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Ledisi Announces ‘Let Love Rule Tour’ with Melanie Fiona and Tweet

Ledisi will take over the U.S. with her Let Love Rule Tour. She will be joined by Melanie Fiona and Tweet.

The 17-city tour kicks off on May 24 in Raleigh, NC and will include stops in Atlanta, D.C., Cleveland, and Memphis, to name a few.

The tour is named after Ledisi’s Grammy-nominated album, which received nominations in the “Best R&B Album,” “Best R&B Performance,” and “Best Traditional R&B Performance” categories at this year’s ceremony.

Melanie Fiona, who recently wrapped her mini winter tour, will be supporting her forthcoming album Next Train that is slated to release later this year. The album will feature singles “Remember U” and “Bite the Bullet.”

Tickets for the Let Love Rule Tour go on sale this Friday, March 2.

Before setting out on her new tour, Ledisi will appear at the Apollo Theater for a special one night only concert celebrating artist, activist and Apollo legend Nina Simone with Nina and Me: Ledisi Celebrates Nina Simone Live at the Apollo on March 9. The evening will feature Ledisi performing the timeless music of Nina Simone alongside some of her own, chart-topping hits.

Let Love Rule Tour Dates
May 24 — Raleigh, NC Ritz
May 25 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
May 26 — Atlanta, GA @ ATL Soul Life Music Festival*
May 27 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues**
May 29 — Greensboro, NC @ Cone Denim Center
May 30 — Greenville, SC @ Peace Center PAC
June 1 — Washington, DC @ Capital Jazz Festival*
June 2 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Resort & Spa
June 3 — Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
June 4 — Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
June 6 — Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
June 7 — Detroit, MI @ MotorCity Casino
June 8 — Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
June 9 — Hammond, IN @ Venue at Horseshoe Casino
June 10 — Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre
June 13 — Nashville, TN @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center
June 14 — Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
June 15 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues
June 17 — Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre

* Festival appearance

**Tweet will not be appearing

Keithan is the founder/editor-in-chief of Rated R&B

Jamie Foxx to Host 2018 BET Awards

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 Recognized as Fashion Pioneer at 70th Annual Parsons Benefit

Photo credit: Getty Images for The New School

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.

Dev Hynes, Solange and Kelela

Ella Mai Earns First No. 1 Single on Billboard

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.”

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