All the BET 2023 Hip Hop Awards Performances Ranked

The 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards — which went down at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Center — aired on Tuesday (Oct. 10), and it was a night to remember the genre’s roots.

Hosted by Fat Joe, the award show celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop by bringing together the genre’s brightest new stars in GloRilla and Sexyy Redd as well as established hitmakers like Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, who were honored in the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher that featured Bun B, Lola Brooke, Cassidy, Gloss Up, Foggieraw, Lady London, Scar Lip and Symba. Maiya The Don, LaNell Grant and That Mexican OT were featured in the digital cypher.

Kid Capri, DJ D-Nice, Scott Storch, Spinderella, Kool DJ Red Alert and more were on the 1s and 2s throughout the evening, throwing it back to fan-favorite hip-hop tracks that the crowd rapped bar for bar; producers, an often overshadowed part of the hip-hop equation, were frequently given the spotlight during the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast.

Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow, Ludacris, Nelly, Da Brat, Bone Crusher, Chingy, Lil Jon, Tyrese and Dem Franchize Boyz came together during the awards ceremony for a star-studded tribute celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dupri’s So So Def Recordings. LL Cool J and Rakim performed a special tribute to this year’s “I Am Hip Hop Award” honoree Marley Marl, alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff and Technician the DJ.

Check out all the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards winners here, and read through Billboard‘s ranking of the evening’s performances below. (DJ sets are not included in the ranking).