Taraji P. Henson opens Sunday night’s BET Awards 2024 with her version of Kendrick Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us,” which she calls “It’s About Us.”
In her opening performance, the 53-year-old actress donned a similar red hoodie, hat, and jeans outfit to that of the Pulitzer Prize-winning recording artist at the Juneteenth celebration event presented by Prime Video at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. In her rap, Taraji P. Henson talked about passing on scripts, her accolades, and actresses being unappreciated to an all-star audience.
Over the Mustard-production, she raps, “Hey, Taraji on the beat, ho / Yo, Deebo any execute being cheap / Yo, film down, call the ambulance / Sinking sales low / Mediocre films disappear like TiVo / What’s up with these jabronis not trying to pay women / This industry been hatin’ on us since the beginning / How many we gotta steal to stay winnin’? / I’m finna pass on a script cause it’s not given…”
In December 2023, Taraji P. Henson made headlines for speaking out against pay inequality for Black actresses. Oprah Winfrey, the executive producer of The Color Purple, and Henson were rumored to have a feud over her comments after she spoke out.
Since its release in May, “Not Like Us” has accomplished many accolades. Lamar performed the track five times in a row at the Ken & Friends: The Pop-Out, which helped the concert become the most-watched content ever on Prime Video. Last week, Lamar shot a video for the diss track in his hometown of Compton, California.
Other BET Awards 2024 highlights included performances by Will Smith, Megan Thee Stallion, Sexyy Red, and the Lifetime Achievement award honored to Usher. The legendary entertainer received a tribute featuring Childish Gambino, Keke Palmer, Summer Walker, Coco Jones, Chloe Bailey, Marsha Ambrosius, and more.