Lil Baby’s gripping Grammy performance offered an unflinching look at police violence with a depiction of the fatal shooting of unarmed Black man Rayshard Brooks.
The Atlanta rapper, who performed his hit song “The Bigger Picture,” opened his appearance with a dramatic reenactment of Brooks’ alleged murder by former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe in the parking lot of a Wendy’s last June.
A Black actor clearly playing Brooks was roused from a slumber in the front seat of a car, pulled from the vehicle, pushed to the ground by actors playing white police officers and shot as he ran away.
Lil Baby emerged from the smoke of the gunfire and started rapping as the actor playing Brooks appeared non-responsive on the ground nearby.
The stunning sequence was followed by a cameo appearance from New York activist Tamika Mallory, who spoke at a podium in a scene reminiscent of poet Amanda Gorman’s call to action at President Biden’s inauguration.
“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.”
Fellow Atlanta rapper Killer Mike also joined Lil Baby, appearing in a scene evocative of the viral speech he gave after George Floyd’s death.
Fans immediately called the performance a highlight of the show.
“It’s lil baby with Tamika Mallory and Killer Mike for me!! Love to see it,” one tweet said.
