Lizzo Imitates Ariana DeBose’s Viral BAFTA Awards Rap (Video)

Lizzo and Ariana DeBose (Credit: Shutterstock and Twitter)

After getting widely panned by social media users for her viral rap at last weekend’s BAFTA Awards, Ariana DeBose is getting a boost from Lizzo.

The “Good as Hell” singer imitated DeBose’s headline-making BAFTAs moment while performing in Amsterdam. The Grammy winner sang: “Angela Bassett did the thing, shake it off,” and added an arm role just like DeBose.

A fan uploaded video of the moment to TikTok, and The Neighborhood Talk reposted it on Instagram. The clip showed fans laughing and cheering Lizzo on.

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DeBose has continued to inspire memes and imitators since she opened the BAFTAs on Feb. 19 in London, with her rap celebrating the show’s female nominees, including Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis.

“An-ge-la Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis my Woman King! Blanchett Cate you’re a genius. Jamie Lee you are all of us,” DeBose belted out, complete with a shimmy and arm roll.

Unfortunately the number fell flat with many social media users. The Oscar-winning actress was widely mocked on Twitter, and responded by deactivating her account.

Still, BAFTAs producer Nick Bullen praised DeBose’s performance, saying it brought “razzmatazz” to the British awards show.

“We wanted to open the show with some energy, some fun,” Bullen told Variety, noting that DeBose did “exactly that.”

“I think a lot of people don’t like change, and there’s a view that the BAFTAs have to be this slightly stiff, traditional British, middle-England messaging,” Bullen added. “But American awards shows have much more razzmatazz, much more showbiz, and perhaps a broader range of people being involved. We felt we’re not about revolution, we’re about evolution.”

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DeBose also chimed in (slightly). On Feb. 20, she commented on an Instagram post about her viral moment saying, “Honestly I love this.”

The actress, singer and dancer, 32, won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s movie-musical West Side Story.

The North Carolina native made her TV debut on So You Think You Can Dance in 2009, and finished in the top 20.


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