This Sunday’s BET Awards are opening with a bang courtesy of Bruno Mars.

The chart titan will kick off Urban entertainment’s biggest night, it was confirmed moments ago.

Host Leslie Jones made the announcement on Twitter:

I told y’all we would start our wonderful life together, that’s why @BrunoMars and I are opening up the 2017 #BETAwards @BETAwards

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) June 23, 2017

It’ll be interesting to see what role the comedienne plays in what is sure to be an explosive performance from Mars, who – along with Beyonce – leads this year’s nominations.

Other performers set to hit the stage include Chris Brown, Mary J Blige, New Edition, Xscape, SZA, and Tamar Braxton. 

The 2017 BET Awards air live this Sunday (June 25th) from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Your thoughts?

[Photo credit: Getty]

Cop a gander of Cardi B!

The reality staple turned reputable Rap star cuts a striking figure a-front of Fader Magazine. 

Cementing her transition from ratchet provocateur on ‘Love & Hip-Hop’ to credible artiste, the 24-year-old’s feature is in the Summer Music Issue.

The spread arrives on the eve of the 2017 BET Awards, where outspoken Cardi is nominated for Best New Artist and Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. In the latter category, she’s up against heavy-hitters such as Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma.

It goes without saying, but the come-up is real!

Peep a stunning shot from her feature below…

Your thoughts?

TLC are readying their final album for release next week.

Due on June 30th, the promo run for the fan-funded project has seen T-Boz and Chilli touch a number of platforms. Billboard is one of the most recent and the ladies certainly made it count.

When quizzed on the presence (or lack thereof) of the late Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, the trio’s surviving members reveal an issue with their bandmate’s estate.

Peep this excerpt:

Lopes’ absence is felt on TLC, although there is one brief interlude crafted using an audio clip of her ripped from the internet. Watkins and Thomas say that Lopes’ estate — which released a posthumous album, Eye Legacy, in 2009 — is to blame. “The family, they held onto the other stuff,” says Watkins, as Thomas rolls her eyes. “I guess maybe they wanted money or something. I don’t think she’d be happy that people are trying to hold her vocals hostage.”

Whoa.

Your thoughts?

Camaraderie is a hard find in female Rap these days – especially in the wake of Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma‘s on-going feud.

However, Onika is looking to sprinkle some solidarity on the scene by teaming up with…Trina.

The tease occurred Twitter when the ‘No Frauds’ rapper responded with the following to the Queen of Miami’s recent tweet…

Interesting in earnest.

On the one hand because the prospect of their pairing is exciting.

Yet, it’s also noteworthy due to the fact Remy said Trina was supposed to join her on-stage at Summer Jam (during her unifying moment with female Rap pioneers) but she was “stuck on a cruise.”

Hmm.

In any case, peep Trina performing ‘Moment For Life’ in tribute to Nicki and Cash Money…

Your thoughts?

Candidness is encouraged in today’s day and age. However, it can also cause chaos – just ask Halsey.

The newcomer rose to prominence on The Chainsmokers smash ‘Closer’ and hit #1 recently with her album ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.’

During a promo interview with The Guardian (who also secured “that” controversial Tinashe feature), the singer made notable comments about Migos star Quavo (who features on her LP).

Having caught flack for his homophobic comments, Halsey (who is bisexual herself) took up for him and defended his intent. She said:

“I think he’s misunderstood. Just because I choose to be a socially conscious artist, and I’m pretty good at it, that doesn’t mean every artist is going to be equipped to be politically correct. I don’t think he’s inherently homophobic, I think he’s in a tough place of trying to explain what he means. I agree his apology was bullshit but I can’t police everybody.”

When the interviewer suggests that her album is one space she can police, the biracial 22-year-old  used her response to take an unexpected jab at Iggy Azalea:

 “Yes, I can. and there’s a lot of people I wouldn’t put on my record. Iggy Azalea: absolutely not. She had a complete disregard for black culture. Fucking moron. I watched her career dissolve and it fascinated me.”

As her words begun doing the rounds, it became clear that folk were not here for either of her comments. So much so that #HalseyIsCancelled begun to trend on Twitter.

Responding to the backlash, she took to Twitter to say…

Honestly? I didn’t know that Quavo had made homophobic comments when I collaborated him. We’ve never spoken a word to each other and +

— h (@halsey) June 23, 2017

+ I have no intention of pursuing a friendship there, unless he wants to make a legitimate apology.

— h (@halsey) June 23, 2017

I work tirelessly to represent & support marginalized communities I love & am a part of. I’m sorry if my actions have ever seemed otherwise.

— h (@halsey) June 23, 2017

I only meant to say that people can struggle being socially conscious if they don’t have the information/vocabulary. So we must educate them

— h (@halsey) June 23, 2017

And I’m proud to watch the young people around me work hard to educate themselves and others to stay woke every day.

— h (@halsey) June 23, 2017

I think thats an important point. I AM queer & I TRY to be understanding & want people to be educated. But im truly sorry for my misjudgment https://t.co/ESomRyiyBh

— h (@halsey) June 23, 2017

She was oddly unapologetic in regards to Iggy, tweeting and subsequently deleting the following…

“The quavo comments taken out of an off record convo about music industry homophobia. NOT a defense. Don’t regret the Iggy comments sorry.”

****************

Who put salt in her cereal?

Dragging Iggy is the definition of tired at this point and while she’s entitled to her views, they kinda feel catty for catty sake if she can’t be bothered to elaborate on why.

As for Migos, she’d have been better off manoeuvring away from the topic rather than that sloppy rationale.

Needless to say, someone clearly needs to sign up for Media Training 101.

Your thoughts?

Camila Cabello is leaving no stone unturned in the press run for debut solo single ‘Crying In The Club.’

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was the latest stage she graced and she made it count.

Doing away with the high-octane routines, the former Fifth Harmony singer instead teamed with a guitarist and jazzed up her vocal.

Check out the performance below…

Decent.

It’s cool to see her injecting some of her now-trademark vocal runs and isms into her delivery.

It’s a given that Camila will continue to push the song in earnest (as it gains traction slowly but surely); but having heard a preview of her album ‘The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving’ in London recently, we’re keen for her to show the masses more of what she’s working with.

Your thoughts?

Justin Bieber has been written off many times over the course of his 7 year career, but each time – much to the chagrin of respectable music lovers – the Canadian crooner keeps finding his name penciled in Billboard’s top spots (and history books).

Now, in addition to a plethora of historic achievements on charts including…

• Youngest artist to debut at #1 on the Hot 100
• Youngest artist to replace himself at #1 on the Hot 100
• Youngest male artist to earn three #1 singles from one album
• Most concurrent titles on the Hot 100 for a vocalist (17)

…Beliebers have helped the chart-topper nab another historic achievement (one we foresaw here).

Get the deets below:

According to Billboard:

“…Bieber, meanwhile, becomes the first act with the top three best-selling digital downloads in a single week [thanks to Luis Fonsi’s ‘Despacito,’ rapper DJ Khaled’s ‘I’m the One,’ and David Guetta’s ‘2 U’].

Bieber further makes history, becoming the first artist to rank at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 concurrently on Digital Song Sales, as David Guetta‘s “2U,” featuring Bieber, launches at No. 3 on the sales tally with 72,000 first-week downloads sold (following its June 9 release)…

Bieber, meanwhile, doubles his longest Hot 100 reign. Of his four prior No. 1s, he had ruled the longest with “Sorry,” for three weeks in early 2016.”

Look to see who joins Biebs in the top 25 on this week’s refreshed ‘Chart Check’:

Your thoughts?

“Only 14 songs have earned Diamond status to date, and Katy Perry owns three of them — what a remarkable achievement and testament to a groundbreaking artist,” said Cary Sherman, Chairman and CEO of the RIAA.

The statement above came just after news broke the Grammy-nominated singer, who is currently enjoying the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 with her latest album, ‘Witness’ – witnessed her name etched in history books for becoming the first artist ever to have three diamond singles.  That is, three singles that have respectively sold or streamed 10 million or more units.

To make the feat all the more impressive, the songs – ‘Firework’ (2010), ‘Dark Horse’ (2013), and now ‘Roar’ (2013) – were all released before the RIAA began incorporating streaming data into its certification calculations in early 2016.

The ‘Bon Appetit’ singer was previously tied with former rival Lady Gaga (“Bad Romance” and “Poker Face” ) and rapper Eminem (“Not Afraid” and “Love The Way You Lie”) who both – as of time reported – have two Diamond Song Awards each.

Congratulations to Katy!

The report comes as yet another milestone for the singer’s otherwise interesting 2017.

Her new album, ‘Witness,’ may be her first major label project to be released without a #1 single on the Hot 100 preceding it, but with over 187,000 sold its first week it has the best opening numbers of any female album released this year.

How did Katy respond to the news?  See below:

Your thoughts?

As fans get their eyes and ears ready to find out the fate of James St. Patrick (“Ghost”) on the 4th season premiere of ‘Power’ on Sunday, June 25th, viewers of STARZ’ flagship series were dealt a crushing blow when the show’s producer, rapper 50 Cent, revealed exactly when the series will end.

“I was telling [executives] in the very beginning, when they talked about how long do you think the series is going to last, I said seven,” 50, real name Curtis Jackson, told ABC News. “It’s going to go seven.”

Video may not be viewable in all countries

At least we can take comfort in knowing the show has at least 3 more full seasons of plot twists and OMG-worthy cliffhangers before we bid it adieu.

See below for season 4’s trailer ahead of its premiere:

Your thoughts?

Director John Singleton is certainly not looking to kiss and make up with the crew of ‘All Eyez On Me’ – the biopic of rapper Tupac Shakur (in theaters now).  As fans know, Singleton was originally on board to direct the flick before conflicts with fellow directors and producers over the film’s content caused him to dissociate from it and vow to make his own.

Recently taking to ‘The Big Tigger Show,’ the legendary director was quizzed on his thoughts on the critically panned film that celebrated a #3 box office opening this past weekend to the tune of $27 million in the U.S.

Joining an onslaught of negative reviews afforded the film, are you curious to hear the tongue lashing he lent ‘Eyez’?  Hear it from his mouth inside:

Start at 7:00:

As fans know, the “Aaliyah” movie Singleton is referring to is ‘Aaliyah: Princess of R&B’ – the unauthorized biographical account of the songstress’s life produced by Wendy Williams.  Airing on Lifetime in January 2015, the made-for-TV movie suffered a brutal slam from critics and viewers for poor casting, poor acting, and poor storytelling.

Click here to read more if you missed that.

Your thoughts?

JoJo sprung a surprise on fans moments ago with the release of brand new song ‘Wonder Woman.’

The scintillating slow jam melts everything folk have come to love from the 26-year-old – vocals, soul, and lyrics exquisite.

Introduced to the masses as a child wonder, Ms. Levesque has matured into a Wonder Woman.

Take a listen below as she asserts exactly that…

Delicious!

The production is rich, layered, and arresting and JoJo garnishes it with a vocal performance that embodies each trait.

Last year’s long-awaited return ‘Mad Love’ delighted us in earnest; now this has us hungry for more.

Your thoughts?

Over the course of TLC‘s illustrious career, the group have never been afraid of saying their mind.

In recent times, while promoting their final album, the approach has raised eyebrows. Case in point, Chilli‘s “Black Lives Matter” drama.

Now, in an interview with Billboard, the candidness continues. And this time it’s in regard to their former label head LA Reid.

As widely reported, the industry icon was rocked by major sexual harassment allegations which ultimately saw him exit Epic Records in an abrupt manner.

When quizzed on the matter, T-Boz‘s stance was made crystal clear.

See the excerpt below:

There is, for one, their reaction to Reid’s exit from Epic amid sexual harassment allegations. “I hear more people are coming out saying stuff,” says Watkins, as Thomas buries her face in her hands. “I was surprised he was fired, but [the accusations] didn’t come as a surprise. I don’t wish him anything ill. But surprised? No.” [Source]

Damn.

For what it’s worth, TLC actually reunited with Reid at Epic upon the release of their VH1 biopic in 2013. Indeed, ‘Meant To Be,’ a new cut featured in the film, was issued by the label.

The re-teaming was brief though, with the entities “going their separate ways” after Pebbles – Reid’s ex wife and the group’s former manager – filed a lawsuit about her depiction in the movie.

In any case, TLC’s self-titled final album drops June 30th.

Your thoughts?