Kendrick Lamar was solidified as hip-hop’s one of the greatest talents as he swept a record eight major categories at the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards, on Tuesday night, 2024, Lamar added glories to his artistic brilliance as he took major categories in Hip-Hop Artist of the year, Song of the Year with his Drake diss track, “Not Like Us“, and Lyricist of the Year at the event held in Las Vegas. This was a record night for Lamar-took home a record eight awards out of 11 nominations, setting a new success bar at the annual ceremony.
Other great wins from Lamar included Best Collaboration and Best Featured Verse, thanks to his work on the song “Like That” by Future and Metro Boomin. His collaboration with his partner in creativity, Dave Free, also saw the pair take home Video Director of the Year for the visually appealing, high-impact music video “Not Like Us,” further sealing his dominance into music and visual storytelling.
A sweep at the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards for Lamar means more than the number of trophies he went home with, and this only means he has kept his spot intact as one of the most influential voices in hip-hop. His track “Not Like Us,” which took home three of the biggest awards, was a bold and controversial diss against fellow rapper Drake. The song did much more than silently touch the fans; it instead opened wide the discussion in the hip-hop community. “Not Like Us” has become a benchmark for the unflinching tendency of Lamar to stir the pot and question cultural convention, enabling the artist to stay ahead in the ever-altering genre.
His collaboration on “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin also brought home awards for Best Collaboration and Best Featured Verse. All these wins, added to his individual ones, further indicate the broad scope of his artistry-from solo projects to team efforts-while continuing to raise the ante on the genre.
The 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards, the third BET Hip Hop Awards in a row to be held by host Fat Joe, was a star-studded evening celebration of the best of the genre. In addition to Lamar’s historic night, other notable winners included Nicki Minaj, who took Hip-Hop Album of the Year for her much-anticipated project Pink Friday 2, and rising star Sexyy Red, named Best Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist following a breakout year of viral hits and chart-topping success.
The Vegas air was electric, touting standout sets from hip-hop legends like Travis Scott, who took home the night’s I Am Hip Hop Award for his contributions to music and culture, while energetic sets came courtesy of 2 Chainz, GloRilla, and more. And it really was a testament to the life of hip-hop at night, having the juggernauts take center stage along with the up-andcomings.
