Television
BET Awards 2024: Usher Honored, Will Smith Returns, and Elections Are a Priority
Usher accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award on the 2024 BET Awards — even when the star said it can have been a little too soon.
The Grammy winner stayed on his feet as a parade of artists performed his hits — Childish Gambino opened the set with “U Don’t Have to Call,” joined by Keke Palmer, who led the show with “You Make Me Wanna…” Coco Jones emerged from the audience for a sultry rendition of “There Goes My Baby,” serenading Usher and his wife, Jenn Goicoechea.
Summer Walker took the stage for “Good Good,” Tinashe sang “Nice & Slow,” Marsha Ambrosius tackled “Superstar,” and Chlöe performed “Good Kisser.” Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monét teamed up for “Bad Girl,” mirroring Usher and Beyoncé’s choreography for his or her performance of the song. Latto brought the energy to “Yeah!” In a way, the tribute highlighted the ladies who carried much of the evening—dominating the performances.
After introductions by Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, Usher accepted the award from musical director L.A. Reid.
“It definitely wasn’t easy getting here, but it was worth it,” Usher began his lengthy speech, reflecting on a profession that has spanned greater than three many years. He questioned the timing, saying, “I’m still running and gunning, and I still love this (expletive) as much as I did when I was 8 years old,” he said.
Most of his speech couldn’t be heard at home since it was censored.
“I forgive every single person who had anything negative to say about me because it only motivated me to be who I am,” he said at one point.
Earlier that evening, Will Smith stepped into the hearth — joined by Fridayy and the Sunday Service Gospel Choir — for a live performance of his latest single, “You Can Make It.”
“I don’t know who needs this right now,” Smith began his set. “But I’m here to tell you that you can do it.”
Kirk Franklin joined in halfway through, and then the 2 rapped together. “Nobody gets an easy ride,” Smith, who’s within the midst of a comeback after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars two years ago, told the room. “There’s wisdom in that fire. Dance in your darkest moments.”
The upcoming presidential election was a huge topic of conversation throughout the show. After Childish Gambino presented Killer Mike with the album of the 12 months award for “Michael,” the rapper used his Grammy acceptance speech to deal with the arrest and voting.
“Technically, I shouldn’t be here. They handcuffed me and took me out of the building. But I want to tell you, look to God. Because I’m back, baby. I’m back and I’m winning,” he said in his acceptance speech. Killer Mike was arrested on the Grammys earlier this 12 months for a physical altercation he said was attributable to an “overzealous” security guard; he has not been charged within the incident.
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“They will tell you who we are voting for, that is important,” he continued his speech, “and who we are voting for on the big stage. That is important, but it is more important that you know who your city councilor is, who your prosecutor is.”
Megan Thee Stallion opened the show by emerging from an egg — a metaphor for her latest musical rebirth — before diving into an brisk medley of her latest singles “Hiss” and “Boa.”
“BET, where are my girls?” she said, shouting out Monet and Jones to the group before singing “Where Them Girls At” — a song that has turn into an easy fan favorite because the release of her third studio album, “Megan,” on Friday.
Taraji P. Henson hosted a show on the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Her opening monologue was a performance, Henson rapping “It’s About Us,” a loose parody of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which he released within the midst of his reignited feud with Drake.
“No beef today,” she joked. “Can we say plant-based?”
Tyla, a South African amapiano star from Johannesburg, won two awards on the show, the primary for Best International Act.
Later within the evening, she accepted the award for best latest artist. “This is crazy,” she said. “I just want to dedicate this to Africa.”
Monét, who won a Grammy for Best New Artist earlier this 12 months, made her BET debut and set the bar high for performances, condensing her entire set into a jiffy with three costume changes and two songs, “On My Mama” and “Alright.”
Sexyy Red then took the stage to perform her smooth bedroom ballad “U My Everything,” before moving to a different stage and changing costumes — performing “Get It Sexyy” in front of an LED screen depicting the White House and dancers dressed because the Secret Service.
The show modified its tone when VanVan and Heiress Harris, two child rappers, sang the anthem “Be You” through the school set. Harris is the daughter of rapper T.I. and singer Tina Harris.
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist was SZA and Best Actress was Regina King, each of whom weren’t present; the BET HER award went to Monét for “On My Mama,” an award she was encouraged to win by her mother.
Country musician Tanner Adell brought her “Buckle Bunny” and her latest song “Cowboy Break My Heart.” GloRilla emerged from the highest, coming right down to join her dancers on “Yeah Glo!” and “Wanna Be” — the latter of which featured a surprise appearance from Megan Thee Stallion. Shaboozey continued the country on “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and was joined by rapper J-Kwon, who appears on the track, for an unexpected and satisfying cross-genre collaboration.
Lauryn Hill closed the night, opening with “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” and moving into “Lost Ones” before introducing her son YG Marley along with his reggae tracks “Survival” and “Praise Jah In The Moonlight.” Best of all: Wyclef Jean appeared, and the trio — in front of a full band — performed the Fugees’ “Fu-Gee-La.” Pras, the Fugees’ third member, was not present. The rapper, who has been accused of a multimillion-dollar political conspiracy spanning two presidencies, was convicted in April.
Television
Why is Michelle Obama’s ‘Later Daters’ the most popular series on Netflix?
I hadn’t heard of The Later Daters on Netflix until I saw a post on Instagram stating that Michelle Obama was an executive producer. Naturally, if our everlasting first lady was involved, I had to examine it out and see what this show was all about. Much to my delight, “The Later Daters” turned out to be one in all the funniest, funniest, and most profound reality shows I even have seen in an extended time.
“The Later Daters” follows older singles in the “silver” years of their lives as they give the impression of being for an additional probability at love. Some of the daters are widows and widowers who lost their past loves. Others are divorcees (and in some cases, multiple divorcees) who try love again. It’s a various forged that features silver foxes of each shade and race, although the Black singles featured on the show give latest intending to the phrase “Black don’t crack.”
What I discovered the most entertaining storyline was the case of a later date named Anise. Not only does she have an exceptionally fit body and a lovely face, but Anise has endured incredible heartbreak, losing her first husband shortly after giving birth to her two children a long time ago. Anise became, in line with many, the prototype of the successful black woman. Educated and independent, she received her PhD, currently lives in a lovely house, her children are doing well, and in actual fact, the only thing she needs is the missing piece of affection in her life.
Unfortunately, regardless that she is 62 years old, so beautiful and smart, Anise has problems finding love. One of her dates on the show is an ideal example of what young women often undergo lately – and unfortunately, many older women apparently undergo it too. You know the drill: people objectify them, see their achievements and are intimidated into saying the stupidest things. In this case, adults. In one scene that went viral on social media, the silver fox, who is also an adult, divorced and has children, asks Anise if all three of her children have the same “little daddy.” He also tells her, without irony, that he likes his women who’ve a “little ghetto” in them. Yes, it really happened.
Now Anise, very uncomfortably, tries to navigate this awkward conversation gracefully, but rattling, at the age of 62, should she?! In that sense, “The Later Daters” is so relatable because even with the generation gap, if you happen to watch the show as a millennial like me, you see that there are particular features of dating which might be just universal. But what I actually like about this show is the way it shows that all of us have a universal desire for love, even later in life. Sometimes in society we speak about seniors – or anyone over the age of 55 – as if their best days were behind them. As in the event that they had no motivation to proceed to look good and feel good, be sexy or want sex and love. This series did an important job of further humanizing and complicating what it means to be an older American in the so-called “golden” stage of life.
Other great features of the show include watching the later daters with their children, arm in arm, being interviewed about every little thing from their first kiss to what they’ve learned about sex to what they give the impression of being for in a partner. Even with adult children, there is loads of sensitive giggling and facial covering once they hear about their parents’ love lives and future love lives. However, there is also a bond that happens when children provide perspective on their parents and what they think they need to learn about what they should offer and what they deserve of their next relationship.
“The Later Daters” is a must-watch show, especially in terms of intergenerational bonding. I used to be texting and kiki-kiing with my mom all week long, laughing at a few of the crazy scenes and funny conversations and who we thought would find yourself with who on the show. But it also made me smile to think that even at 38, when I’m beginning to feel many days older than my age, raising a small child, running around, maintaining a house and a relationship, there is still a lot to see in life and love.
Seeing a few of the love stories these Later Daters have been blessed with – and even the unlucky losses – reminds you that life is value living. Michelle Obama, the show’s executive producer, did an important job on this series and did society a service by not only allowing her and Barack’s love story to be the end of the story, but additionally speaking loudly and truthfully about the complexities of mature love. “The Later Daters” is very easy to look at and only has eight short episodes that you may watch over the course of an evening or every week if you happen to want. It’s an important reminder that we recover with age – and sometimes love does, too.
Television
Will Smith Says He Regrets Feud With ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Aunt Viv’s Janet Hubert
Whether you watched it live or noticed the change while watching replays, the transformation of Vivian Banks, commonly often called Aunt Viv, into the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is a moment viewers will always remember.
For the primary three seasons of the hit series, Janet Hubert played Smith’s aunt, Vivian Banks. However, in 1993, the actress left the series, citing “creative differences”, and was eventually replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid. For many years after her departure from the show, Hubert and Smith took jabs at one another, alluding to a deeper conflict outside the general public eye. At the time, Smith reportedly claimed that Hubert was on a mission to take over the show.
Now, in a brand new episode of “Black Comedy in America” produced by Vice, Smith, who also served as an executive producer on the series, opened up more about his controversial relationship with the actress, whom fans first fell in love with as Aunt Viv.
“I made a terrible mistake and misjudged her worth, strength and beauty on the show,” Smith told host Chris Spencer for the complex. “I horribly underestimated what she was to me at that point in my life.”
In 2020, the feuding stars reconciled with one another during an emotional special episode of HBO Max celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the hit series. Meeting for the primary time in many years, Hubert and Smith shared a candid moment during which they reflected on their conflicts and the impact they’ve on their skilled and private relationships.
“I lost a lot… When I left this system, I had a baby and nobody. “My family disowned me, Hollywood disowned me, my family said you ruined our name, and I was unprofessional on set,” she told Smith during their meeting. “I just stopped talking to everyone because I didn’t know who to trust, I used to be exiled. They said it was you who banished me. Because you were Will, you were a toddler. It was difficult.
“You took it all away from me with your words. Words can kill. I lost everything. Reputation, everything, everything,” she continued. “I understand you managed to maneuver on, but you realize the words, calling a black woman difficult in Hollywood is the kiss of death. It’s hard enough when (you are) a dark-skinned black woman on this business.
Understanding the importance of healing and moving forward, Hubert apologized for a way she spoke about Smith within the media over time. Similarly, Smith admitted that he might have been more sensitive to the actress’ experience and vowed to guard her in the longer term.
Since clearing the air, Hubert and Smith say they’ve a superb relationship. In 2021, the previous “Fresh Prince” actress said. People Magazine“We text one another on a regular basis. I meant it with all my heart after I hugged him because I saw that little boy, that little 21-year-old boy. I believe that if we had had the chance to speak then, something like this might never have happened.
Television
Simone Biles will join Snoop Dogg as a guest mentor on an episode of NBC’s “The Voice.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Snoop Dogg AND Simone Biles they swapped their Olympic ties from this summer Paris Games takes on a latest challenge: a tandem of superstars will join forces on NBC’s “The Voice.”
Biles will join Snoop on an episode of the fact competition show that airs Monday. As the show’s coach, the rap star hired Biles as a mentor within the playoffs to advise the five singers vying for a spot within the live shows.
For Snoop and Biles, their pair was a perfect combination of sports and music icons who effortlessly brought their chemistry from the Olympics to TV’s “The Voice.”
“We were able to get together and give the artists the best insight into the next round,” Biles told The Associated Press in a recent interview with Snoop as the 2 finished filming the episode in Los Angeles.
“It was pretty easy, simple,” added Biles, probably the most decorated gymnast of all time, who won 4 medals, including three gold, on the last Olympics. “We are each very gentle. But if we’d like to boost this energy, we will do it. For us it was about giving us confidence for the following week.
Biles can have been known for her athletic achievements, but she had the power to attach with musical competitors from one athlete to a different.
“These are the stages of learning: learn, process, come back and work,” she said. “They all have vocal talent. It’s about using it, knowing when to bring it out, what songs to sing and what genre you fit into. And what should your legacy be? It’s a truly unique show, as is the judging. They can’t see the physical appearance first. It’s all behind the ears, listening and putting your craft together.”
Despite their different profession paths, Snoop and Biles respect one another and are capable of shine on the most important stages.
“We have very diverse careers. But what we were coping with, they’re coping with now,” said Snoop, a remarkably fluid artist who has adopted as a special correspondent IN Record-breaking NBC coverage. He can also be a coach on “The Voice.” Michael Buble, Reba McEntire AND Gwen Stefaniand every of them tries to find and train one other singing phenomenon.
Snoop said he felt the necessity to instill wisdom and confidence in each contestant.
“We have the best experience and knowledge that we can pass on to these contractors,” he said. “She is a performer. I am a contractor. We performed in extreme conditions. We always do our best. But sometimes things happen behind closed doors that you don’t know about. This allows us to talk about these issues and really put them at ease.”
During the Olympics, Biles and Snoop had several viral moments. The two got here together to cheer on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone during her 400-meter hurdles; gave Biles’ father, Ronald Biles, a Death Row Records gold necklace for his seventy fifth birthday; and was spotted dancing in the group through the women’s gymnastics qualifying round as Biles and her teammate Jordan Chiles joined.
On set, Biles smiled often as he watched Snoop in his charismatic element.
“I knew Snoop would stay true to himself and authentic on ‘The Voice,'” she said. “It’s nice not to have to adjust the form. There is room for everyone.”
Snoop said it made sense for each parties to work together on this episode.
“This is family. It feels good,” Snoop said. “(Biles) can do anything he wants. He picks and chooses what he desires to do. We are at this stage in our profession straight away. It should be a good feeling. You cannot force it or I do not do it. Dot, point, blank space.
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