The 2018 Grammy Awards had the most diverse roundup of nominees in its 60-year history. Hip-hop and pop artists like Kendrick Lamar– who won 7 awards –and Bruno Mars – who swept up 6 – were able to walk away with a gramophone in hand after releasing chart-topping albums within the last year.
But it was the moments before and in between those winning announcements that stood out the most. From the running man dance moves of “Finesse” to the hilarious interjections of a comedy legend, the 60th annual Grammy Awards was far from short of relatable, hella black, and proud moments.
Knowing that fact from the jump, we at VIBE just knew that there would be many Twitter and Instagram-worthy moments that viewers of color at home would (more or less) find relatable. Here are some of our favorite moments below:
1. Kendrick Lamar’s Entire Grammys Performance
Kendrick Lamar Full Performance at the 2018 #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/tZYyNHb2y4
— DAMOLA OF LAGOS (@Omooba_Onpoint1) January 29, 2018
Kendrick kicked off the 60th Annual Grammy Awards with a bang, thanks to his thought-provoking opening performance. While his opener kept fans at the edge of their seats, he also managed to slip in some imagery referencing social issues in America today, particularly the struggle for many black Americans. Lamar leaned heavily on his back-up dancers to tell a story reenacting our country’s soldiers as well as bodies slain by police and gun violence.
2. Rihanna’s Unapologetically Rhythmic Dancing And Facial Expression
Rihanna doing the gwara gwara #Grammys pic.twitter.com/542uQjRXsr
— Mandla Ndawo (@ItsMandla) January 29, 2018
It’s not everyday that fans get to see Rihanna sing and bust a move at the same time, but the singer broke out all the stops during her performance with DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller. The trio performed their No. 1 hit, “Wild Thoughts,” and the spirit must have moved Rih on a different level because the Roc Nation artist actually joined her dancers and hit the meanest two-step we’ve ever seen. Wild wild wild!
3. Dave Chappelle Dropping The Black Man In America Disclaimer
Kendrick Lamar brilliantly brought out Dave Chappelle during his opening performance to facilitate his set transitions, and as always, Chappelle brought the funnies with a hint of knowledge. Between each single, the comedian delivered a striking skit discussing blackness. His most memorable line: “The only thing more frightening than watching a black man be in America, is being an honest black man in America.”
4. Logic Yelling “Black Is Beautiful” During His Grammys Performance
Logic ft. Alessia, Cara, Khalid – 1-800-273-8255 – 60th Grammy Awards Performance #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/3H3S69Iv8a
— snap: thedjjei (@thedjjei) January 29, 2018
Logic is seriously woke. While performing his emotional anthem, “1-800-273-8255” with Alessia Cara and Khalid, the rapper delivered a powerful, outro speech, standing up for black lives, women, mental illness an more. “Black is beautiful. Hate is ugly. Women are as precious as they are stronger than any man I’ve ever met,” he stated.
5. SZA Proudly Bringing Her Mother And Grandmother To The Red Carpet
It isn’t a good time unless your granny and mom are by your side. To celebrate her nominations at the Grammys, SZA invited her mother and grandmother to walk the red carpet and attend the ceremony with her. While this may have been the first time seeing the two leading ladies, you may recognize their voices on various tracks on the singer’s debut album, CTRL. Unfortunately, SZA left empty-handed, but at least she had her relatives to lean on.
6. Janelle Monae’s Exhilerating Strength During Her #TimesUp Speech
Janelle Monáe delivered an important message about gender equality during the #Grammys https://t.co/Mot6kTCh93 pic.twitter.com/1s0adk7JYh
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) January 29, 2018
With the Me Too movement taking over Hollywood, it was nice to finally see music addressing the issue of gender inequality and misconduct at the Grammys. Janelle Monáe boldly delivered a speech in which she took a stand for women who have experienced misconduct or unfair treatment in the industry. “Time’s up for harassment of any kind, and time’s up for the abuse of power. Because you see, it’s not just going on in Hollywood, it’s not just going on in Washington — it’s right here in our industry as well.”
7. The Carters Sitting Majestically In All Black
The Carters – Beyonce, JAY-Z, and Blue Ivy showed up to the Grammys dressed in all black like a modern day Addams Family, and it was everything. They didn’t exactly do anything remarkable while sitting in the front row, but they’re the Carters; just breathing is enough to make us gush.