Ariana DeBose's viral rap at the 2023 BAFTA Awards sparked (over) 1,000 memes, and Angela Bassett seemed to be watching it too Here comes the fan post. While accepting the Entertainer of the Year trophy at the 54th NAACP Image Awards on February 25, the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" star quipped, "I guess Angela Bassett That’s how it’s done,” effortlessly mimicking the beat of DeBose’s infamous BAFTA shout-out. The star-studded crowd at Pasadena Civic Auditorium wasn't the only one to appreciate the reference: DeBose posted a clip of Bassett's acceptance speech and congratulated the actor on the win.
As anyone who has paid attention to social media over the past week will know, the most memorable moment from DeBose’s BAFTA opening number included the line: “Angela Bassett did it, Viola Davis, my queen , Blanchett, Kate, you are geniuses, Jamie Lee, you are all of us! Her performance sparked widespread reactions, with many making fun of the West Side Story Oscar winner, especially her "got it" performance. Although the Broadway star later appeared to deactivate her Twitter account, she Later commenting on the Instagram meme carousel: "Honestly, I love this."
Still, Bassett contacted DeBose to ask about the aftermath. "I sent her a DM last night. I did it. It was so beautiful," she revealed to Variety at the Feb. 25 ceremony. "I just wanted to make sure she was OK because, you know, it's getting a lot of attention. She's OK."
In fact, DeBose shared several memes on Instagram that same day, writing, "The internet is going crazy! ...Thanks for all the love." Her post also included Lizzo and Adele on stage A video of the quote, a tweet from Halle Berry, and a photo of flowers and a note she received from Wanda Sykes. DeBose also dismissed criticism in a preview of an upcoming interview on BBC Radio 2's Zoe Ball Breakfast Show , telling the host she was "probably one of the few" people who liked her rapping. "I'll take it because you're my people!" she responded, later adding: "Apparently gay Twitter seems to like it. So that's cool. I'm gonna buy it."
DeBose also shared more details about the show's backstory. "Honestly, I didn't say, 'Hey BAFTA, let me in.' Believe it or not, they actually called me," she added. "But that's the mission. It's like, 'Come celebrate women,'" and I said, "Of course!" "We did it and it was fun. Not gonna lie. I had a lot of fun."
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Meanwhile, Bassett did exactly that at the NAACP Awards, picking up a second trophy for her role on Fox's "9-1-1" alongside Ryan Coogler received his third statue together for "Wakanda Forever." She will next appear at the Academy Awards, where she was nominated for a Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Ramonda in the hit Marvel movie, making her the first American to win a Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award for her performance. Academy-approved actors working on MCU projects. At the same time, she has won the 2023 Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actress and been nominated for the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Award.
As Bassett said in her NAACP Entertainer of the Year acceptance speech, "When I think about my career, I can't help but think that too often, when I see the light at the end of the tunnel, There was someone there who opened his arms to me and assured me there was a place for me as an actor."
