Leon@TLCArmy
Hip-hop star Coi Leray pulled out all the stops at the 2023 BET Awards on June 25, when she decided to pay homage to some of the most iconic female rappers from past to present day!
Her two-piece custom outfit donned the names of icons and new stars alike, including Left Eye, Queen Latifah, Ice Spice, Doja Cat, Missy Elliott, Lady of Rage, Roxanne Shanté, Saweetie, City Girls, Gangsta Boo, Young M.A, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, BIA, Dej Loaf, Remy Ma, Trina, Khia, Shawnna, Flo Milli, Lola Brooke, GloRilla, Eve, Nicki Minaj and more.
The salute arrived nearly two weeks after Leray pleaded for her fellow female rappers to unite for a collaboration.
“Ain’t been a [No. 1] rap song at all this year,” she tweeted. “Calling all the female rappers to the front. [Hear] me out. ladies night. Hip hop. Unity. let’s make history with a number 1 … together .. with love. #justanidea.”
The last all female rap collaboration was 1997’s “Not Tonight (Ladies Night)“, featuring Lil’ Kim, Left Eye, Missy Elliott, Da Brat and Angie Martinez.
If you thought the black and white outfits looked familiar, that is largely due to the fact Leray used inspiration from TLC‘s iconic performance at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, paying homage not only to their fashion but also replicating the choreography they performed during their set.
The outfits were created by the talented fashion designer OtheezY, who has worked with Leray numerous times in the past, and KRONE, who said, “Coi and dancers in everything KRONE (Hand cut, sewn and stoned) and sleepless nights/countless hours of work by myself and my team”.
To celebrate the success of the performance, OtheezY included a fun fact on her Instagram page about how the performance idea first came together.
“Coi was like, I wanna be on some Left Eye shit, woman empowerment vibe, all leather!”, OtheezY recalls. “She was hyped! As soon as she said ‘LEFT EYE’, I said ‘TLC’! and the 1995 VMA iconic TLC performance came to mind. Coi wanted to give homage to old school and new school female MC’s, and I thought that was so freakin’ cool! Anywho, WE DID THAT!”
Watch the Coi Leray performance which was part of a Busta Rhymes tribute to celebrate his Lifetime Achievement Award!
TLC-Army.com 