- [Narrator] After a year away,
the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards was back and did it big.
We saw many of our favorites,
new and old return to the stage.
Let's take a moment to look back at some of the artists
who rocked the stage for the first time in 2021.
(mid tempo electronic hip hop music)
Although 2021 was Baby Keem's first
BET Hip Hop Awards performance,
one would think he's been on the scene for a minute.
When he was in high school,
he thought a low, deep voice meant success.
In a 2018 interview, Baby Keem credited Lil Wayne,
Young Thug and Chief Keef
for changing the way he approached his sound.
He decided to perfect his flow.
Heavily inspired by Kid Cudi's cadence, Baby Keem
wanted to set himself apart from his contemporaries.
Despite Keem's hip hop aspirations, fame was not foreign.
He was a prominent "Minecraft" gamer
and hosted a YouTube channel.
When he dropped "Orange Soda" in June 2019,
"Orange Soda" would go on to earn Platinum status
and put Baby Keem on the map
as a lyricist to be reckoned with.
Since his first hit,
he's collaborated with some of hip hop's heavyweights
including Schoolboy Q, Kanye West
and appeared on huge soundtracks
"The Lion King: The Gift" and "Black Panther: The Album."
Baby Keem would go on to drop several other tracks
that rounded out his debut studio album, "The Melodic Blue."
Well-received, the album debuted
at number five on Billboard 200 charts
and would go on to certify Gold.
However, it was the collaboration between
his cousin Kendrick Lamar on "Family Ties"
that cemented Baby Keem as a power figure in hip hop.
Taking the stage for the very first time at
the 2021 Hip Hop Awards, Baby Keem performed "Family Ties."
The rapid fire flows kept the audience locked
and the following year, "Family Ties"
won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance.
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The Puerto Rican Italian lyricist's success
didn't come without hard work.
She decided to pursue rhyming
when she realized college wasn't for her.
Bartending jobs gave her the flexibility
and money to book studio time.
In 2014, Fam-Lay of "The Neptunes" fame discovered Bia,
introducing her to Pharrell and shortly after,
he signed her to his I Am Other Creative Collective
where she collaborated with Usher and Jennifer Hudson.
That same year, she released her first mixtape
entitled "#CholaSeason" and appeared on
Oxygen's "Sisterhood of Hip Hop" for two seasons.
Following her time in front of the camera,
Bia toured with Pusha T and Ariana Grande.
Taking advantage of both English
and Spanish-speaking hip hop audiences,
Bia collaborated with performers including Kali Uchis,
Victoria Monet and on J Balvin's "Safari."
The track topped the charts in Spain and Mexico,
moving to number three on the US Latin charts.
Bia's career hit new heights in 2019
when she released "Best On Earth" with Russ.
After Rihanna posted to her socials,
citing the track being her new favorite song,
"Best On Earth" sprinted up the Billboard Hot 100
to number 46 and eventually certified went Platinum.
Later that year, the track earned Bia
her first Hip Hop Awards nomination
for Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse.
She followed up with another banger,
"Whole Lotta Money" in 2021 and the remix
climbed to number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Bia took the stage for the first time
at the 2021 Hip Hop Awards alongside Lil Jon
to perform "Bia' Bia'" and "Whole Lotta Money."
(relaxed electronic hip hop music)
Atlanta native Young Thug got the attention of Gucci Mane
after he heard several tracks from Thug's 2011
"I Came From Nothing" mixtape series.
Following signing a deal on Gucci's record label,
Thugger quickly got to work
releasing his next mixtape, "1017 Thug."
The project was included in Pitchfork's
Albums of the Year Honorable Mentions,
Complex's 50 Best Albums of 2013
and earned a number five spot
in Rolling Stone's 10 Best Mixtapes of 2013.
Time brought collaborations with artists
including Kanye West, Metro Boomin, 808 Mafia,
Freddie Gibbs, ASAP Ferg and Lil Wayne.
when Young Thug released his debut album
"So Much Fun" in 2019, it skyrocketed
to number one on the US Billboard 200.
While 2021 brought the formation
of his new record label YSL Records,
it was Young Thug's performance as a solo artist
on the Hip Hop Awards stage that lit up the show.
Sharing the stage with fellow YSL co-founder Gunna,
they both electrified the stage performing tracks
"Tick Tock," "Too Easy" and "Ski."
Baby Keem, Bia and Young Thug
ripped the stage at the 2021 Hip Hop Awards.
Despite it being their time, these artists held their own
and went on to big things with their music.
Ain't no doubt year after year,
the BET Hip Hop Awards sets the stage for who's got next.
(relaxed electronic hip hop music)