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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 26 June 2018

Anita Baker, H.E.R., Meek Mill shine at BET Awards

By MESFIN FEKADU named the best male pop/
Associated Press R&B artist.
The 2018 BET Awards barely “Girls Trip” star and come-
handed out any trophies dian Tiffany Haddish, who
with big stars like Cardi B, won best actress and gave
Drake and Kendrick La- her speech in a taped vid-
mar absent, but the show eo, also said encouraging
included superior perfor- words.
mances by rising singer “You can achieve anything
H.E.R., rapper Meek Mill you want in life,” she said.
and gospel artist Yolanda DJ Khaled was the lead-
Adams, who paid tribute ing nominee with six and
to Anita Baker and nearly picked up the first award of
brought her to tears. the night — best collabora-
Baker, an eight-time Gram- tion — for “Wild Thoughts”
my winner who dominated with Rihanna and Bryson Til-
the R&B charts from the ear- ler. He was holding his son
ly ‘80s to mid-90s, earned on his hip onstage and also
the Lifetime Achievement used his speech to highlight
Award on Sunday at the young people.
Microsoft Theater in Los An- “All of y’all are leaders and
geles. all of y’all are kings and
The 60-year-old used her Anita Baker accepts the lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater queens — the future,” he
on Sunday, June 24, 2018, in Los Angeles.
speech to encourage the Associated Press said.
artists in the room to keep message in” their music. Americans and also cap- new artist and said she’s Migos won best group and
music alive. “We got to figure some- tures the experiences of “never won anything in gave a fun performance
“I would ask that the music thing out,” he said. being African,” Coogler front of other people.” that even had Adams re-
be allowed to play, that Snoop Dogg celebrated 25 said. “It was about tapping She dedicated the award citing the lyrics. J. Cole,
singers are allowed to sing, years in music, performing into the voice that tells us to to those “lost in the world,” Nicki Minaj, Janelle Monae,
and rappers are allowed to the classic songs “What’s be proud of who we are.” saying: “Follow your pas- Miguel, YG, 2 Chainz and
rap, and poets are allowed My Name” and “Next Epi- At the end of his speech he sion ... believe in yourself.” Big Sean also performed.
to rhyme,” said Baker, who sode.” The rapper also per- told the audience to travel After the show, BET an- The BET Awards normally
also was honored by host formed songs from his re- to Africa and learn more nounced that Kendrick La- hands its Humanitarian
Jamie Foxx, Ledisi and Mar- cently released gospel al- about the continent’s his- mar had won best album Award to one person, but
sha Ambrosius. bum, wearing a choir robe tory. for “DAMN.” and best male six individuals received the
H.E.R., whose real name is on a stage that looked like SZA, who was the most hip-hop artist. Beyonce honor Sunday. Dubbed
Gabi Wilson, was impres- a church. nominated woman at this won best female pop/R&B “Humanitarian Heroes,” the
sive as she sang the R&B Childish Gambino, whose year’s Grammys, won best artist, while Bruno Mars was network gave awards to
hit “Focus,” played the song and music video “This James Shaw Jr., who wres-
electric guitar like a rock Is America” tackles racism tled an assault-style rifle
star and sang softly during and gun violence and be- away from a gunman in a
the sweet love song “Best came a viral hit last month, Tennessee Waffle House in
Part,” where she was joined gave a short, impromptu April; Anthony Borges, the
by Daniel Caesar. performance of the song 15-year-old student who
Meek Mill, who was re- when Foxx brought him on- was shot five times and is
leased from prison in April, stage. credited with saving the
rapped the song “Stay “Everybody begged me to lives of at least 20 other stu-
Woke” on a stage trans- do a joke about that song. dents during February mas-
formed into a street cor- I said that song should not sacre in Florida; Mamou-
ner, featuring hustlers, chil- be joked about,” Foxx said. dou Gassama, who scaled
dren and police officers. Foxx kicked off the show re- an apartment building
A mother screams as her joicing in the uber success to save a child dangling
child is shot during the pow- of “Black Panther,” name- from a balcony last month
erful performance, and an dropping the records the in Paris; Naomi Wadler, an
officer lays an American film has broken and even 11-year-old who gave a
flag over the body. pulled Michael B. Jordan memorable and influential
Meek Mill also made a onstage to recite a line speech at March for Our
statement by wearing from the film. Lives; Justin Blackman, the
a hoodie featuring the “We don’t need a presi- only student to walk out of
face of XXXTentacion, the dent right now because we his high school in North Car-
20-year-old rapper-singer got our king,” Foxx said of olina during the nationwide
who died after being shot T’Challa. “(Director) Ryan student walkout to protest
last week. Coogler gave us our king.” gun violence in March; and
“We can’t get used to Foxx entered the arena journalist and activist Shaun
these types of things. We’re with a stuffed black pan- King.
too used to young people ther toy — with a gold chain Debra Lee, who stepped
getting killed,” Foxx said around its neck — which he down as chairman and
when speaking about XXX- handed to Jordan. The film CEO of BET last month af-
Tentacion later in the show. won best movie. ter 32 years at the network,
The Oscar winner told the “The film is about our ex- Meek Mill performs “Stay Woke” at the BET Awards at the earned the Ultimate Icon
audience to “try to sneak a periences being African- Microsoft Theater on Sunday, June 24, 2018, in Los Angeles. Award.q
Associated Press