Celebrities
Ariana DeBose capitalizes on meme-worthy BAFTA rap
While her BAFTA rap accumulated negative criticism online, DeBose got the last laugh.
Actress and singer Ariana DeBose hosted February’s BAFTA Awards where her opening act generated a slew of memes poking fun at her rap.
The vast majority of social media users called the lyrics “cringe”, but DeBose didn’t let this get the better of her.
In fact, the singer revived the rap for a one-night engagement at the London Palladium, where she sold merchandise embedded with the same “cringe” lyrics.
DeBose’s notorious rap
Co-written by DeBose, the rap included lyrics like, “All the ladies in the room / Supporting and Leading all here, I presume / Hong Chau, Dolly D, Kerry and Carey with a C / Dame Emma, I’m so fond.
“Ana girl, you were great in ‘Blonde’ / Danielle D, you broke my heart / Michelle, I’ve loved you from the start.
“Angela Bassett did the thing / Viola Davis, my Woman King / Blanchett Cate, you’re a genius / and Jamie Lee, you are all of us!”
The merchandise
DeBose performed to a sold out crowd at the London Palladium where she sang covers of ‘Ray of Light’, ‘Hand in My Pocket’, ‘Vogue’, and a mashup of ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’ and ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’.
The singer also performed her infamous BAFTA rap and sold corresponding limited edition merchandise. This included t-shirts, tote bags and posters with the most popular lyrics being “Angela Bassett did the thing” and “Viola Davis my Woman King”.
DeBose is scheduled to bring her concert to the Lincoln Center in New York on April 8.
“I own every ounce of what that BAFTA rap is,” DeBose told Time Out. “I have fun with it in the show, so if you’re coming to have fun, you’ll enjoy it.”
Who is Ariana DeBose?
DeBose started out as a dancer where she was a contestant on the sixth season of ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’.
In 2011, she made her Broadway debut in ‘Bring It On: The Musical’ before continuing onto ‘Motown: The Musical’, ‘Pippin’ ‘A Bronx Tale’ and ‘Hamilton’.
She also appeared in the film adaptation of the musical ‘The Prom’, and is in the musical comedy series ‘Schmigadoon!’.
In 2021, DeBose gained widespread praise for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’, which secured her several accolades, including an Academy Award and Golden Globe.
She is set to appear alongside Russell Crowe and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Marvel’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’ later this year.