TORONTO — Canadian rapper Drake and Mexican-born actress Lupita Nyong’o were both winners Sunday night at the BET Awards, which honoured the best in African American entertainment and included performances by half-Canadian Robin Thicke and Australian Iggy Azalea.
If none of that strikes you as odd, neither will any of these five memorable moments from the BET Awards.
Chris Rock rocked
Host Chris Rock delivered plenty of zingers during the show — including jokes about Oprah Winfrey and the TV series Scandal. Among his best lines:
On Donald Sterling: “An 83-year-old white man doesn’t like black people? Is that news? A black man couldn’t look him in the eye until he was 45. The first black man he ever met, he got for Christmas … What exactly did he say? ‘I don’t want my woman around black basketball players.’ Me neither!”
On Rick Ross: “That’s right, Dre got Beats. Rick Ross has dia-beats.”
On Solange Knowles’ elevator incident: “Solange hit the right rapper. Jay’s a businessman now, he can’t just go punching girls in the face. He’s got a meeting with Nabisco in the morning.”
Pharrell made a fashion phaux-pas
Pharrell Williams, who has shown up at other award shows in tuxedo shorts and in an Arby’s hat, stepped on stage at the BET Awards in a pair of Uggs.
With all shoe respect, the comfy Aussie footwear is best suited for college girls and L.A. celebs on coffee runs.
But whatever make you “Happy”, Pharrell.
Lionel Richie got an ‘Adele Dazeem’ moment
The BET Awards honoured Lionel Richie with a Lifetime Achievement tribute that went on for what seemed like a lifetime.
Richie’s time in the spotlight was marred, however, by the misspelling of his surname on screen.
Details, details.
Robin Thicke upped the creep factor
Before he performed his song “Forever Love”, Robin Thicke told the audience: “I’d like to dedicate this song to my wife and say, ‘I miss you and I’m sorry.'”
His wife, of course, is actress Paula Patton, who split from Thicke earlier this year. Thicke also recorded “Get Her Back” about his estranged wife — and the song appears on an album he titled Paula.
Patton will either be flattered by this very public campaign for forgiveness or she will be filing for a restraining order.
August Alsina is best new… wait, who?
August Alsina was visibly emotional as he stood before the mic to accept the Best New Artist award and the question on many viewers’ minds was: “Who?”
Alsina, it turns out, is a 21-year-old hip hop singer whose debut album Testimony was No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. thanks to singles like “I Luv This S***.”
Click here to learn more about Alsina, whose upcoming tour doesn’t include any Canadian dates.
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