Offset, left, and Quavo of Migos carry out on the BET Awards on Sunday, June 25, 2023, on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

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Offset, left, and Quavo of Migos carry out on the BET Awards on Sunday, June 25, 2023, on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Mark Terrill/Mark Terrill/Invision/AP

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 full of spectacular performances that constantly felt like a celebration.

Sunday’s greatest shock got here when Quavo and Offset, the surviving members of Migos, carried out “Unhealthy 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 one in all Takeoff pointing within the air.

All through the present, whether or not it was Tupac, Infamous B.I.G., Biz Markie or Pop Smoke, performers and emcee Child Capri paid homage to late hip-hop stars, usually by shortly 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 residence the night time’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 High 10 Billboard Scorching 100 hits to his identify.

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

“Alright, Imma put on 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 College, and studying learn how to rebuild by going into studios, sharing a cigar with whoever was within the studio, and “shortly whipping up a 16 bar verse. … By default, I pioneered the characteristic,” he mentioned. “Plenty of greatness from out individuals in our tradition is by default. As a result of it is only a magic we’ve.”

An brisk tribute to Rhymes adopted — the MC teamed up with Spliff Star for “Ante Up Remix”, “Situation,” “Look At Me Now”, “I Know What You Need”, earlier than an extended checklist of A-listers jumped in: Scar Lip with “This Is New York”, Coi Leray with “Gamers,” BIA with “Seaside Ball,” amongst them. Midway by way of the efficiency, Rhymes shifted gears to have fun 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).”

Busta Rhymes reacts onstage as he accepts the lifetime achievement award on the BET Awards on Sunday, June 25, 2023, on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

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Busta Rhymes reacts onstage as he accepts the lifetime achievement award on the BET Awards on Sunday, June 25, 2023, on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Mark Terrill/Mark Terrill/Invision/AP

All through the present, old style hip-hop heroes and fashionable stars blended it up onstage, performing tracks celebrating rap’s most influential cities and innovation. For Miami, Trick Daddy and Trina rocked by way of “Nann” and Uncle Luke took on “I Wanna Rock (Doo Doo Brown).” For Atlanta, Jeezy ripped by way of “They Know”, T.I. hit “24’s,” and Grasp P did “No Restrict Troopers” into “Make ‘Em Say Ugh.” And for hip-hop’s reggae affect, Jamaica’s Doug E. Contemporary and Lil ‘Vicious did an acapella model of “Freaks,” Mad Lion carried out “Take It Straightforward,” and PATRA nailed “Romantic Name.”

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 Cannot Play With My Yo-Yo,” Tyga’s “Rack Metropolis”, and E-40’s “Inform Me When To Go.”

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

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

LaBelle honored the Tina Turner with a efficiency of the late singer’s hit “The Finest,” telling the viewers at one level she could not see the phrases. “I am attempting, y’all!” she mentioned 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 way of a medley of the earliest days of New York Metropolis ’80s rap tradition that includes The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” MC LYTE’s “Cha Cha Cha”, D-NICE’s “Name ME D-Good” and Large Daddy Kane’s “Uncooked,” right into a partial cowl of “Simply A Buddy,” an homage to the late nice Biz Markie.

“I’d not be on this enterprise on the stage tonight if it wasn’t for one individual,” Large Daddy Kane mentioned introducing the track. “Relaxation in peace.” He invited viewers members to sing alongside to the track’s infectious refrain.

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

Coco Jones accepts the award for greatest new artist on the BET Awards on Sunday, June 25, 2023, on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

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Coco Jones accepts the award for greatest new artist on the BET Awards on Sunday, June 25, 2023, on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Mark Terrill/Mark Terrill/Invision/AP

“For all of my black women, we do need to struggle just a little tougher to get what we deserve,” she mentioned in her acceptance speech. “However do not cease preventing even when it does not make sense. And also you’re unsure how you are going to get out of these circumstances. Maintain pushing as a result of we’re deserving of nice issues.”

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

Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor gained video director of the yr, 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.

On the finish of his acceptance speech, Rhymes urged the hip-hop group to “cease this narrative that we do not love one another,” urging veteran musicians and newcomers alike to embrace each other.

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

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