Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
The 2021 BET Awards had a few moments that had social media users typing away on their personal pages, but for us, Queen Latifah’s Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech was the most moving thing we saw and heard all night.
With three decades worth of an entertainment career under her belt, the Hip-Hop legend (and HHW’s GOAT Female Rapper) was honored last night (June 27) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles by BET with their Lifetime Achievement Award. After some dope performances from Rapsody who paid homage to the Queen with her own rendition of “Ladies First,” and Lil Kim who did “U.N.I.T.Y.,” the rapper/actress took to the stage and gave a heartfelt speech with a picture of her dearly departed mother in her hand.
Thanking her family, her fans and BET, a teary-eyed Queen Latifah let the crowd know just how much this award meant to her and what BET meant to Hip-Hop culture altogether.
“I want to thank BET for creating an outlet for beautiful blackness to thrive, to shine, when we couldn’t get played on the radio and other places. We couldn’t get our videos played in other places; there was BET that allowed us to be in our fullness and to shine to this night right now and right here.”
Youngin’s don’t know how important BET was to Hip-Hoppers across the board back in the day. MTV just wasn’t for the culture at all for a while there. Shout out to DJ Ralph McDaniels though. Video Music Box was hella clutch for heads who didn’t have cable.
Now that the Queen has received BET’s most prestigious award, she can put it on the mantle next to the Golden Globe, Grammy, Emmy, NAACP and SAG awards she’s earned over her illustrious career.
Congratulations Ms. Latifah, you’ve earned them all.
Peep Queen Latifah’s acceptance speech below and try not to shed a tear.
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