Jay-Z, Lil Wayne & Drake Turn Swag On, MJ Honored At BET Awards

Jay-Z and Lil Wayne highlighted a memorable evening of performances at last night's (June 28) BET Awards  at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, a night which also payed tribute to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Weezy, who took home the statue for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, closed the show alongside his Young Money crew with "Every Girl." YM affiliate Drake kicked off the medley with his breakthrough single "Best I Ever Had," resigning himself to a stool due to a torn ACL which prevented a more mobile performance.

Hov hit the stage earlier in the evening for the lead single from his eagerly-awaited Blueprint 3, "D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune]." The song's video world premiered during the awards' After Party show. Beyoncé was just one of many R&B performers on the night, most of whom Michael Jackson, including host Jamie Foxx—  who wore an assortment of signature MJ outfits— New Edition, Ne-Yo, and Ciara. Towards the end of the evening, a shaken Janet Jackson, who was in attendance with her father Joseph, took the stage to represent her family and address her brother’s passing.

Another notable moment included Soulja Boy’s performance of his hit "Turn My Swag On.” SB walked off into the audience to give Kanye West a pound during the crowd favorite.

Along with Weezy, other rappers who went home with awards included M.I.A. for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist and T.I. for Viewers' Choice for his #1 hit, "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna.- Devin Chanda