Hill continued, “But also, I have always cared about the expression of and the representation of the dignity of our people.”

Noting that sometimes artists are put in places to say things that “aren’t always comfortable,” she added, “we understand that people will understand later.”

“Everybody may not know it, but I fight for y’all,” Hill said. “And fighting for y’all is me fighting for myself. It’s me fighting for my children, it’s me fighting for my parents, it’s me fighting for my grandparents. It’s me fighting for my community.”

We all have different gifts, the artist added, and that’s important “because somebody out there needs your gift, so don’t sell your gift short.”

And then she closed the show with “Everything Is Everything,” which doesn’t always feel like the case, but tonight it did.

See all the stars who came out to experience this and so much more at the 2026 BET Awards: