What better way to kick off the in-person Emmy Awards after a year of virtual (and mostly terrible) award shows than a big old-fashioned musical number?
The 73rd annual ceremony opened Sunday night with some razzle-dazzle helmed by host Cedric the Entertainer, who welcomed the stars to the show with a reimagining of “Just a Friend” by the late hip-hop legend Biz Markie, who died at age 57 in July.
The veteran stand-up comedian and star of the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood” began the number on the couch, as he reminisced about some of his favorite TV memories, before busting out onstage with a microphone in hand.
Soon enough, LL Cool J took over with a verse of his own, tinkering with the lyrics of the classic track to sing about how in this very strange, pandemic-impacted year television has become our collective best friend.
“TV, you got what I need!!” Cedric belted, as the rest of attendees sang along in unison.
Naturally, Cedric tapped some of the in-house talent to help him round out the number including Mandy Moore, Daveed Diggs, Tracee Ellis Ross, Anthony Anderson, Billy Porter and Rita Wilson, who rapped her own entire verse.
I am not drunk enough for Rita Wilson rapping over Just A Friend !!! pic.twitter.com/Li7c5KRHao
The ceremony, which has been held for years inside the 7,100-seat Microsoft Theater, was moved to an outdoor tent directly behind the venue this year, where a limited audience was seated at tables. All attendees were asked to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 with the ceremony proceeding largely mask-less.
Ahead of the show, Cedric said he wanted to make the Emmys, which have seen increasingly lower viewership in recent years, a more accessible event, telling The New York Times that he doesn’t “want that Oscars feel.”
“I want to bring a familiarity that comes with my brand of stand-up,” he told the outlet in a profile published earlier this month. “I’m somebody you know. I’m your cousin or your uncle, and we’re here to celebrate each other.”
“[The Emmys] started to have this feeling like people aren’t really invited in the room. We all do a job here,” he added. “Some people have more serious dramatic shows that are fun and interesting to watch. And some people have veg-out, “sit down and relax” television. Let’s take the judgment out. That’s what I want to do.”
