Taraji P. Henson began her 2024 BET Awards hosting duties on a humorous note, as the evening’s master of ceremonies parodied Kendrick Lamar‘s viral smash “Not Like Us.”
Clad in a red hoodie and jeans, similar to that worn by Lamar during his recent ‘The Pop-Out: Ken and Friends’ event, Henson reworked the song’s hook, replacing the lyrics “They Not Like Us” with “This About Us,” a seeming reference to cultural solidarity.
Rapping her revamped version of the chart-topping record, the actress drew a resounding response from the audience, as many attendees in the crowd were visibly amused by Henson’s skit.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.vibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-2160002190_756e4f.jpg?w=1024" width="1024" height="683" />
Taraji P. Henson onstage during the 2024 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images
During and after finishing her rendition, the Washington D.C. native made it clear that her hijack of Kendrick’s song was not a sign of allegiance, expressing that she’s not about division, but unity. “No beef in here, can you say plant based,” Henson deadpanned while addressing the audience.
Henson’s parody is the latest instance of “Not Like Us” being embraced by a celebrity, as a number of notable figures have been seen dancing along to the track and singing its praises. During The Pop Out, LeBron James, The Weeknd, Demar Derozan, LaKeith Stanfield, and Russell Westbrook were all captured pulling out their best dance moves to the record.
It was recently revealed that “Not Like Us” could potentially be nominated for a Grammy Award, in light of its impact and popularity. “Obviously, it’s a hot record, it’s amazing artistry,” Recording Academy CEO Mason Jr. said of the chart-topping diss track. “Great writing… Incredible.”
See Taraji P. Henson’s “Not Like Us” parody at the 2024 BET Awards below.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.vibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-2160002640.jpg?w=1024" width="1024" height="703" />
Taraji P. Henson performs onstage during the 2024 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET

Xyno.Online

Sports

News

Animals

Babies

A parody of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” opens the 2024 BET Awards, perfpromed by Taraji P. Henson.