On Friday night (June 28), the BET Experience Concert Series returned to the West Coast at L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena, featuring stars like Cardi B, Gunna, Sexxy Red, and Davido. With the BET Awards starting on Sunday night (June 30), the iconic Black network aimed to make a lasting impression on concert-goers and critics, marking the first BET Experience in four years.
The concert opened with rising singer Jordan Ward, setting the R&B tone for the nearly six-hour event. Sexxy Red then ramped up the energy with a high-intensity performance, hitting the stage to “Bow Bow Bow” and engaging her enthusiastic fans who chanted “F— My Baby Daddy,” boosting her confidence.
Sexxy Red powered through her latest project, *In Sexxy We Trust*, delivering tracks like “Fake Jammin” and “Boss Me Up.” Her performance peaked with a four-song medley of “Rich Baby Daddy,” “Skee Yee,” “Get It Sexyy,” and her breakout hit “Pound Town,” filled with catchy ad-libs and impressive twerking, solidifying her status as one of today’s top female rappers.
Next up was Davido, who aimed to transport the audience to The Motherland. With a jazzy live band and break dancers, Davido’s energetic set featured hits like “If,” “Fall,” “Risky,” and “Unavailable,” as well as his feature on Chris Brown’s “Sensational,” adding flair to his performance.
Gunna followed, fresh from The Bittersweet Tour, showing no signs of fatigue. Opening with “one of wun,” Gunna, in a bejeweled jean jacket and shorts, captivated the crowd with tracks from his latest album. He performed songs like “whatsapp” and “prada dem,” and brought out Leon Bridges for “clear my rain.” Gunna also featured IDK for their collaboration “TiFFANY,” and revisited older hits like “Dollaz on My Head” and “Top Off,” along with songs for the ladies, including “Banking on Me” and “P Power.”
Gunna’s set peaked with crowd favorites “Drip Too Hard,” “Pushin P,” and “Hot” (minus Young Thug), culminating in his recent hit “fukumean,” setting the stage for the final performer, Cardi B.
Taking the stage close to midnight, Cardi B brought a mix of hits and humor to the L.A. audience. Wearing a custom football jersey with the No. 11, Cardi used her performance to give a glimpse of what a potential tour might look like. Her “Cardi Party” was lively, as she performed songs from her 2018 album, *Invasion of Privacy*, to the crowd’s delight. Despite the album being her only major release, tracks like “Get Up 10” and “Bartier Cardi” still resonated powerfully.
Although Cardi’s headlining set was under 40 minutes, she made a strong impression with her features, revisiting verses from G-Eazy’s “No Limit,” Blueface’s “Thotiana,” GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2,” and more. She also thrilled the crowd with solo hits like “I Like It,” “Up,” and “WAP,” even pouring water on herself during the performance. Despite joking about being winded, she pushed through, closing her set with her signature hit “Bodak Yellow,” leaving her mark on the West Coast.
