The theme of the 2019 BET Hip-Hop Awards was Hot Girls versus City Boys, with Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Duval leading off for their respective teams.
Megan Thee Stallion started things off by performing on a stage designed to look like a boat called the S.S. Hot Girl. She ran through “Hot Girl Summer” before bringing Da Baby on stage with her to perform “Cash [Stuff]”
Lil Duval didn’t waste a lot of time with a hit-or-miss monologue, instead opting for a high-energy “Hot Girls versus City Boys” dance number and performance.
Only four awards were presented during the telecast, including the honoraryI Am Hip-Hop Awardpresented to Lil’ Kim by Rick Ross. Kim closed out the show strong with a career-spanning medley of hits, with guest appearances from Lil' Cease and Junior M.A.F.I.A.
There were two new segments this year, the Comedian Cypher and a Smack DVD sponsored rap battle.
Other highlights included:
- Da Baby pulled triple duty.
- Anderson PaakandYBN Cordae performed “RNP.”
- Saweetieperformed “My Type” withPetey PabloandLil Jon.
- Rick Ross took things back to his roots with a career-spanning medley of hits.
- Lil Duval clownedKanyewith a “Sunday Service”-inspired skit.