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The ceremony showed off rap's best female artists and celebrated gay pride.
Cardi B's “WAP” has new meaning at the BET Awards: winning and pregnant.
The Grammy-winning star debuted her baby bump during a live performance Sunday alongside husband Offset as well as Quavo and Takeoff of Migos. She also won video of the year for her Megan Thee Stallion-assisted No. 1 hit “WAP."
Cardi B didn't stay to accept the honor at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, but Megan Thee Stallion rushed to the stage to pick up the award, forgetting to thank Cardi during her speech.
But the “Savage" rapper made up for it when she won best female hip-hop artist moments later.
“I really forgot to say ‘thank you Cardi' for even putting me on ‘WAP' because it makes me feel so good to be acknowledged by one of my peers, who I think so highly of," Megan Thee Stallion said. “I think so highly of all the women who was nominated in this category."
Along with celebrating female artists, the BET Awards also highlighted gay pride with a seductive performance by Lil Nas X and Queen Latifah, who thanked her reported partner and son when she accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award.
As she rattled on thank you's, she said: “Ebony, my love, Rebel, my love." The 51-year-old ended with: “Peace! Happy pride!"
Queen Latifah was honored for her illustrious career as a Grammy-winning rapper, a Golden Globe-winning actor and an Emmy-winning TV producer. Rapsody and Monie Love kicked off the tribute with a performance of “Ladies First,” which was followed by Lil Kim and MC Lyte rapping the classic “U.N.I.T.Y.”
Lil Nas X won over the crowd with his No. 1 hit “Call Me By Your Name,” which ended with the rapper locking lips with a male background dancer, as the crowd roared loudly. Some audience members jumped out of their seats in praise.
His stage was set in Ancient Egypt, much like Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” which Lil Nas X paid tribute to with a skilled dance break during the performance.
Mothers were also saluted during the three-hour-plus show: Queen Latifah, who attended with her father, held a photo on her mother onstage; Megan Thee Stallion remembered her mother, who died in 2019, during her speech: “She can’t be here with me today but I still think about her everyday and she is the reason why I keep going." And Jazmine Sullivan — who won album of the year for her critically acclaimed EP “Heaux Tales" — attended the show with her mother, who is battling cancer.
Lastly, The ceremony was dedicated to “the year of the Black women," as actor and host Taraji P. Henson put at the top of the show.
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