Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 25 June 2019
BET Awards honor Mary J. Blige, Nipsey Hussle, Tyler Perry

By MESFIN FEKADU soldiers on that base plot-
Associated Press ting and planning on how
The 2019 BET Awards fea- to keep 3.9 million negroes
tured a number of con- enslaved. Now that land is
temporary pop and rap owned by one negro.”
stars who are dominating Lil Nas X also got the loud
the charts, from Cardi B to applause from the crowd
Lil Nas X. But the show be- when he brought his global
longed to artists viewed as country-rap hit “Old Town
icons in the black commu- Road” to life with a per-
nity, including singer Mary formance at a makeshift
J. Blige, filmmaker Tyler Western saloon alongside
Perry and the late rapper country singer Billy Ray
Nipsey Hussle. Cyrus. In a yellow fringe
Hussle, a respected and jacket, yellow chaps and a
beloved community ac- black cowboy hat, Lil Nas X
tivist in South Los Angeles worked the stage as danc-
who was shot to death on ers in denim shorts, leather
March 31, posthumously vests and cowboy hats per-
earned the Humanitarian formed behind him.
Award on Sunday night. His Lizzo also had a fiery perfor-
family, including his mother, mance with “Truth Hurts,”
father, grandmother, chil- Lifetime achievement award winner Mary J. Blige performs a medley at the BET Awards on Sunday, which featured her play-
dren and fiancée, actress June 23, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. ing the flute while twerking.
Lauren London, accepted Associated Press Cardi B, the most nominat-
the honor on his behalf. More Drama” to “Just Fine,” happy their “relationship is nay, “When They See Us” ed act with seven, kicked
“I just want to thank you when audience members healed.” She also thanked tells of the wrongful convic- off the show with an explo-
guys for all the love and turned the aisles into “Soul her siblings, nieces, neph- tion of five black and La- sive performance. She won
support, and the marathon Train” lines as they showed ews, cousins, aunts, uncles tino teenagers for the 1989 two prizes — best female
continues again,” London their best dance moves and friends, including long- assault on a white female hip-hop artist and album
said onstage at the Micro- while the Queen of Hip- time collaborator Diddy. jogger in Central Park. of the year for her major-
soft Theater in Los Angeles. Hop Soul sang onstage. Another standing ovation The audience also erupted label debut, “Invasion of
John Legend, DJ Khaled, Rihanna presented Blige during the nearly four-hour in cheers for media mogul Privacy.” “I’m glad I made
YG and Marsha Ambrosius with the award, who show came when The Ex- Tyler Perry, who earned the an album that your sister,
celebrated Hussle, born earned a standing ovation onerated Five — whose Ultimate Icon Award, pre- your mother, your grand-
Ermias Asghedom, with a as she walked to the stage. profiles were recently sented to him by Taraji P. mother (likes),” she said of
performance. Hussle also “Yeah, I know, a lot of hair,” raised with the release of a Henson. “When I built my the project, which also won
won best male hip-hop art- she said in her curly blonde- Netflix series based on their studio, I built it in a neigh- the Grammy for best rap al-
ist, besting Drake, J. Cole, do. “It’s a big day.” lives — introduced a perfor- borhood that is one of the bum earlier this year.
Travis Scott, Meek Mill and “Mommy, I love you and mance by R&B singer H.E.R. poorest black neighbor- Childish Gambino, who
21 Savage. I want to thank you for and rapper YBN Cordae. hoods in Atlanta so that didn’t attend the show,
Blige, who earned the Life- your love and understand- Korey Wise, Kevin Richard- young black kids could see won the top prize — video
time Achievement Award, ing,” Blige said as her mom son, Yusef Salaam, Ray- that a black man did that, of the year — for “This Is
ran through her hits during teared up in the audience. mond Santana and Antron and they could do it too,” America.” Beyoncé was
a lengthy performance, The nine-time Grammy win- McCray spoke onstage as Perry said. “The studio was named best female R&B/
which featured Lil Kim and ner and two-time Oscar audience members got out once a Confederate army pop artist, and Bruno Mars
Method Man. The R&B star nominee went on to thank of their seats to cheer them base ... which meant that won best male R&B/pop
went from “My Life” to “No her father, saying she was on. Directed by Ava DuVer- there were Confederate artist. q

A vile conspiracy is taken down in novel ‘Big Sky’

By BRUCE DESILVA story without realizing it and roots. Two decades ear- lates from multiple points of
Associated Press has little to do with taking lier, police had smashed a view — investigators, crimi-
“Big Sky,” by Kate Atkinson the bad guys down. As the sex trade ring and brought nals, family members and
(Little Brown) story opens, Brodie is cop- its leaders to justice, but victims alike. The heroes of
Former soldier and police- ing with his shambles of a there are rumors that oth- the yarn are its women. The
man Jackson Brodie, who personal life while working ers, including members of two young police officers,
last appeared nine years as a private detective on the British aristocracy, may one of the conspirators’
ago in “Started Early, Took the west coast of England. have been involved. As cir- wives, and one of its victims
My Dog,” makes his long- His cases are mundane, cumstances breathe new as well, fashion a conclu-
anticipated return in Kate and they clearly bore him. life into the rumors, two sion that, although not en-
Atkinson’s new novel, “Big The plot develops slowly young female police offi- tirely lawful, is justice none-
Sky.” Although the book at first as Atkinson intro- cers, including Brodie’s old theless.
is billed as the fifth install- duces a cabal of seem- friend Reggie (introduced As always in a Kate Atkinson
ment in the Brodie series, ingly ordinary professional in 2008’s “When Will There book , whether it’s the Bro-
the brooding, modern-day men whose sideline is lur- Be Good News”), are as- die series or her mainstream
white knight isn’t the pro- ing girls into the sex trade. signed to reopen the case. novels, the pleasures derive
tagonist of this alternately The men’s wives and chil- The unfolding plot snags a from her mastery as a sto-
depressing, inspiring and This cover image released by dren are either unaware of dozen main characters in ryteller, her skillful charac-
Little, Brown and Company
slyly funny tale. In fact, he shows “Big Sky,” a novel by where their wealth comes a web of duplicity, human ter development and the
blunders into the vile con- Kate Atkinson. from or don’t care to know. misery, betrayal and mur- beauty of her quirky and
spiracy at the center of the Associated Press The conspiracy has deep der that Atkinson skillfully re- poetic prose.q