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Black Excellence Shined During These 2021 Grammy Performances

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty


After having its wig pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Grammys finally arrived Sunday night (Mar.16), and surprisingly it was Blacker than ever.

Unlike the other awards shows, the Grammys were not totally virtual. Many of the nominees like Beyoncé (who now holds the most record for Grammy wins by a female artist) were on hand to accept their awards and performing their hits.

Keeping the shine on the performances, our favorite Hot Girl, Megan Thee Stallion, who took home THREE Grammy Awards, didn’t let us down when she hit the stage. Performing her hit singles “Body” and “Savage Remix” sans Beyoncé, who the Houstonian gave viewers a  classy/bougie/ratchet moment that featured tap-dancing showgirls, bars, and of course, twerking.

Thee Stallion’s opening set seamlessly transitioned to the BX queen, Cardi B, who took it to another level with a high-energy performance of her latest hit, “Up,” featuring some slick visual effects and the cardio that has taken TikTok by storm. Eventually, that would lead to a performance of Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion’s senses tantalizing, snowflake triggering single “WAP,” and the ladies did not disappoint, giving haters plenty to complain to CBS about.

The Blackness didn’t stop there. New duo Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, aka Silk Sonic, had everyone wishing the panny was over thanks to their soulful performance of their bonafide hit, “Leave The Door Open.” DaBaby proved he is definitely a star with his performance of his Grammy-nominated single “Rockstar.” Roddy Rich flexed his musical versatility with a stunning medley performance of “Heartless” and “The Box.”

But, if anyone had a performance that left viewers with a powerful message, it would have to be Lil Baby. The Atlanta rapper reminded us that the fight for social justice reform and Black lives is still going on with his performance of his single “The Bigger Picture.” It opened up with a triggering and thought-provoking reenactment of what it’s like to be Black in America, with Insecure star, Kendrick Sampson, being arrested during a traffic stop before being shot dead by cops. Killer Mike and activist Tamika D. Mallory also contributed.

The 2021 Grammys were well-produced, well-hosted thanks to Trevor Noah, and Black excellence was well represented. You can watch all of the performances in the gallery below.

Photo: Kevin Winter / Getty

Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Baby, Silk Sonic & More Perform At Blackest Grammy Awards Ever  was originally published on hiphopwired.com

1. DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch: “Rockstar” | 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show Performance

2. Roddy Ricch: “Heartless” / “The Box” | 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show Performance

3. Bruno Mars, Anderson. Paak, Silk Sonic – Leave the Door Open [LIVE from the 63rd GRAMMYs ® 2021]

4. Cardi B – Up / WAP feat. Megan Thee Stallion (Live from the 63rd GRAMMYs ®️ 2021)

5. Lil Baby – Full The Bigger Picture (Grammy performance) Lil Baby Grammy Awards 2021

6. Megan Thee Stallion – Body (2021 GRAMMYs) [1/3]

7. Megan Thee Stallion – Savage Remix (w. Beyoncé) (2021 GRAMMYs) [2/3]

8. Megan Thee Stallion – Savage Remix (w. Beyoncé) (2021 GRAMMYs) [3/3]