By STACEY PLAISANCE and CHEVEL JOHNSON, Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Iconic females in the music industry shined at the Essence Festival, where Queen Latifah used her debut performance to celebrate “Ladies First” and her 30 years in the trenches. Latifah was one of the headliners on the festival’s main stage Saturday and was […]
Category: Music
Posted inArts & Culture, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music
Ella Mai Makes First Essence Festival Appearance Saturday
By CHEVEL JOHNSON, Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — R&B singer-songwriter Ella Mai’s meteoric rise up the charts and in fans’ hearts brings her to the 2018 Essence Festival in New Orleans. The 23-year-old London-born singer has never attended the festival, which for 24 years has celebrated all aspects of Black culture, but she says […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music
Musical Based on The Temptations Life Thunders at Kennedy Center
By Lenore T. Adkins, Special to the AFRO Next to “Hamilton,” “Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations” is one of the hottest shows at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as tickets are going fast, but the musical hasn’t sold out. After earning rave reviews and breaking records […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music, National News, NEWS, TV and Film
$1.1M Awarded to Preserve African-American Historic Sites
By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Grants totaling $1.1 million will help support important African-American heritage sites including the homes of jazz musician John Coltrane and playwright August Wilson, a Virginia location central to the slave trade and civil rights locations in Birmingham, a preservation group announced Friday. The money from the […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music
Show on Slavery Prompts Artist to Quit Montreal Jazz Fest
By The Associated Press American singer-songwriter Moses Sumney canceled his Tuesday night performance at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, protesting the event’s ties to a show on slavery performed by whites. The black entertainer criticized the festival for supporting “SLAV,” a theatrical production on black slavery that he said constitutes cultural appropriation. Instead of performing […]
Posted inArts & Culture, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music
Anita Baker to be Honored at BET Awards, Jamie Foxx to Host
By MESFIN FEKADU, AP Music Writer Legendary singer Anita Baker will be honored at the 2018 BET Awards, which will be hosted Sunday by Jamie Foxx and feature performances by Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg and Migos. DJ Khaled is the leading nominee with six at the show, kicking off at 8 p.m. Eastern from the […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music
AP Source: J. Cole to Perform at BET Awards
By MESFIN FEKADU, AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — J. Cole is set to perform at Sunday’s BET Awards. A person familiar with the awards show, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not allowed to discuss the plans publicly, tells The Associated Press on Friday that the rapper will […]
Posted inArts & Culture, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Baltimore News, ENTERTAINMENT, Music, National News, NEWS
Baltimore Teacher Hopes to Take Music Students on World Tour
By J. K. Schmid, Special to the AFRO Singing Sensations has been invited to South Africa this summer. Offered a chance to perform during Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday celebration, the Baltimore choir group aims to tour in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. The Singing Sensations program is now in its 14th year. Dr. Hollie Hood-Mincey, who […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music, National News, NEWS
Bringing Back the Art of the Rap Beef
By Vance Brinkley, Special to the AFRO If you are a rap fan, there’s a very good chance that you are informed about the current beef between Pusha T and Drake. Ever since the G.O.O.D. Music president went for the Canadian superstar on “Infrared” off of his latest album “Daytona,” the social media world has been […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music, OPINION
On Finally Leaving Scandal-Plagued R. Kelly Behind
By Vance Brinkly, Special to the AFRO I remember the first time I came across music by R Kelly. I was 10-years-old, a nerdy, rather chubby kid bent on scavenging through people’s CD cases for movies and video games (sorry uncle Floyd). However, nothing made me more intrigued than the albums the grown folks had around, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Afroman to Pay $65K in Lawsuit Filed by Woman He Punched
By The Associated Press BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Musician and rapper Afroman has agreed to pay $65,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman he punched during a 2015 Mississippi performance. The Sun Herald reports a judgment filed Thursday in Harrison County Circuit Court says Afroman must pay Haley Byrd in monthly installments of […]
Posted inAfro Briefs, Arts & Culture, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, Music
Janet Jackson Shines at Billboard Music Awards
By The Associated Press The 2018 Billboard Music Awards paid tribute to the students and teachers affected by recent deadly shootings in Texas and Florida, while the night also featured show-stopping performances by iconic singer Janet Jackson and K-pop group BTS. Shawn Mendes and Khalid were joined onstage by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Show Choir […]