2021 bet awards

Michael K. Williams Plays DMX in Moving Tribute Performance at the 2021 BET Awards

No, that’s not a hologram. Photo: Bennett Raglin)/Getty Images for BET

This year’s BET Awards were brought to an emotional climax on Sunday night as the show memorialized rapper DMX, who died in April of this year. While a musical tribute was a given, what wasn’t as expected was a full-bodied theatrical performance from Michael K. Williams channeling the late rapper himself. In a career-spanning performance that also featured Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beatz, The Lox, Griselda, and members of the Ruff Ryders, Williams appeared onstage, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the actual DMX, where he delivered a passionate monologue that all but ensures no one else will dare audition for this biopic. If you haven’t cried yet today, now’s your chance.

Michael K. Williams Plays DMX in Moving BET Awards Tribute