The 50th anniversary of Hip Hop was also commemorated with an epic homage at the annual MTV Video Music Awards, where Diddy was awarded the Global Icon Award in 2023.
Nicki Minaj hosted the event for the second year in a row, and Sean “Diddy” Combs was honoured with the Global Icon award from Mary J. Blige, Christian Combs, Chance Combs, D’Lila Combs, and Jessie Combs.
“I thought I would be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but God made another choice, and thank God for making this choice,” he stated during his acceptance speech. I want my music to have an effect on you, to make you happy. That’s really all I’m trying to do.”
Together with his son King Combs, Keyshia Cole, and Yung Miami, Puff Daddy entered the stage and performed a medley of his best songs.
Best Hip-Hop Video went to “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj, Best New Artist went to Ice Spice, and Best R&B went to “Shirt” by SZA. In addition, “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez received Best Afrobeat, “Seven” by Jung Kook and Latto’s collaboration won Song of the Summer, and “Attention” by Doja Cat and Spencer Graves won Best Art Direction.
Performing their biggest songs, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, and Grand Master Flash brought the Prudential Centre in Newark through the history of hip hop.
Doja Cat offered a mix of her most recent hits, “Attention,” “Paint the Town Red,” and “Demons,” while Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion performed their new collaboration, “Bongos,” live for the first time.
Nicki Minaj, the host with the most, did double duty by first performing her recent song “The Last Time I Saw You” elegantly, and then debuting her new record “Big Difference” live for the first time.
She raps, “I’m on a whole other level, these bitches is out of they league / These bitches ain’t batting like me / You bitches ain’t badder than me.” If you or they can’t count, neither can the rest of you. Not me, not two, not three. “You chicks look up to me; you may have said that you admired her, but the truth is that I am your idol.”
Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 album is due out on November 17, while Diddy’s The Love Album: Off The Grid drops this Friday, September 15.
