The 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards — which went down at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Center — aired on Tuesday (Oct. 10), and it was a night to remember the genre’s roots.
Hosted by Fat Joe, the award show celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop by bringing together the genre’s brightest new stars in GloRilla and Sexyy Redd as well as established hitmakers like Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, who were honored in the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher that featured Bun B, Lola Brooke, Cassidy, Gloss Up, Foggieraw, Lady London, Scar Lip and Symba. Maiya The Don, LaNell Grant and That Mexican OT were featured in the digital cypher.
Kid Capri, DJ D-Nice, Scott Storch, Spinderella, Kool DJ Red Alert and more were on the 1s and 2s throughout the evening, throwing it back to fan-favorite hip-hop tracks that the crowd rapped bar for bar; producers, an often overshadowed part of the hip-hop equation, were frequently given the spotlight during the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast.
Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow, Ludacris, Nelly, Da Brat, Bone Crusher, Chingy, Lil Jon, Tyrese and Dem Franchize Boyz came together during the awards ceremony for a star-studded tribute celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dupri’s So So Def Recordings. LL Cool J and Rakim performed a special tribute to this year’s “I Am Hip Hop Award” honoree Marley Marl, alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff and Technician the DJ.
Check out all the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards winners here, and read through Billboard‘s ranking of the evening’s performances below. (DJ sets are not included in the ranking).
DJ Hed led the Digital Cypher, which showcased Maiya the Don, LaNell Grant and That Mexican OT bringing their own flavor to Latto’s “Put it On Da Floor” the way the track’s OG MC switched up Wingstop’s lemon pepper wings. But in this case, the original recipe was still the way to go.
GloRilla kicked off her theatric performance by smacking her gum and rolling her eyes during a lecture about her bad behavior, but the BET Hip Hop Awards hadn’t seen the last of it. She transformed the cafeteria tables into her own stage, schooling the opps on how to do the “Cha Cha Cha.” But the choreography and red-and-white uniforms felt like an uncalled-for hip-hop version of High School Musical — even though Fivio Foreign didn’t have his head in the game based on the way he was rapping over his backing track.
City Girls brought the 305 to BET, with JT rapping “No Bars” and Yung Miami joining her for “Face Down.” Their performance might not have been as robust as their knees, but the duo’s effortlessly fierce delivery never fails to disappoint.
DaBaby started the show off with a fiery performance of the “Shake Sumn” remix with Sexyy Red. But the crowd couldn’t contain themselves at the sight of Juvenile and Mannie Fresh for their “Project Chick” performance. Bridging hip-hop’s beloved veterans and hottest newcomers was a solid way to showcase what the BET Hip Hop Awards were meant to do: celebrate the genre’s past, present and future.
Fat Joe gave DJ Drama the floor to run back the mixtape era with the help of Fabolous, who performed “You Be Killin Em”; T.I., who honored the 20th anniversary celebration of his sophomore album Trap Muzik by rapping “Rubber Band Man”; and Jeezy, who ended the night on a high note with “Trap or Die.”
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland — the co-recipients of the Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award — took the competitive spirit of their Verzuz battle and brought it to the BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher. Foggieraw, Symba, Cassidy and Scar Lip showed off their different flows over Swizz’s storied beats, which DJ Runna ran through from behind the booth. Meanwhile, Lola Brooke, Lady London, Gloss Up and Bun B brought the heat over Timbaland’s historic beats, which DJ E Feezy fired off from the decks. Watching generations of rappers unite on one stage wasn’t something to miss.
Sexyy Red rebranded Atlanta as “Pound Town,” but the censored version of her breakout hit unfortunately didn’t hit the same (and that’s word to the FCC). Translating ratchet hood anthems for television can be tough, but everyone in the Cobb Energy Center was on their feet hollering “SkeeYee” for her performance’s rowdy closer. Her first solo award show performance solidified Sexyy’s status as a crowd pleaser, and it surely won’t be her last.
While honoring this year’s “I Am Hip Hop Award” recipient Marley Marl, whom Timbaland hailed as “your favorite producer’s favorite producer,” Rakim didn’t miss a beat while performing “Eric B. Is President” and “Paid in Full.” Marl rejoiced with his hand in the air as LL Cool J rose from underneath the stage, breathlessly rapping “Jingling Baby,” “Mr. Goodbar,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Mama Said Knock You Out” and, of course, “Rock the Bells.” With DJ Jazzy Jeff and Technician the DJ behind the decks, the tribute was a testament to more than one hip-hop OG.
Fat Joe saluted Jermaine Dupri and “30 dirty years” of his record label, So So Def Recordings, before the man of the hour pulled off the ultimate ATL hip-hop celebration. He brought out Ludacris for “Welcome to Atlanta”; Lil Jon for his verse on YoungBloodZ’s “Damn!” and his own “Snap Yo Fingers”; Bone Crusher for “Never Scared”; Nelly for “Grillz”; Chingy and Tyrese for “Pullin’ Me Back”; and Dem Franchize Boyz, Da Brat and Bow Wow for “I Think They Like Me” (plus a version of his own “Money Ain’t A Thang”). The star-studded performance provided a prime a sing-along moment for those in the audience and at home.
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