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Kevin Winter / Workers through Getty Photographs, Paras Griffin / Stringer through Getty Photographs and Paras Griffin / Stringer through Getty Photographs

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GloRilla, Tyla and Ice Spice

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The BET Awards has lengthy been known as “tradition’s largest night time,” however a few of its most memorable moments got here from rising stars, not business veterans. Through the years, comparatively newer acts — a lot of them Greatest New Artist nominees — hit the stage able to show why they belong, and why they weren’t leaving anytime quickly.

Typically an electrifying debut, large manufacturing or bringing alongside a mainstay or two for the trip solidifies these skills as somebody to observe. Take Latto and Jack Harlow, for instance, who raised the bar by together with Mariah Carey and Brandy, respectively, of their units. With that in thoughts, listed here are 9 instances the BET Awards handed the mic to a rising star and received one thing unforgettable in return.

1. Latto

As if taking dwelling Greatest New Artist on the 2022 occasion wasn’t large enough, Latto hit the stage and introduced out none apart from Carey. She opened with “It’s Givin,” then invited Younger Soiled Bastard onstage to assist honor the remix of Mimi’s “Fantasy” — the identical one his dad featured on — which, in fact, “Huge Power” samples.

2. Jack Harlow

Harlow’s efficiency was form of a full-circle second. He handled the gang to a medley from Come House The Children Miss You, with Lil Wayne becoming a member of him for “Poison.” Then he jumped into his TikTok-dominating “First Class” alongside Brandy herself, who famously freestyled over the file. The joint present funnily occurred some months after Harlow didn’t acknowledge the R&B singer’s “Angel in Disguise” or that it was by, because the web reminded him, “Ray J’s sister.”

3. Ice Spice

Let’s simply say whoever dealt with Ice Spice’s set design on the 2023 BET Awards deserves a elevate. She opened with “Munch (Feelin’ U)” atop a basketball rim suspended excessive within the air — a callback to the monitor’s unique music video — earlier than segueing into “Princess Diana” and “In Ha Temper.” Her efficiency was filled with easter eggs, too, from the bodega setup within the background (just a little “Deli” second) to the Fordham Street subway stairs she walked up. We’d anticipate nothing much less from New York’s princess of rap.

4. Tyla

Tyla snagged Greatest New Artist on the 2024 BET Awards and proved she deserved it. After Skillibeng’s opening, the South African star made her entrance for “Leap” in a cage alongside a tiger. Okay, really, it was 4 girls creatively painted as completely different segments of a tiger (a nod to her fanbase, the Tygers). Between her chemistry with Gunna to dancing her manner by a sea of stilt-walking males, the “Water” hitmaker earned each little bit of that trophy.

5. Sexyy Crimson

There’s just a little little bit of Sexyy Crimson in everybody. She opened her set on the BET Awards the identical manner most of us begin our mornings within the bathe, singing off-key, with the refrain of “U My The whole lot.” Then got here the complete rollout of her In Sexyy We Trust period. Secret Service brokers danced to a mash-up of “Hail to the Chief” and “SkeeYee” earlier than the St. Louis artist jumped into “Get It Sexyy.” She dominated the stage in her personal model of Oval Workplace apparel: a cropped button-up and pinstripe shorts with “Sexyy” stamped on the again. The rap famous person’s efficiency was a welcome change of tempo and really on-brand for her.

6. Doechii

Although we didn’t get the SZA-assisted model of “Persuasive” on the 2022 BET Awards, Doechii hitting the stage with the monitor’s solo model was nonetheless a second. And for anybody inquisitive about what was hiding beneath her wig, the reveal didn’t disappoint: beautiful black cornrows. She snatched the wig off earlier than launching into “Loopy,” one other certainly one of her spotlight information from 2022.

7. Shaboozey

Shaboozey grew to become the primary Black man to concurrently prime each the Billboard Scorching 100 and Scorching Nation Songs charts, and sure, we’re going to maintain giving him props for it. The Virginia native carried out “A Bar Music (Tipsy)” on the 2024 BET Awards, a monitor he admittedly questioned, “Is that this factor actually connecting with individuals?” as he took the stage. That stated, it felt good to see nation music make a comeback throughout tradition’s largest night time. As for his efficiency, it began off fairly mellow — that’s till J-Kwon joined him to crank issues up with the unique “Tipsy.”

8. Chlöe

Sure, Chloe x Halle had been doing their factor for over 10 years by 2022, however Chlöe as a solo act was nonetheless fairly new when she hit the stage at that 12 months’s BET Awards. Her medley of “Shock” and “Deal with Me” got here with a full-on lap dance for certainly one of her dancers, plus an iconic introduction: “My title is Chlöe. Miss Bailey, when you nasty.” If there was one factor to nitpick — and it’s a small one — it’s that she didn’t throw in additional than a snippet of “Have Mercy.”

9. GloRilla

Get ‘em, Glo! The Memphis rapper dropped not one, however two initiatives in 2024, so it’s straightforward to overlook simply what number of hits are packed into Ehhthang Ehhthang. Nonetheless, onstage on the BET Awards that 12 months, she gave the mixtape its flowers. GloRilla descended from the sky with a parachute for “Yeah Glo!” and adopted it up with certainly one of her first reside performances of 2024’s track of the summer season, “TGIF.”

Proper as she rapped, “Received one million and one haters, they usually all can kiss my a**,” her background dancers actually ripped her pants off. GloRilla closed out her medley with “Wanna Be” alongside Megan Thee Stallion, the 2 matching each little bit of their infectious vitality from Meg’s “Scorching Woman Summer season Tour.”