Welcome to the latest TGJ Roundtable!

Over the years, That Grape Juice has established a distinguished voice that – whether loved or loathed – sparks discussion, debate, and on occasion drama!

Though comprised of seasoned writers who share a similar outlook on Urban Pop culture, the idiosyncrasies of the TGJ team members often lend for quite heated debates “behind the scenes” about the hottest topics.

Now, we give you a front-row seat to the show. In a format similar to ‘The View’ or ‘The Real’, TGJ editors – Sam, Rashad, Joe, and Ryan – get real in a very candid way.

Today’s roundtable topic asks each anchor their thoughts on the…

BET Awards 2022

Sam

The BET Awards has long been one of “thee” ceremonies to always bring the heat and its 2022 installment did not disappoint.

Granted there was the noticeable absence of certain names (anyone else expect a surprise Beyonce showing?), this year’s spectacle delivered just enough to satiate.

For yours truly, award shows ought to deliver moments that rouse in the moment and resonate long after. And there were a few scoops of exactly that on offer.

Diddy’s dynamite Lifetime Achievement segment reminded us that his legacy is unmatched and, in some regards, underrated. The sheer list of titans who took to the stage – from Mary J. Blige to Lil Kim to Jodeci to Kanye West – reminds of the indelible mark he continues to leave on music.

Elsewhere, Chloe Bailey wowed with one of her tightest showings to date. Indeed, her medley of ‘Surprise and ‘Treat Me’ reaffirmed that she is an undeniable star. MunI Long also further legitimatized the buzz around her name.

Latto’s leap into the mainstream received a seismic seal of approval from Mariah Carey herself. Mimi’s entrance alone may well have been one of my personal favorite moments of the night.

Another top moment for me was Jack Harlow and Brandy’s collaborative take on ‘First Class’ after all the hoopla.

Even the segments that didn’t go as planned still produced…moments. Namely Giveon’s vocal malfunction and Taraji P Henson’s seemingly personal beef with the teleprompter.

All in all, this year’s BET Awards were an enjoyable affair for yours truly.

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Rashad

From where I stand the BET Awards are easily the year’s best award show offering. Filling the gap the MTV VMAs left long ago, the ceremony is often LIVE as they come – offering a little bit of everything with heaping servings of surprises, outbursts, too-hot-for-TV moments, and more.

And while this year’s showing proved to still stand head and shoulders above the competition, it still paled in comparison to years’ past.

The standouts were easily Brandy and Mariah – both of whom were unexpected guests. Reminding the new school why they still rule, B-Rocka rocked the stage (looking AH-MAZZZING) with a flow that easily outshined Harlow’s while Mimi stole the show (looking AH-MAZZZING) showing off her golden pipes.

Among the new class, I have to tip my hat to Chloe and Latto for being the night’s MVPs. The confidence, stage command, and overall performance improvement the latter has made is astounding to watch compared to earlier live renditions of ‘Big Energy.’ She is literally living up to the song’s title and delivered just that.

Chloe’s progression is notable too. Renown for “doing too much,” last night’s performance of ‘Treat Me’ and ‘Surprise’ was a surprise indeed – it was…dare I say it..tame for her. And I loved every second of it. She is learning to pace her energy (I hope), and the development is welcome.

The biggest disappointment of the night came via the Diddy tribute which is noteworthy because BET rarely misses the mark when it comes to a tribute. Given the amazing homage to Bad Boy from the 2015 BET Awards, I expected this year’s Diddy tribute to at least be on par if not surpass it given the inclusion of Mary J. Blige and Jodeci.

Overall, it missed the mark much like Kim missed her cue. It didn’t seem as polished as its predecessor and was all over the place.

Overall, I’ll give this year’s show a C+.

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Joe

As much as the new school showed up and showed out, as a ’90s baby the highlights of the ceremony came courtesy of the veterans.
Brandy reminded the world – including Gen Z’s forgetful few – that her voice and presence are essential to black culture, Mariah Carey proved that she could still whistle better than anybody 30+ years into her career, and Diddy reassembled his winning clique from the end of the last century to keep the party going.

As always, Lizzo gave a great, fun, and colorful performance to kick things off.

I can’t say I was particularly moved by Muni Long’s performance if I’m being totally honest. Also, I can’t help but feel bad for Giveon and his mic issues. What a way to ruin such a glorious moment for him.

Now I’m saying this out of love: I need Chloe Bailey to give us something… original.

The whole world knows that she is capable of way more than recycling the Urban-pp diva textbook, especially considering how engaging and captivating she is as a performer.

Kudos to Taraji for being a great host and handling some of the technical issues like a pro. Hopefully, she gets to host again next year.

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Ryan

Well, another BET Awards show has come and gone and I think that there is a lot to be said about this one. Mainly, good things.

I mean, this show kind of had something for everyone. From newcomers like Jack Harlow all the way to seasoned veterans like Mary J. Blige. That’s not even going into the absolute amount of legends that made an appearance. Between The Vocal Bible (Brandy) and The Songbird Supreme (Mariah Carey), the lineup was stacked.

Easily, the best and most iconic moment of the night belongs to none other than MiMi and her surprise appearance during Latto’s performance. While the vocals could have been a bit better – she has been in the industry for 30 years and with nodules, so some slack must be given – the fact that she made an appearance and even sang is worthy of taking the top spot #LambilyForLife.

Mary and Brandy were also highlights, with each of them stealing the spotlight in each of their cameos. Honestly, it was fun to see Brandy appear with Jack Harlow after their online exchanges earlier this year.

Lizzo also gave a stunning performance. She’s proving to be quite the performer the more she gets going into her career. Of course, she had to include the flute, but would it really be a Lizzo performance without it? Honestly, it was probably the most fun of the night so kudos to her for that.

As for the duds, there were very few this year. However, the distinct honor belongs to Chance the Rapper for an utterly boring and painstaking performance.

The other belongs to Muni Long. Her vocals were decent, but I wished I used this time slot as a bathroom break because there was nothing worth seeing.

All-in-all, this year’s BET Awards was the best in years and we are ever so thankful for that.

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Do you agree with our picks? Who was spot on? Let us know your thoughts on the latest TGJ Roundtable and your thoughts on the BET Awards 2022.

Your thoughts?

[Photo credit: BET / Getty]