Check Back Here For 61st Grammy Awards: Live Updates

Check Back Here For 61st Grammy Awards: Live Updates

Alicia Keys hosts the 61st Grammy Awards in Los Angeles and before the show officially got started, a few winners had already been announced including Dave Chapelle for Best Comedy Album, Black Panther for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” for Best Music Video and Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Future’s “King’s Dead” for Best Rap Performance.

At the top of the show, Camila Cabello opens up the 61st annual Grammy Awards with a colorful Cuban inspired set for “Havana” featuring Young Thug. The highlight of the set was obviously Thugger who made a fashionable entrance in his finest Michael Jackson-esque rhinestone loafers but the guests didn’t stop there. Ricky Martin and J Balvin also joined Camila on stage for a “Havana” mashup.

When that was over, Alicia Keys took the stage to begin her monologue. She thanked her friends, her husband, showed some love to Tracee Ellis Ross and then took a moment to surprise the audience by bringing out a few queens who happen to be some of the most honored women in the world.

Without an introduction, out walks Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Jennifer Lopez. But that wasn’t even the best part —  Michelle Obama (who looked like a fine, tall glass of water) joined the ladies and the crowd erupted. There’s absolutely no way you can discuss queens and not bring Michelle O.

Janelle Monae channeled her inner Prince when she took the stage for “Make Me Feel”. The Dirty Computer singer gave a very eclectic performance while wearing a black vinyl bodysuit and gyrating across the stage. If anybody knows how to put on a show, it’s Janelle Monae. She did THAT!

“This Is America” won its second award of the night for Song of the Year. Unfortunately, he and his bleached out beard weren’t in the building to accept it.

H.E.R, who was nominated for 5 Grammy awards, hit the stage to perform “Hard Place” and let’s be clear, her mic was ON! H.E.R. can sing live and she made sure we all knew it.

The highlight of the night had to be Cardi B channeling her inner peacock and Offset loving every minute of it. Cardi twerked to “Money” with a tail of feathers and in that very moment, Offset was thinking about dropping a Kulture II in her womb.

Drake shocked everyone when he actually showed up for the Grammys. The Toronto rapper won “Best Rap Song” for God’s Plan and he was up against some stiff competition. However, when he accepted his award, he treated everyone like a winner. He told his fellow rappers that even though they hadn’t won the actual award, as long as they had fans singing every word of their songs, waiting in the rain for their concerts, they are the real winners.

“This is a business where sometimes it is up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed race kid from Canada has to say… or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis. You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown. If there is people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here, I promise you, you already won.”

Unfortunately, the Grammy’s producers weren’t feeling that. They cut to commercial mid-speech. Yikes!

Diana Ross’ grandson introduced his Supreme grandmother and when the queen Ms. Ross touched the stage in her red tulle dress she shut the house DOWN! She sang “The Best Years of My Life” and “Reach Out And Touch” and she sounded like she never left the stage.

Then there was Jennifer Lopez’s Motown tribute. It was…interesting. She did a medley of “Dancing Machine”, “Dancing In The Street”, Please Mr. Postman”, “Do You Love Me” and more. It was very Vegas showgirl. It’s safe to say most Motown fans weren’t feeling it and the Grammy’s should have hit Jenny with the block.

Okurrr but did you see Cardi B get her first GRAMMY? “Invasion of Privacy” won Best Rap Album and Cardi had us in tears during her acceptance speech!

Unfortunately, Cardi didn’t walk away with Record of the Year or Album of the Year, but she still made history as the first female solo to win Rap Album of the Year. All is well in Bardi Land.

Hope you enjoyed the Grammys! What was your favorite part?