Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’ and Tyler, the Creator dominated the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards.
The rap duo’s mega-hit was crowned Song of the Year, and also scooped Best Hip Hop Video and Best Collaboration at the annual ceremony, which aired on Tuesday night (05.10.21).
And the former made history as the first female artist to win Best Hip Hop Video twice, having been honoured with the same prize for ‘Money’ in 2019.
Tyler, Jay-Z, and Lil Baby followed closely behind with two wins each.
The 30-year-old star took home the first-ever Rock the Bells Cultural Influence Award presented by LL Cool J, and also nabbed Best Live Performer and Hip Hop Album of the Year for ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’.
Beyonce’s music mogul husband, meanwhile, won the Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse and Impact Track accolades for his Nipsey Hussle collaboration ‘What It Feels Like’, and Lil Baby scooped Hip Hop Artist of the Year and Best Duo or Group with Lil Durk.
Nelly won the special I Am Hip Hop honour and dedicated his win to his city of St. Louis in Missouri, and his “whole crew”.
He said: “We don’t get a lot of this. We don’t get a lot of chances to stand on stage and say, ‘Yeah, it’s our turn.’ So, this ain’t just for me; it’s for my whole area, my whole city.
“It’s a little different when you tryna rep for you and your whole crew and when you tryna rep for a whole state, and just to be clear, I never had a co-sign.
“I got thrown in the deep end and was told to swim.”
The 46-year-old rapper also took to the stage to perform a greatest-hits medley, including ‘E.I.’, ‘Country Grammar’, ‘Dilemma’, and ‘Where The Party At’ with surprise guest Jermaine Dupri.
Other winners included Missy Elliott, J. Cole, and Saweetie.
The ceremony was pre-recorded at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia last week and aired on BET.
An abridged list of the winners is as follows:
HIP HOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
‘Call Me If You Get Lost’ – Tyler, the Creator
SONG OF THE YEAR
‘WAP’ – Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion, Produced by Ayo & Keyz
HIP HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lil Baby
BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion – ‘WAP’ –
BEST COLLABORATION
Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP” – **WINNER
BEST DUO OR GROUP
Lil Baby & Lil Durk
BEST LIVE PERFORMER
Tyler, the Creator – **WINNER
LYRICIST OF THE YEAR
J. Cole
BEST INTERNATIONAL FLOW
Little Simz
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Missy Elliott
HUSTLER OF THE YEAR
Saweetie
SWEET 16: BEST FEATURED VERSE
Jay-Z – ‘What It Feels Like’ (Nipsey Hussle feat. Jay-Z)
IMPACT TRACK
Nipsey Hussle feat. Jay-Z – ‘What It Feels Like’