Kendrick Lamar‘s chart-topping Drake diss song “Not Like Us” has been given the parody treatment by Taraji P. Henson.
While hosting the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday (June 30), Henson opened the show by flipping the Mustard-produced hit into a fiery diss aimed at Hollywood studios over equal pay.
Rocking a red cap and hoodie similar to the ones Kendrick wore during his recent Pop Out concert, the Oscar-nominated actress rapped about receiving subpar scripts, the difference in pay between her male co-stars and having to prove her worth to studio executives.
She also changed the song’s refrain from “not like us” to “this about us.”
Henson also made clear that her performance of the diss track did not mean she was taking a side in the feud between Drake and Kendrick.
“I’m rooting for all of us … That’s right, no beef in here. Can we just stay plant-based?” she told the crowd while encouraging unity.
Following her performance of the parody, Taraji P. Henson took a jab at presidential nominee Donald Trump over his recent controversial comments about “Black jobs”.
Trump said during last week’s debate with Joe Biden: “They’re taking Black jobs now and it could be 18, it could be 19 and even 20 million people. They’re taking Black jobs and they’re taking Hispanic jobs, and you haven’t seen it yet but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.”
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Henson hit back during her monologue by saying: “[This is] a show packed full of all-stars with Black jobs. Whatever that means. But clearly we know there’s a difference. Thanks for the info, but we already knew it.”
Another highlight from the BET Awards saw Killer Mike triumphantly win Album of the Year for Michael inside the same building where he was arrested at the Grammys earlier this year.
“Technically, I was not supposed to be here,” he said during his impassioned acceptance speech. “I was put in handcuffs and I was marched out of this building. But I wanna tell you, look at God because I’m back, baby. I’m back.
“I wanna tell Black people that it’s because of BET I’m back, not ’cause of no white person. A Black man runs this business, a Black company puts this show on, and they got my Black ass back in here. Thank you.”
