Druski made good on his promise to do things his way as host of the 2026 BET Awards.
At one point in the evening, the prolific comedian gave those at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and those watching at home, his best take on Roots Picnic freestyle-era Jay-Z.
The moment came while Ice Cube was making efforts to introduce a performance by Baby Keem, only to jokingly be interrupted by Druski-turned-HOV. After Cube congratulated Druski on the hosting gig, thus ignoring his playful HOV-parodying look, the comedian delved further into character by sharing a series of freestyle-esque responses.
“I’m the shit, which means I’m constipated,” Druski, as HOV, said in one example. “What up, New York Knicks? We won this shit!”
“They can’t cancel me,” he said in another. “I’m the answer, G. I don’t talk for free. Marcy Projects, we did it. What up, Brooklyn?”
Notably, Druski’s HOV-inspired entry to the stage on Sunday saw him referencing a certain “jig is up” line from the much-discussed Roots Picnic freestyle in May. The lyric in question, as we reported at the time, marked a response from Jay-Z to a key moment from Drake’s Iceman hit “Janice STFU.”
Next for HOV are several more live performances, including three nights at Yankee Stadium, plus the debut of a new eight-part HBO documentary series directed by “99 Problems” producer Rick Rubin. The latter is set to launch this fall and promises to give fans insights from HOV into “his music, lyrics, life experiences, and creative process.”