Hip Hop royalty and newcomers showed out for the 2022 BET Award. The show wonderfully honored those who laid the pavement for today's artists to roll out and thrive on. Influencers, OGs and tastemakers set the tone on the red carpet as they made their way inside Atlanta's Cobb Energy Center for one of the industry's most lit evenings.
From repping the #FreeYSL movement to honoring the hottest beats out right now, here are a few of the best moments from the evening:
Fat Joe Turned the Show "All the Way Up" as Host
It only made sense to have one of Hip Hop's greatest icons to host this year. Kicking off the show with "Free Thugger and Free Gunna" and bringing it back to Old Atlanta, Joe Crack was funny, authentic and did the event justice. He reminded us that "yesterday's price is not today's price" and dropped a bunch more gems. We loved seeing him on our screen and can't wait to see him on our screens hosting more often.
Best Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist Went to Glorilla
Glorilla took home her first award with the Best Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist award. With a fast rise to the top, the Memphis-bred artist has had us bumping her hit track FNF and screaming "let's gooooo" all summer long.
The Hip Hop Award Cypher Was Like None Other
Spinning Pushing P by Gunna, DJ Hed kicked the staple Hip Hop Award Cypher off right. Rappers Deetranada, Sauce Walka, Baby Tate, Topaz Jones, Ray Vaughn brought the heat for the first part of the cypher while Reuben Vincent, Sa-Roc, Guapdad 4000, Big Boss Vette, and Jayson Cash kept that same energy for the second part.
TikTok Star Armani White Paid Proper Homage to His Sample of "Nothin'" by Noreaga
The longevity of hip hop is dependent on paying respect to artists who came before. Tik Tok superstar Armani White performed his popular track Billie Eilish which sampled Noreaga's track Nothin'. White then brought out N.O.R.E. to perform a snippet of the throwback jam.
Ultimate Rap League Comes Together For An Epic Rap Battle Rematch
Creator of Ultimate Rap League Troy "Smack" Mitchell brought out battle rappers DNA vs K-Shine went bar for bar. While both artists brought their best, DNA went on to win the battle and take home a $25,000 prize.
Joey BadA$$ Pays Tribute to Young Dolph
In a chillingly beautiful tribute to Young Dolph and all of the rappers lost to gun violence, Joey Bada$$ performed an original song Head High that was taylor made to reflect the immense impact of loosing some of the genre's dopest talent to street violence.
Trina Receiving the I Am Hip Hop Award
"The Baddest Chick" Trina got her well-deserved flowers for her trailblazing career spanning over two decades. Stars such as Missy Elliot, Trick Daddy, City Girls and Latto reflected on her iconic status and what her legacy means to the Hip Hop landscape. Trina gave an emotional acceptance speech and her hopes for the future of Hip Hop music.
Hip Hop Icons Reminded Us Who Set it Off First
Mobb Depp and artists of Loud Records respectively hit the stage to perform some of their most beloved songs. Mobb Depp paid their respects to their group mate Prodigy who passed away in 2017.
Wu-Tang Clan, Lil Kim, Project Pat, Three Six Mafia, Remy Ma and more brought us back to the early 2000s with some of hits that had the clubs jumping back in the day.
