Ahhh, yes.
After one too many months of inexplicably gloomy-ass weather, on Sunday, the sun finally decided to come outside and play in Los Angeles—and it was kind enough to bring the 2023 BET Awards along for the ride.
But aside from Teyana Taylor’s mom emerging as a championship contender for the 2023 Mom of the Year, what were some of the most unforgettable moments from “the culture’s biggest night”?
I’m glad you asked.
Hip-Hop Is the Real MVP
I’ll be the first to admit that so far, this entire Hip-Hop 50 campaign—which seeks to celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th birthday (look at all those grays!) throughout the year with a myriad of concerts, events, and gratuitous pop-locking—has been a bit underwhelming. And while award shows like the Grammys have made it a point to bring a birthday gift or two to the festivities, up until Sunday night, we had yet to see the genre everyone knows and loves emulates receive its proper due.
So after Lil Uzi Vert opened the show with what can best be described as an epileptic fit, Bronx legend Kid Capri kicked off the evening with a nostalgic celebration for Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary. It was the type of party I will never in life be cool enough to throw, with The Sugarhill Gang, MC Lyte, and Big Daddy Kane all showing up to perform and watch Hip-Hop blow out its birthday candles. Even D-Nice stepped out from behind the turntables to dust off his 1990 classic “Call Me D-Nice,” because of course, he did.
But the greatest hip-hop house party quite possibly ever didn’t stop there. Over the course of the next four hours (the rumors are true: the telecast somehow exceeded the length of a CVS receipt), our tour guide, Kid Capri, took us on a musical odyssey throughout the country, pinballing from mounting up with Warren G on the West Coast, to doing the Doo Doo Brown with Uncle Luke down South, to going “All the Way Up” with Remy Ma and Fat Joe back East, to even delivering a reggae set with Mad Lion and Patra.
I’m not even exaggerating when I say this was exactly what so many of us were waiting for. Just about every region, style of rap, or rapper you could think of got their time to shine. You trying to take it back to your 2000s club days? The Ying Yang Twins had plenty to whisper about. You more of an underground head? There were rhymes galore during the Def Squad family reunion. You trying to turn up to some foolishness? Yeah, Chief Keef was there too.
From Trick Daddy and Trina, to E-40, to Mad Skillz, to the 69 Boyz, the BET Awards covered every last one of their bases. And for you poor unfortunate souls who think Sunday night’s Hip-Hop tribute was only about the music, there was plenty of love for the dances that have sprained our shoulders and knees throughout the years too.
Offset and Quavo Reunite and All Is Well in the World Again
I sure as hell didn’t have this on my 2023 Bingo card, but I couldn’t be happier that it occurred.
After a tumultuous year in Migosland, fans of the splintered rap group got the shock of a lifetime when the two came out dancing together on stage to Takeoff’s verse from “Hotel Lobby”. And for the skeptics who believed their reunion was forced or purely for optics, they were looking quite harmonious while performing “Bad and Boujee” to raucous applause.
They were also recently spotted together while honoring their late bandmate, Takeoff, on what would’ve been his 29th birthday. So it’s great to see that they’ve seemingly squashed whatever issues they had and are getting back to what they do best: being relentlessly copied by their peers killing the stage.
Oh, Patti
Let me preface everything that I’m about to say with “Patti, you know I love you…” but I knew her performance was doomed as soon as I looked down and saw her shoes were still on.
Maybe it was an off night, maybe it was nerves, maybe it actually was the teleprompter. All I know is when you’re honoring Tina Turner, someone so near and dear to millions of hearts, especially so soon after her tragic passing, you’ve gotta come correct. And unfortunately, for whatever reason, the “On My Own” songstress failed to deliver the goods.
As she stumbled through “The Best,” she remained poised and assured the crowd, “I’m trying, y’all!” But had it not been for the timely arrival of her background singers, her highly-anticipated tribute to the Queen of Rock and Roll was teetering on the brink of disaster.
We still love you, Patti!
Busta Rhymes Gets His Flowers
“You ain’t never seen a Black caveman, right?”
We’ve also never seen anything quite like Hip-Hop’s rambunctious cornerstone, Busta Rhymes.
For those wondering what you give the man who has everything, after over 30 years of service to our Walkmans, iPods, and Spotify playlists, you give him a Lifetime Achievement Award and chase it with an earth-shattering performance featuring some of his illustrious peers.
Flanked by Marlon Wayans, his Flipmode Squad co-star Spliff Star, and longtime collaborator Swizz Beatz, the self-proclaimed Dungeon Dragon delivered an emotional speech in which he revealed his apprehensions about initially becoming a solo artist, encouraged other artists to steer clear from beefing with each other, and staked his claim as a pioneer of rap features.
“A lot of greatness from our people and our culture is by default, ‘cause it’s just the magic that we have,” Busta said. “I just am grateful for the blessing that has been bestowed upon me and this gift that I have been given, and this fire that continues to burn as a passion in my soul.”
He continued, “It’s just me trying to do my duty to continue to advance the culture and continue to contribute in a significant way. I see so many people in here that I have known and grown with for a long time. You’re watching me grow and I love y’all. And I know y’all love me.”
He then proceeded to tear the stage in half with the help of Rah Digga, Swizz Beatz, blossoming star Scar Lip, and M.O.P., as he ran through his lengthy catalog of bangers that included “Scenario,” “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” “Look At Me Now,” and “Pass the Courvoisier”.
I hereby decree that Busta Rhymes is no longer merely noun, it’s also a verb. And on Sunday night at the 2023 BET Awards, Busta definitely Busta’d.