Taraji P. Henson turned the 2024 BET Awards into a comedic masterpiece with her show-stopping performance. Picture this: the star of “The Color Purple” strutted onto the stage and dropped a parody of Kendrick Lamar’s infamous Drake diss track, leaving everyone with their jaws on the floor—and their funny bones tickled.
The 53-year-old Golden Globe winner, hosting the annual spectacle on June 30 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, kicked things off by spitting bars to her own version of “Not Like Us.” And how did she start? With the mic drop-worthy line, “Taraji on the beat,” of course.
While Kendrick went after Drizzy in the original track, Taraji decided to switch gears and celebrate black culture. Her remix had a wholesome twist, transforming the lyrics into “it’s about us.” She kept the good vibes rolling with lines like, “It’s not about you or me, it’s about we.” Talk about a feel-good anthem!
Channeling her inner K.Dot, Taraji went full Kendrick for the performance. She didn’t just dress the part; she became the part. Sporting a white shirt under a bright red hoodie, light blue jeans, and white kicks, she topped it all off with a red hat, mirroring Kendrick’s look from his “The Pop Out – Ken and Friends” concert. She basically nailed it so hard, Kendrick might’ve needed ID to convince people he was the real one.
As she laid down her lyrics on stage, the crowd couldn’t help but catch the groove. Attendees were bopping along, grinning from ear to ear, and showing off their dance moves. Even Usher couldn’t keep a straight face—he was caught on camera giggling like he just heard the funniest joke ever.
Social media exploded with praise faster than you can say “viral.” Instagram lit up with fans gushing over her performance. One user couldn’t contain their excitement, posting, “She killed it from the lyrics to dress code.” Another chimed in, “I don’t care what she saying @tarajiphenson can’t do no wrong. She is my shero.” And a third added, “The fact that she’s rapping better than some of the rappers.” Shots fired!
But wait, there’s more. A fourth fan got all philosophical, writing, “Y’all can be top tier critics or listen to the lyrics. She’s got a real point—women in this industry deserve more recognition and better pay. It’s been that way for too long, and she just thought it would be good to do it to the biggest song that was a staple in the culture…” Mic drop, Taraji. Mic drop.
Taraji P. Henson dresses like Kendrick Lamar and performs a "Not Like Us" parody for her opening monologue at the 2024 #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/WV3SnPQlEj
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 1, 2024
