The Most Unforgettable BET Awards Performances
The 2020 BET Awards Performances Responded to This Moment in America
Public Enemy, Anderson .Paak, Jennifer Hudson and others offered moving celebrations of Black politics and culture.
By Gabrielle Bruney Published: Jun 29, 2020
Sunday night's BET Awards were held like everything else is these days—remotely. It's the award show's 20th anniversary, and the proceedings honed in on the politics of the moment, featuring commemorations for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other victims of police violence.
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The early days of the pandemic may have wrought some janky, video-conferenced attempts at concerts, but it's not March anymore. And instead of any patchy video feeds, the show consisted of polished and highly produced performances that offered entertaining and often moving celebrations of Black politics and culture. Here are some of the most memorable moments of the night.
Chuck D, Nas, YG, Black Thought, and Rapsody, "Fight the Power"
Public Enemy Is Joined By Nas, Black Thought & More For Rendition of Fight The Power | BET Awards 20
One of the best protest songs is Phil Och's "Love Me, I'm a Liberal," in part because there's a long and often bitingly funny tradition of artists updating its lyrics to take aim at the ever-evolving specificities of armchair liberalism. It's something that I've always wanted to see done with more political anthems, and the BET Awards made that dream come true with its updated rendition of Public Enemy's all-time classic "Fight the Power." This version featured verses by Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, and YG rapping about people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the fact that Central Park was built over a Black community, and name dropping everyone from Haitian revolutionaries Toussaint L'Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines to Fred Hampton.
Anderson .Paak and Jay Rock, "Lockdown"
Anderson .Paak & Jay Rock In Powerful "Lockdown" Performance | BET Awards 20
The ongoing protests against racist police brutality are taking place against the backdrop of a pandemic that disproportionately kills black people. (According to one recent survey, a third of Black Americans know someone who died of the coronavirus, while only 10 percent of whites could say the same.) Anderson .Paak's "Lockdown" is an examination of the intersection of these two plagues, but it's also just a great song—delivered here in a perfectly executed performance.
Megan Thee Stallion — "Girls in the Hood/Savage"
Megan Thee Stallion Is A Hot Girl With "Girls In The Hood" & "Savage" Performance | BET Awards 20
We may be in the midst of one of the most momentous social movements in decades, but this is an awards show—they're all inherently frivolous, and not every performance needs to be super serious. (And not all of the serious stuff necessarily feels respectful—looking at you, DaBaby's recreation of George Floyd's death). In one of the most fun moments of the night, Megan Thee Stallion performed her ode to multi-faceted womanhood in a Mad Max: Fury Road inspired music video.
Lil Wayne — "Kobe Bryant"
Lil Wayne Honors Kobe Bryant With Performance Of His 2009 Track "Kobe Bryant" | BET Awards 20
It'd be pretty surprising if we got a BLM themed performance from Lil Wayne, but he still put on a show that was ripped from the 2020 headlines. He paid tribute to his late friend Kobe Bryant by performing his 2009 tune named after the NBA superstar, complete with updated lyrics honoring Bryant's daughter, Gianna, and sending condolences to the entire Bryant family.
Jennifer Hudson — "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black"
Jennifer Hudson Performs "Young, Gifted & Black" | BET Awards 2020
"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" is an inspiring song with some major history behind it—it was written by Nina Simone in memory of her friend, A Raisin in the Sun author Lorraine Hansberry, who died of pancreatic cancer when she was just 34-years-old. Jennifer Hudson delivered a typically bravura rendition—and debuted the trailer for Respect, the upcoming biopic in which she stars as Aretha Franklin.
Wayne Brady — "Lucille/Good Golly Miss Molly/Tutti Frutti"
Wayne Brady Honors Little Richard In "Lucille" & "Good Golly Miss Molly" Performance | BET Awards 20
There's been a lot of news this year, but I've still not gotten over the death of Little Richard, a generations-spanning black, queer icon and one of the most crucial architects of rock and roll. So it was deeply gratifying to see the BET awards pay tribute to him, by way of a medley of his hits performed by Wayne Brady (who really can sing.)
Gabrielle Bruney
Gabrielle Bruney is a writer and editor for Esquire, where she focuses on politics and culture. She's based (and born and raised) in Brooklyn, New York.