Kendrick Lamar reasserted his status as “King Kendrick” at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards, emerging as the night’s biggest winner.
The grammy award winning rapper took home a total of four trophies at the annual awards show, which was held at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on October 3 and televized on Tuesday.
Sweeping every category he was nominated in, Kendrick won Hip Hop Artist of the Year, Lyricist of the Year, Best Live Performer and Video Director of the Year alongside his longtime collaborator Dave Free.
He made history with these victories, becoming the first rapper to win Hip Hop Artist of the Year three times and extending his lead in the Lyricist of the Year category with a ninth win.
He’s also tied with Kanye West and JAY-Z for most Best Live Performer wins with four, and is the first director to snag back-to-back Video Director of the Year awards since Hype Williams, who won four consecutive times between 2009 and 2012.
Kendrick owes his trophy haul to the success of his 2022 album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers and its accompanying Big Steppers Tour, as well as his “Count Me Out” and “Rich Spirit” music videos and “The Hillbillies” collaboration with Baby Keem.
Elsewhere, Drake and 21 Savage won two awards each for Hip Hop Album of the Year (Her Loss) and Best Duo or Group, as did Lil Durk and J. Cole for Best Collaboration and Impact Track (both for “All My Life”).
Lil Uzi Vert also claimed a couple of wins in the Song of the Year and Video of the Year categories (both for “Just Wanna Rock”), along with Metro Boomin, who was crowned both Producer of the Year and DJ of the Year.
Ice Spice (Best Best Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist), JAY-Z (Best Featured Verse, “God Did”), 50 Cent (Hustler of the Year) and Yung Miami (Best Hip Hop Platform, Caresha Please) also took home silverware.
Aside from recognizing achievements from the past year, the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards also paid tribute to some of the game’s most iconic names, which was only fitting considering the genre is celebrating its 50th birthday this year.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland were honored with the Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award for their respective careers as Hip Hop hitmakers, not to mention the more recent success of their Verzuz battle series.
“I always dreamed I would be on the stage accepting the award about Hip Hop,” Timbo said. “Doing music back in Virginia, [I] never thought I would make it, but now I’m here!”
“Me and my brother created something special, and it ain’t over,” he continued, hinting at the long-awaited return of their aforementioned platform. “I’m glad to share this moment with my brother, Swizzy.”
During his turn on the mic, Swizz dedicated the award to “all the producers coming from nothing and making it into something,” as well as the late DMX and his Ruff Ryders family.
Fellow beat king, Marley Marl was also given his flowers as he received the I Am Hip Hop Award. The love poured in from his peers, too, with LL COOL J and Rakim delivering a tribute performance and Eminem, Swizz Beatz, DJ Jazzy Jeff and others singing his praises in a video montage.
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