The 73rd Emmy’s opened with a tribute to the late rapper Biz Markie. The star studded audience got to see this tribute performed by Lil Dicky, LL Cool J, Cedric The Entertainer and more. Cedric The Entertainer, the host of the ceremony at the Event Deck at L.A. Live, opened the show by rapping the opening lines from Markie’s hit “Just A Friend”, before LL Cool J ran through the audience with lines referencing vaccines, quarantine and The Queen’s Gambit. The ceremony continued with different audience members performing the chorus of “Just A Friend,” followed by Lil Dicky who reworded the second verse in order to include references to different TV shows that were nominated including television shows like Ted Lasso, I May Destroy You and more.
Other performers included Rita Wilson who shows off her rap skills, followed by more audience members, and finally ending on Wilson, Dicky, LL Cool J and Cedric The Entertainer on stage.
The song “Just A Friend” was Markie’s 1989 single, which became a top 40 hit in several countries. In 2008, “Just a Friend” made No. 100 on VH1’s list of the 100 greatest hip hop songs of all time.
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Lil Dicky especially has been working on other projects inspired by change, including his single “Earth,” with collaborators like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, and even Leonardo DiCaprio.
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