Lil Baby didn’t take home any trophies at the Grammys last night, but he still left a winner. After performing “The Bigger Picture” with Killer Mike and Tamika Mallory, the 26-year-old met JAY-Z.
Lil Baby revealed the exciting moment on Twitter. According to HotNewHipHop, the Atlanta native was walking backstage after his powerful performance when he spotted Hov.
“I met JAY-Z,” Lil Baby tweeted. “He let the security walk with Bey an[d] he walked by hi[m]self. Boss shit.”
JAY and Bey emerged as the unexpected stars of the evening, with the camera casually panning over them as they reacted to performances and acceptance speeches. Despite the fact that Bey led the field with nine nominations, fans weren’t sure whether or not the couple would attend the ceremony as the “Black Parade” singer turned down the opportunity to perform.
However, the Carters surprised everyone and showed up wearing regal-looking black and gold outfits. Beyoncé accepted her daughter Blue Ivy’s award on her behalf and supported Megan Thee Stallion, who won her first Grammy.
“I have so much respect for you and I’m honored that you asked me to be a part of this song,” she said to Megan, whose “Savage (Remix)” collab earned the duo Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
By the end of the night, Bey herself made meteoric history. The 39-year-old became the most Grammy-awarded artist, male or female, of all time with a new grand total of 28 trophies.
Besides his exciting run-in with JAY-Z, Lil Baby wowed fans with his moving “The Bigger Picture” performance, which also included a tragic tribute to Rayshard Brooks, portrayed by “Insecure” star Kendrick Sampson. The protest anthem, which landed on the deluxe version of Lil Baby’s My Turn, was nominated for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. However, the rapper didn’t leave with either trophy.
See Lil Baby’s tweet about meeting JAY-Z and revisit his Grammys performance below.