Lil Baby addresses police brutality in powerful Grammys performance
‘Such a meaningful performance,’ one viewer said
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Your support makes all the difference.Lil Baby is being praised for his “powerful” Grammys performance ofThe Bigger Picture at the 63rd annual awards show.
On Sunday, the rapper performed the song from a set that was staged to look like the backdrops of the protests against police brutality that have broken out across the country.
He opened the performance with a view of Kendrick Sampson asleep in a car, with the set then mirroring the location of the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was killed by police in June.
The performance also included a speech from Tamika D Mallory, who addressed President Biden while demanding “justice, equity, and policy”.
“It’s been a hell of a year, hell for over 400 years, my people it’s time we stand, it’s time we demand the freedom that this land promises,” Mallory said. “President Biden, we demand justice, equity, policy, and everything else that freedom encompasses.
Read more: You can find all the details from the Grammy Awards here
“And to accomplish this, we don’t need allies, we need accomplices. It’s bigger than black and white.”
Killer Mike also featured in the Grammys show, with the rapper singing a verse from Run the Jewels’ Walking In The Snow.
Lil Baby concluded the performance, which also saw him walking among protestors and police, by standing atop a police car as fireworks exploded behind him.
On social media, the impactful performance was met with applause from viewers, who praised the rapper for using the opportunity to send a statement against police brutality.
“Lil Baby’s performance of The Bigger Picture gave me CHILLS... that was absolutely amazing #BLM,” one person tweeted.
Another said: “Lil Baby used his platform to remind us all why we fight each day to make this world a fairer and more just place. Powerful performance.”
“Lil Baby is using his platform in the right way and no one can say otherwise. I’m crying. Amazing,” someone else wrote.
In a press release, Lil Baby said the opportunity to perform the song meant “the most” to him because he “paints pictures” with his songs and “wanted the performance to bring that picture to life”.
“Nominations aside, actually performing The Bigger Picture means the most to me. I paint pictures with my songs and wanted the performance to bring that picture to life. Just like with the song, this performance had to reflect the real. No sugar-coating. My family, my fans and my city know who I do this for,” he said, according to Pitchfork.
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