Last night MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Prudential Center located in New Jersey—make it the first time the award show has ever been recorded in Jersey.
The night was packed with performances by stars like Normani, Big Sean and A$AP Ferg.
But the two biggest highlights of the night were arguably the tribute to Missy Elliott who received the, long overdue, Video Vanguard Award.
Missy Elliott just became the 1st female rapper to win MTV's VMA Vanguard Award.
She thanked the dance community along with late singer Aaliyah, who died 18 years ago at age 22:
"Aaliyah, I love you. We miss you." pic.twitter.com/MtPsMhzLZm
— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 27, 2019
Although Missy’s tribute set was shorter than past performers—yes we noticed—the execution was nothing short of flawless entertainment. In usual Missy fashion, the performance was packed with some of her iconic songs including “Hot Boyz” , “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)”, and her recent single “Throw it Back” off her latest EP, Iconology.
Alyson Stoner even made a cameo—Stoner is most famous for her appearances in Missy’s earlier videos as a main dancer.
3 WORDS….
MISSY ? MISDEMEANOR ? ELLIOTT. ?
2019 Video Vanguard honoree @MissyElliott BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN❗️ #VMAs pic.twitter.com/KvLc0HTiab
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) August 27, 2019
But unbeknownst to viewers, MTV had another tribute lined up as it closed its show with an all-star cast of jersey natives performing some of their greatest hits.
Rapper turned actor Ice-T kicked things with a verse while also letting it be known that while we may have known him for repping the Westside, the rapper was actually born in Newark, New Jersey.
Queen Latifah pulled up to the arena on a red motorcycle shortly before performing her 1993 Grammy-winning song, “U.N.I.T.Y”.
If anyone know how to make an entrance, it's a Queen! No one does it like Queen Latifah #VMAs pic.twitter.com/WnD0XZNkEK
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) August 27, 2019
Other artists included Naughty by Nature, Paterson’s Fetty Wap performed his 2015 anthem “Trap Queen” inside a circle lit Devils-red as the crowd danced around him.
Wyclef Jean slowed things down with a medley of “Gone till November” and “No Woman, No Cry”.
NEW JERSEY LEGENDS ?@IAMQUEENLATIFAH, @naughtybynature, @therealredman, @fettywap, @wyclef closed the #VMAs with BANGER AFTER BANGER. pic.twitter.com/GSRZo6CHOy
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) August 27, 2019
The Jersey segment concluded with everyone joining together to the tune of Naughty’s celebratory 1992 anthem “Hip-Hop Hooray”.