The BET Awards is all about celebrating all aspects of black culture, and Regina Hall, 48, wanted to kick off the 2019 edition of the show by giving love to her home of Washington D.C. After a hilarious opening “mini-doc” of her holding auditions (“That’s not D.C.” she would tell those who didn’t make the cut) for her crew, the show kicked off with a “homecoming” of sorts. A drum majorette got the beat going, drummers fell in line, and Regina appeared in full bandleader regalia. From there, Regina led a stage full of dancers in a “Beyonce-at-Coachella”-type of opening. Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliot of Experience Unlimited, a popular Washington D.C. go-go/funk band, hit the stage to perform their hit, “Da’ Butt,” which got everyone bouncing their booty. Taraji P. Henson, 48, even joined her friend Regina on stage to shake her tailfeather, do the “Running Man,” and just have a blast.
Once it all concluded, Black-ish star Yara Shahidi, 19, came out to present the first award of the evening. Before she did, she said, “Beyonce would be proud” of what she saw. Let’s be honest – anyone who has ever pledged to a black fraternity or celebrated in their college/university’s homecoming was beaming with pride after seeing that.
Last year’s BET Awards was a night full of highs and lows. For Nicki Minaj, it was a bit of a low. While her performance slayed – she did a medley of hits, including “Chun Li” and “Big Bank” – she left the night empty handed, as rival Cardi B beat her for Best Female Hip Hop Artist and the Coco-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award. On top of that, she suffered an uncomfortable wardrobe malfunction, as her red latex bodysuit appeared to give her a wicked cast of camel toe. While Nicki’s wardrobe malfunction was hard to look at, it was easier to watch than Jamie Foxx’s turn as host.
https://twitter.com/BETAwards/status/1142953716682592256
@TherealTaraji a whole mood on the #BETAwards!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/vgFJLtBNB3
— PRETTY HU$TLAZ (@PrettyHustlaz) June 24, 2019
For many fans, the Django Unchained star’s attempt at humor fell flat. He brought back his In Loving Color character Wanda Wayne for a Black Panther spoof that was less Wakanda and more “Wah-kinda-dull.” Fans also dragged Jamie for the awkward moment when he dragged Donald Glover on stage for an impromptu performance of “This Is America,” as Childish Gambino had no real desire to sing that night. However, it wasn’t all bad, as Jamie’s opening monologue took a nice shot at President Donald Trump. “We don’t need a president right now, because we’ve got a king. King T’Challa, Make some noise!”
Fans were also disappointed when BET cut off R&B crooner SiR with a commercial break. Yet, they were thrilled with the performances of the night, as Janelle Monáe, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Migos and more left the stage in flames with fiery, energetic performances. After all, isn’t that really what the BET Awards are all about?