Queen Latifah already is a Grammy and Emmy winner, an Oscar nominee, and has been nominated four times for a BET Award, winning in 2003. Yet, the music and acting superstar was deeply moved when she got up to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 BET Awards. She shared the stage with Rapsody, Monie Love, Lil’ Kim and MC Lyte who performed a special tribute to the rap icon. (You can watch it below.)
“Y’all my sistas in the name of rap,” Queen Latifah called her fellow artists. “I wanted to celebrate us because I know together, we stand stronger than when we tear each other apart. And I’ve seen enough of that.”
She thanked her family and friends, her longtime producing partner at Flavor Unit Shakim Compere, BET and her fans, “for supporting every crazy-ass thing I’ve done through the years and and for making Equalizer No. 1.”
A rare broadcast drama with a Black woman as the sole lead, Queen Latifah’s The Equalizer has been a breakout hit on BET sibling CBS, launching behind the Super Bowl and ranking as the top new series this past season. In fact, a rerun of the show was airing on the broadcast network during the BET Awards.
“Be Black. Black is beautiful,” Queen Latifah said in her emotional speech, which she ended with a shoutout to her longtime partner Eboni, their son and Pride Month. (You can watch it in full above.)
🎶 Ladies First! 🎶 @rapsody and @DaRealMonieLove unite with @LilKim and @mclyte to pay tribute to @IAMQUEENLATIFAH! #BETAwards #CulturesBiggestNight pic.twitter.com/CQvoUzBpmd
— BET (@BET) June 28, 2021
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