The 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards, which aired on October 10, featured many memorable performances and tributes from some of the biggest names in hip-hop.
However, one star almost made a surprise appearance at the show but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts. That star was Will Smith, the legendary rapper and actor who was honored with the I Am Hip Hop Award in 2018.
Fat Joe, who hosted and executive produced the show.
In an interview with PEOPLE, he revealed that he tried to get Smith to perform at the awards as part of the Hip Hop 50 celebration, which marked the 50th anniversary of hip-hop culture.
He envisioned Smith performing his classic summer anthem “Summertime”, which was released in 1991 as part of his duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
“You know who I didn’t successfully get was Will Smith,” Fat Joe said. “I was really trying to get Will Smith to come out and do ‘Summertime’. He’s filming Bad Boys, but we tried. We try to pull off a miracle if we can. We try to pull a cloud out of the sky.”
Smith is currently working on the fourth installment of Bad Boys, the action-comedy franchise that co-stars Martin Lawrence. The film is expected to be released on June 14, 2024, and follows the previous three movies that have grossed over $891 million worldwide.
Fat Joe added that he was still proud of the show and the lineup of performers and honorees that he managed to secure, including Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, Offset, DaBrat, Grandmaster Flash, and more. He also said that hosting the show for the second year in a row was a dream come true for him.
“It’s going to be sick,” he said. “Overall it’s a dream come true for me. It’s the second year I’m doing the Hip Hop Awards, but I always think back to being in junior high and doing the talent shows and then Apollo Theater Amateur Night and it all leads to this. And so it’s an honor for me.”
He also joked that he was competing with the women in terms of fashion, as he changed his outfit eight times during the show. “I’m competing with the women now. The guys aren’t bringing their A-game anymore. So I’m getting super fly. I get to change eight times [during the show]. I’m all about my fashion.”
The 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards are available to watch on BET.com and on demand.
Dogli Wilberforce is a versatile professional skilled in both SEO copywriting and journalism. With a background in journalism, he brings a unique storytelling perspective to his work. This allows him to create captivating narratives that resonate effectively online, making him a dynamic asset in today’s content-driven world.