Inside Lauryn Hill’s BET Awards Afterparty

After accepting the Living Legend Award at the 2026 BET Awards Sunday night, Lauryn Hill kept the party going at an exclusive star-studded afterparty where she and Common performed and son John Nesta Marley celebrated his 23rd birthday.

Hosted by creative agency the jeffries in collaboration with Culture Capital, the event at L.A. Caribbean restaurant Lucia came together in just two weeks with invites going out even more last-minute.

“The invite was sent out just 24 hours before the event,” the jeffries founder Kendall Werts told The Hollywood Reporter. “We wanted the party to feel like, if you know, you know. We got two performances, one by Ms. Hill and another surprise from Common. He even saged the space before he performed.”

With such a tight turnaround, Werts said every detail had to be carefully executed.

Hill performed “Everything Is Everything” and “If I Ruled the World” for attendees before Common surprised guests with an impromptu set of his own.

Led by chief strategist Afrikaa Johnson, planning began with securing the right venue before assembling the night’s musical lineup, including DJ Self, whose set kept guests dancing throughout the evening. Among those in attendance were Lizzo, Rapsody, Muni Long, Ari Lennox, Baby Keem, Tierra Whack, Jaydon and Goapele.

And Hill wanted guests to recognize that this was also a birthday bash for her son.

Werts said, “She wanted people to know” it was his birthday.

The evening concluded with Hill’s son celebrating alongside his siblings YG Marley, Selah, Sara, Zion and Micah, as well as Hill’s parents, while guests toasted both the music icon’s latest honor and a family milestone.