Watch Lil Baby and Killer Mike perform “The Bigger Picture” at the 2021 Grammy

Lil Baby performed at the 2021 Grammy tonight, performing a moving performance for his song “The Bigger Picture”. The performance included a surprise appearance by Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike, who rapped RTJ4is “walking in the snow” while Lil Baby presents himself in a bigger scenario based on protests against police brutality. In the middle of the presentation, activist Tamika Mallory asked President Biden to comply with the change request.

A quote from James Baldwin was read during the introduction of Lil Baby’s touching performance. He was:

When I was raised, I was taught in American history books that Africa had no history and neither did I. I was a savage about who least spoke the best, who was saved by Europe and who was brought to America. Of course, I believed. I didn’t have much of a choice.

“My performance is important to me and I had to make sure I was right,” said Lil Baby in a press release. He continued:

Appointments aside, interpreting “The Bigger Picture” is what most means to me. I paint pictures with my music and I wanted the performance to bring that image to life. As with music, this performance had to reflect the real. Without sugar coating. My family, my fans and my city know who I do this for.

“The Bigger Picture” earned Lil Baby nominations for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. Read “The best and the worst of this week’s rap: why Lil Baby’s protest music shouldn’t be a surprise and more” by Pitchfork, and follow the entire coverage of the 2021 Grammy by Pitchfork.