BET continued its ode to Black excellence during the 21st annual BET Awards, which aired live from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday.
After a year of going virtual, the show returned with a vaccinated live audience.
Attendees of the #CulturesBiggestNight sat on emerald and plum hued velvet couches spread six feet apart with matching throw pillows. A dimly lit lantern sat atop corner tables that separated each seat.
“Year of the Woman” was quite fitting for this year’s theme, as we now have our first Black Vice President of the United States in the White House, Kamala Harris, and 21-year-old Sha’Carri Richardson, now the fastest woman in the world, heads to the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games on July 23.
“The grace, the class, the edges, we are everything hunny,” said Taraji P. Henson, actress and host of the awards. “Celebrating Black women isn’t a fad or a trend, it’s a forever mood.”
She presented roses to Issa Rae, Jazmine Sullivan, Zendaya and Kinloch native U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, and sent praises to other phenomenal women who couldn’t be there.
Henson’s contagious “larger than life” personality and brilliant wardrobe homages throughout the evening to some of her “all-time favorite women” kept us entertained from start to finish.
She introduced the show descending from a swing on stage channeling Diana Ross with a perfectly picked bountiful afro dressed in a bronze shimmery jumpsuit and matching cape. Other icons emulated included her donning a gold spaghetti strap mini dress and feathered wig as Tina Turner, a burgundy frock with silver-studded details, guitar, drumset and dark shades as S.H.E., Solid Hair Edges (a mock version of H.E.R.), and more.
H.E.R, who won the Best Female R&B/Pop Artist award, performed with her signature dark sunglasses, rocking a white t-shirt with the late Jimi Hendrix’s face on it. While playing the drums and the guitar, the multi-talented singer sang harmonious melodies to the smash-hit single “We Made It,” off her debut album, “Back Of My Mind.”
“There wouldn’t be a lot of other genres if it was not for Black music,” H.E.R. said during her acceptance speech. “When they say r&b is dead, r&b is not alive, I’m like it’s in everything.”
Sullivan was another R&B songstress who gave an extraordinary vocal performance with the help of Waters saying her catchy, “reclaiming my time,” phrase, which is a line in her new single “Tragic.”
Ari Lennox joined her on stage for a duet of their grown and sexy single, “On It,” from Sullivan’s latest album “Heaux Tales.”
Sullivan’s album Heaux Tales won Album of the Year, she accepted the award with her mother right by her side on stage. It was a special moment for her, as two years ago she was battling breast cancer and Sullivan didn’t think she would live to see that moment.
“My mom is now remissioned and this is my prize, this is my gift, it means more to me than anything that she’s here with me,” Sullivan said during her acceptance speech. “She’s supported me with my life and pushed me all my life. I’m so grateful for her.”
Cardi B, who won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration for WAP with Megan Thee Stallion, shocked the world with the announcement of her second child with husband Offset, during a performance of their collaboration on Migos’ “Type S***.”
During her performance of “Thot S***,” Megan came out with a Black veil covering her face then removed it and began placing her hands on her knees giving us her best twerk as the song suggests. In addition to her wins with Cardi B, she also took home the awards for Best Female Hip Hop Artist and Viewer’s Choice Award for Savage (Remix) featuring Beyoncé.
“Everybody in the whole wide world knows how much I love Beyoncé,” Megan said. “Every time somebody did an interview and they were like Megan, what’s your dream collab? “I’ll be like Beyoncé, then it finally happened. Thank you so much Beyonce cause I love you!”
Other performers included Lil Nas X, who sang “Call Me By Your Name,” with a performance that was a clear homage to Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” music video; Andra Day, DJ Khaled, Silk Sonic, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, City Girls, Da Baby, Roddy Ricch, Tyler the Creator, Kirk Franklin, Mereba and Tone Stith.
Grammy Award-winning rapper, singer, and producer, Queen Latifah, was presented with the 2021 BET Lifetime Achievement Award by fellow sister in hip-hop MC Lyte.
Rapsody, Mary J. Blige, Megan Thee Stallion, and more sang high praises to the legendary emcee in a video tribute.
Rapsody, Monie Love, Lil Kim and MC Lyte performed a medley of Queen Latifah’s hits including “Just Another Day,” “Ladies First” and “UNITY.”
“I wanna thank BET for creating an outlet for beautiful Blackness to thrive, shine when we couldn’t get played on the radio or get our videos played in other places,” Queen Latifah said in her acceptance speech. “BET allowed us to be in our fullness.”
In honor of all the lives lost this year, a memoriam displayed the names and pictures of Shock G, Tommy “Tiny” Lister, Natalie Desselle Reid, Cicely Tyson, DMX and more.
The memoriam ended with DMX and a touching tribute immediately followed. Wu-Tang Clan rapper Method Man embodied his true essence in his style of rap with his real, raw and grittiness on “Get At Me Dog.
Hip-Hop collective Griseldo performed their collaboration, “Hood Blues,” off his posthumous album “Exodus,” and “Where The Hood At.”
Actor Michael K. Williams was DMX’s doppelganger sporting a black tank top, gold rope chain, camouflage pants and wheat Timberland boots while rapping the lyrics to “Slippin.”
Swizz Beatz and The Lox joined for the “Ruff Ryderz Anthem,” and Busta Rhymes brought the perfect amount of showstopping energy to “Party Up (Up In Here).”
The tribute concluded with the powerful “The Prayer IV,” skit from “The Great Depression” album and everyone throwing up the “X” symbol.
Other winners included Chris Brown, Best Male R&B/Pop Artist; Giveon, Best New Artist; Silk Sonic, Best Group; Lil Baby, Best Male Hip Hop Artist; Andra Day, Best Actress; and Chadwick Boseman, Best Actor.
