Kendrick Lamar hopped on the roof of a graffiti-covered police car to open the 2015 BET Awards, performing “Alright” in front of a giant tattered American flag.
The Compton, Calif. rapper was flanked by backup dancers, who eventually marched in a militant fashion to meet Lamar center stage for the conclusion of his performance. The excited Los Angeles crowd ate it all up.
Shortly after putting on a show, Lamar won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, topping J. Cole, Drake, Common, Big Sean and Wale in the process. Nicki Minaj won on the women’s side of that category at Sunday’s awards fest at the Microsoft
The top male emcee’s four-minute, 13-second one song set served as the lead-in for a second curtain-raising musical number, this one by hosts Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, co-stars of ABC’s “Black-ish.” The comic actors’ offering was a lot lighter than Lamar’s.
Watch the video above.