Janet Jackson and Mary J. Blige Will Headline Essence Festival 2018
Essence Festival keeps getting better. The lineup for the 2018 festival has been revealed. Music legends Janet Jackson and Mary J. Blige will headline the event, which will take place July 5-8 in New Orleans.
Other artists announced in the first round of performers include Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Fantasia, Miguel, Kelly Price, Ro James, Marsha Ambrosius, Dave Hollister, Xscape and 112. Emerging singers H.E.R., Daniel Caesar, Kelela, Kevin Ross, MAJOR. and DVSN have also been added to the bill. More performers will be revealed at a later date.
Jamie Foxx will return as the host of the 2018 BET Awards. This will be his second time hosting the BET Awards since 2009.
Foxx joins an A-List roster of comedians who have hosted the ceremony, including Leslie Jones, Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, Chris Rock, Mo’Nique, Kevin Hart and Chris Tucker.
The Unpredictable singer has a busy year ahead of him. He will star in Lionsgate’s action-adventure Robin Hood, which hits theaters November 21. He is also working on his directorial debut in the upcoming film, All-Star Weekend, which he wrote and stars in.
The 2018 BET Awards nominations were announced last week with Rihanna and SZA among the top nominees. R&B newbies H.E.R. and Daniel Caesar scored their first-ever nominations, including Best New Artist.
The 2018 BET Awards will air live on Sunday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Solange not only has an ear for music but she also has an eye for fashion.
The Grammy-Award winning singer was honored on Monday night by The New School at the 70th Annual Parsons Benefit. Her close friends/collaborators Dev Hynes and Kelela were also in attendance to help celebrate.
Solange went to Instagram on Tuesday morning to express her gratitude. “I literally woke up w the biggest smile on my face…bursting at the seams with gratitude from this night,” she wrote. “ENDLESS thank you to @missymisdemeanorelliott @erykahbadu @pharrell for the words u shared! they will echo in my heart FOREVER. there was so much love in that room during those moments, I couldn’t even believe it was real. im gonna continue to strive and live up to those words now. u all are my literal idols, u left the blueprint, and u taught me how to be me when I didn’t have the language or the tools…I’m eternally grateful…”
Marco Bizzarri, CEO of Gucci, and José Neves, CEO and Founder of Farfetch were also honored at the event.
The Parsons Benefit recognized individuals who embody the university’s commitment to creativity and innovation. The program featured special video presentations by Pharrell, Missy Elliott, and Erykah Badu along with remarks by Vince Staples in honor of Solange’s impact as a pioneering figure in fashion and art.
Parsons, one of the leading art and design schools in the world, hosts the Parsons Benefit, in collaboration with The New School’s College of Performing Arts, each year to present and empower the next generation of fashion designers and performers, and to raise instrumental funds for student scholarships. Donors’ generosity through the Benefit supports education that enables students to pursue studies in art, design, liberal arts, music, technology, and social innovation.
Ella Mai has done it. The rising UK singer has landed her first No. 1 song of her career as “Boo’d Up” rises to the top spot on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart this week.
The DJ Mustard-produced cut debuted on the chart at No. 13 in late March, only taking 10 weeks to accomplish this No. 1 achievement.
Mai is close to making more chart worthy news soon. Her single “Boo’d Up” currently stands at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. If the song enters the top 10 next week, she could be the first solo female R&B artist to achieve a top 10 single (of new material) since Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” (No. 5) in 2017.
The Ready singer is gearing up to release her debut album soon, which is executive produced by DJ Mustard.
“We’re pretty close to finishing,” Mai told Billboard. “You can hear the growth from my EP’s into this project. Content-wise, it’s a bit more mature. It’s still me and, like the EP’s, still about love and relationships. There are definitely some collaborations but I can’t share those just yet.”
