Subscribe
Hellobeautiful Featured Video
CLOSE

Kendrick Lamar’s cypher may have stole the show last night, but the women at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards had something to say, too, and their influence did not take a backseat.

MUST READ: #OurMoments MC Lyte Redefines The Essence Of Women Through Hip-Hop

For starters, MC Lyte was the well-deserving recipient of the night’s biggest honor, the “I AM Hip Hop” award. The lyricist, who became the first female rapper to release a solo album in 1988, used her platform not to self glorify, but to school the current generation of hip hop. In a genre still dominated by men, her words were much-needed, and considering the overwhelming response on Twitter, the community at large stood in agreement.

MUST READ: Kendrick Lamar Leads Nominations For 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards, Snoop Dogg To Host

“Men, we are depending on you. We need you to protect us when no one else will. So stop cursing us out all the time. Find some love for us somewhere,” she said. “And ladies, I say if you want to be treated like a queen, act like one.”

Cheers to that!

Click through the slides to see our other favorite female-empowerment moments from the show, including Lil Kim and Rapsody holding it down for the ladies in separate cyphers.

1 2 3 4Next page »

For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.