

“For all of my black girls, we do have to fight a little harder to get what we deserve,” she stated in her acceptance speech. “But don’t stop fighting even when it doesn’t make sense. And you’re not sure how you’re going to get out of those circumstances. Keep pushing because we are deserving of great things.”

It was adopted by a supermarket-themed efficiency of AP’s decide for membership tune of the summer season, Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again,” sans featured artist Cardi B however no much less catchy. It ended with a textual content tribute: “RIP Shawty Lo,” a display learn.

Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor gained video director of the 12 months, which was accepted by her mother Nikki Taylor – like a real matriarch, she interrupted the present to videocall her daughter and let her have the second.

At the tip of his acceptance speech, Rhymes urged the hip-hop group to “stop this narrative that we don’t love each other,” urging veteran musicians and newcomers alike to embrace each other.

It was the right mirror for the evening: New York rapper Ice Spice ran by means of abridged variations of “Munch (Feelin’ U),” “Princess Diana” and “In Ha Mood”; Glorilla introduced “Lick Or Sum” to the BET stage, and Kali powered by means of her TikTookay hit, “Area Codes.”

In the viewers, generations of hip-hop heavy-hitters cheered.

LOS ANGELES: The 2023 BET Awards celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with tributes to the style’s earliest voices, late legends, and new expertise throughout a present filled with spectacular performances that persistently felt like a celebration.

Sunday’s greatest shock got here when Quavo and Offset, the surviving members of Migos, carried out “Bad and Boujee” in entrance of a picture of Takeoff, who died in a taking pictures final December.

“BET, do it for Take,” the duo shouted close to the start of their set, as their backdrop switched from the picture of an area shuttle to certainly one of Takeoff pointing within the air.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Throughout the present, whether or not it was Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Biz Markie or Pop Smoke, performers and emcee Kid Capri paid homage to late hip-hop stars, typically by rapidly highlighting a style of their best-known hits. In a present the place few awards got, Capri and BET saved the emphasis on the music.

Busta Rhymes took dwelling the evening’s greatest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, handed to him by Swizz Beatz. The 12-time Grammy Award nominated rapper, producer, and pioneering hip-hop determine is extensively thought to be one of many nice MCs, with seven Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits to his title.

Diddy, Janet Jackson, Chuck D, Missy Elliot, Pharrell Williams, and Mariah Carey recorded a video tribute to Rhymes.

“Alright, Imma wear it on my sleeve. I do wanna cry,” Rhymes began his speech, as his eyes began to water. He talked about his six kids, being kicked out from his hip-hop group Leaders of the New School, and studying rebuild by going into studios, sharing a cigar with whoever was within the studio, and “quickly whipping up a 16 bar verse. … By default, I pioneered the feature,” he stated. “A lot of greatness from out people in our culture is by default. Because it’s just a magic we have.”

An energetic tribute to Rhymes adopted — the MC teamed up with Spliff Star for “Ante Up Remix”, “Scenario,” “Look At Me Now”, “I Know What You Want”, earlier than an extended record of A-listers jumped in: Scar Lip with “This Is New York”, Coi Leray with “Players,” BIA with “Beach Ball,” amongst them. Halfway by means of the efficiency, Rhymes shifted gears to rejoice dancehall alongside Dexta Daps “Shabba Madda Pot,” Spice, “So Mi Like It,” Skillibeng, “Whap Whap”, and CuttyRanks’ “A Who Seh Me Dun (Wait Deh Man).”

Throughout the present, old-fashioned hip-hop heroes and fashionable stars combined it up onstage, performing tracks celebrating rap’s most influential cities and innovation. For Miami, Trick Daddy and Trina rocked by means of “Nann” and Uncle Luke took on “I Wanna Rock (Doo Doo Brown).” For Atlanta, Jeezy ripped by means of “They Know”, T.I. hit “24’s,” and Master P did “No Limit Soldiers” into “Make ’Em Say Ugh.” And for hip-hop’s reggae affect, Jamaica’s Doug E. Fresh and Lil ’Vicious did an acapella model of “Freaks,” Mad Lion carried out “Take It Easy,” and PATRA nailed “Romantic Call.”

Capri spun a few of Tupac’s “Hail Marry” to tease a crash course on West Coast rap: Warren G’s “Regulate,” Yo-Yo’s “You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo,” Tyga’s “Rack City”, and E-40’s “Tell Me When To Go.”

An ode to lure began with Capri spinning the late Pop Smoke’s “Dior”, earlier than Chief Keef nailed “Faneto” and Ying Yang Twins did “Wait (The Whisper Song.”)

Audience members, danced, sang alongside (and some hopped up on stage) whereas Capri and MC Lyte preserve the hostless present shifting. It was a principally hiccup-free present — save for a hitch throughout Patti LaBelle’s efficiency and the present operating practically 4 hours — significantly noteworthy for an occasion scheduled within the midst of the continuing Hollywood writers’ strike.

LaBelle honored the Tina Turner with a efficiency of the late singer’s hit “The Best,” telling the viewers at one level she couldn’t see the phrases. “I’m trying, y’all!” she stated earlier than powering into the refrain.

A masked Lil Uzi Vert opened the present at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater earlier than it jumped into a fast historical past lesson. Capri walked the viewers by means of a medley of the earliest days of New York City ’80s rap tradition that includes The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” MC LYTE’s “Cha Cha Cha”, D-NICE’s “Call ME D-Nice” and Big Daddy Kane’s “Raw,” right into a partial cowl of “Just A Friend,” an homage to the late nice Biz Markie.

“I would not be in this business on the stage tonight if it wasn’t for one person,” Big Daddy Kane stated introducing the tune. “Rest in peace.” He invited viewers members to sing alongside to the tune’s infectious refrain.

ALSO READ | BET Awards: Stars use stage to strongly criticize Roe v. Wade ruling

The coveted finest new artist award went to Coco Jones, in a class that featured solely feminine performers.

“For all of my black girls, we do have to fight a little harder to get what we deserve,” she stated in her acceptance speech. “But don’t stop fighting even when it doesn’t make sense. And you’re not sure how you’re going to get out of those circumstances. Keep pushing because we are deserving of great things.”

It was adopted by a supermarket-themed efficiency of AP’s decide for membership tune of the summer season, Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again,” sans featured artist Cardi B however no much less catchy. It ended with a textual content tribute: “RIP Shawty Lo,” a display learn.

Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor gained video director of the 12 months, which was accepted by her mother Nikki Taylor – like a real matriarch, she interrupted the present to videocall her daughter and let her have the second.

At the tip of his acceptance speech, Rhymes urged the hip-hop group to “stop this narrative that we don’t love each other,” urging veteran musicians and newcomers alike to embrace each other.

It was the right mirror for the evening: New York rapper Ice Spice ran by means of abridged variations of “Munch (Feelin’ U),” “Princess Diana” and “In Ha Mood”; Glorilla introduced “Lick Or Sum” to the BET stage, and Kali powered by means of her TikTookay hit, “Area Codes.”

In the viewers, generations of hip-hop heavy-hitters cheered.