LIL’ KIM BRINGS OUT JUNIOR MAFIA FOR LEGACY PERFORMANCE

The original Queen Bee and this year’s recipient of the I Am Hip Hop Award, Lil’ Kim brought the house down with a legacy performance that featured the late great Notorious B.I.G.-formed Junior M.A.F.I.A., with a guest appearance from O.T. Genasis for the wildly inventive “Found You,” off Kim’s upcoming 9 album.

This year’s BET Hip Hop Awards made a grand return to the hip-hop mecca of South in Atlanta, Georgia. The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, brimming with rap’s most formidable and promising contenders, set the stage for one of music’s biggest nights in popular culture, Saturday (Oct. 5).

Hosted by stand-up comedian Lil’ Duval, the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards introduced a number of new components to the show’s 14-year history, further expanding its breadth of Black excellence.

From new cyphers to Lil’ Kim’s legacy honor, below are five surprise performances and new categories that made for a historic night in hip-hop music and culture. Make sure to catch the official airing this coming Tuesday (Oct. 8) at 8 p.m. ET.