"Drake reviving everybody's career buttons" – Fans left divided as Taraji P. Henson opens BET Awards with a parody of Kendrick's 'Not Like Us'

On June 30, actress Taraji P. Henson hosted the 2024 BET Awards for the third time at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Following the inaugural performance by rapper Megan Thee Stallion, the Empire star appeared on stage wearing a red hoodie, red cap, denim pants, and a pair of sneakers.

The outfit was reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar’s signature look at The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert. As she entered the stage, Henson began rapping, “Taraji on the beat,” as she slowly delved into the parody of K-Dot’s Drake diss track Not Like Us.

While Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics were full of digs at 6 God, Taraji P. Henson changed them as a form of tribute to the Black community and rapped, “This is about us!” on repeat, as a show of inclusivity in the industry and its culture.

The audience seemed to enjoy her performance and sang along, the video of which has now gone viral. In the wake of this, the internet is having diverse reactions. While some continued to debate who the winner was in the rap battle between Drake and Kendrick, others focused on Taraji P. Henson’s parody.

For instance, an Instagram user with the handle @champagnepapisbabe wrote in the comment section of The Shade Room’s post:

“Drake reviving everybody’s career buttons.”

A Drake fan claiming that the rapper is reviving people's careers in the wake of Taraji's 'Not Like Us' parody. (Image via Instagram/ @champagnepapisbabe)

Here are some of the other reactions from X, with netizens commenting on Henson’s performance:

“She should perform this song 6 more times,” a person wrote.

“Okay, you know what? This is the best performance in BET, Taraji on the beat,” another person wrote.

“I like it for this scene but Taraji don’t start no rap career,” one person wrote.

“Okay, Taraji is lit lit on this,” a fan wrote.

Others commented on the Drake-Kendrick feud in the wake of Henson's Not Like Us performance.

“Kendrick legacy is now forever tied to Drake lmfao. I love it,” an individual wrote.

“Drake gone have some words for her,” a person wrote.

“Did it better than Kendrick on that beat,” another person wrote.

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Exploring in brief, Taraji P. Henson’s 2024 BET Awards gig

On Sunday night at the 2024 BET Awards, Taraji P. Henson took on as the emcee. At the ceremony's start, she appeared on stage dressed like Kendrick Lamar and rapped a parody of Not Like Us.

The 53-year-old took the opportunity to take shots at the pay gaps in Hollywood among male and female actors, which she previously discussed in various interviews.

“This industry has been hating on us since the beginning/ Don’t even get me started on nepotism,” she rapped.

Elsewhere during the show, The Color Purple actress referenced last week’s CNN presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Apart from these, she also gave a recap of the bygone year and made fun of Usher for not ditching his shirt at the Superbowl Halftime Show, while also taking subtle jabs at Drake and Kendrick Lamar for their prolonged rap battle.

Taraji P. Henson also used the opportunity to slam the security officials at the Cannes International Film Festival for allegedly causing issues with Black female guests on the red carpet, such as in the case of Kelly Rowland. She also took digs at the Google Project 2025.