Megan Thee Stallion had a monumental night at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, taking home the awards for Best New Artist, Best Rap Song (“Savage Remix Ft. Beyonce), and Best Rap Performance (“Savage Remix Ft. Beyonce). These were Megan’s first GRAMMY wins. Megan also graced the GRAMMY stage for a dynamic performance of her global hits “Savage” and “Body”, followed by a show-stopping performance of “WAP”, her record-breaking collaboration with Cardi B. Her GRAMMY Award-winning song “Savage Remix ft. Beyonce” became her first #1 single and ignited a global dance sensation on Tik Tok and Instagram. With over 1.2 billion global streams to date, the song also had a huge charitable impact; both Megan and Beyonce donated their proceeds from the song to Houston’s Bread of Life, raising over $1 Million.

Megan’s GRAMMY wins come on the heels of her critically acclaimed debut album Good News, released in November. Aside from the release of her album, Megan has had a truly incredible year. She was honored as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and in October, following a powerful and politically charged performance on Saturday Night Live that demanded justice for Breonna Taylor, Megan published her monumental ‘Why I Speak Up For Black Women’ op-ed and accompanying visual with The New York Times. Most recently, Megan teamed up with the National Association of Christian Churches (NACC) Disaster Services and U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee for her #HottiesHelpingHouston initiative that aims to rebuild and repair homes for senior citizens and single mothers affected by the recent devastation in her hometown of Houston, Texas. Megan prioritizes her philanthropic efforts and she champions women’s empowerment. She recently partnered with Fashion Nova for International Women’s Day, launching an initiative to give away $1 million in the month of March to finance female entrepreneurs, female students, women-owned businesses, and women-focused charities. Megan also recently teamed up with Cash App to spread financial literacy around Bitcoin and banking. This past year, Megan has also partnered with some of beauty and fashion’s most iconic names – she the new face of Calvin Klein’s Spring 2021 campaign, as well as a Global Brand Ambassador for Revlon and the face of Coach’s Fall/Winter 2021 campaign. Megan The Stallion is a multi-faceted star, record-breaker, philanthropist, and ever-evolving cultural icon, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

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XSCAPE, FREDDIE JACKSON, YOLANDA ADAMS ANDARRESTED DEVELOPMENT TO RECEIVE BLACK MUSIC HONORS RECOGNITION

Chicago based television production company Central City Productions announces the 2019 Black Music Honors television taping set to take place on Thursday, September 5th at The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, GA. During this star-studded two-hour television special, Central City Productions (CCP) will honor artists and musicians who have influenced and made significant contributions to American music.
The honorees for this year’s Black Music Honors include Xscape who will receive the Urban Music Icon Award for the platinum selling quartet group’s 25 years in the industry. Yolanda Adams will receive the Gospel Music Icon Award. Culturally-conscience eclectic group, Arrested Development and chart-topping crooner, Freddie Jackson, whose career has spanned over 33 years, will also be honored.
“The vision behind the Black Music Honors is to recognize the trailblazers in African American music who have paved the way for the artists of today. Many of these artists have never received their much-deserved recognition,” stated Founder and Executive Producer, Don Jackson.
Television and radio personality Rickey Smiley and GRAMMY® Award-winner and actress LeToya Luckett return as co-hosts of the show, which is set to air in broadcast syndication Sept. 14 – October 20, 2019. State Farm returns as the show’s title sponsor.
The epic event will be held at The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre located at 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show taping at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available at: blackmusichonors.com and ticketmaster.com
The 4th Annual Black Music Honors show is Executive Produced by Don Jackson, with Jennifer J. Jackson serving as Producer and Michael A. Johnson as Producer and Director.
For more information on Black Music Honors, please visit www.blackmusichonors.com and connect on social media @blackmusichonors #BMH2019 and #BlackMusicMatters.

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Your girl Cardi B opened the show with an exciting reveal of what we thought was her adorable baby, but turned out to be…..her moon person for Song of Summer, but the Bronx native went on to snag awards for Best New Artist and Best Collab later in the night. Shawn Mendes’ dripping performance of “In My Blood” had us sweating, Logic brought people facing immigration issues up on stage with him during “One Day,” and Panic! At The Disco had us dancing during “High Hopes.”

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The Dec. 2 concert in Johannesburg is part of events marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of the anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, organizers announced Monday.

Others headlining the festival include Ed Sheeran, Usher, Pharrell Williams and African artists including Wizkid, Cassper Nyovest and Femi Kuti.

Oprah Winfrey will give a keynote address on the legacy of Mandela, who died in 2013, said the organizers. Other hosts will include Naomi Campbell and actors Forest Whitaker and Tyler Perry.

The Global Citizen movement has a goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, and its Mandela 100 campaign hopes to bring in $1 billion in new pledges for the world’s poorest people.

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“If you’re talking about racism and sexism, that moment in my life showed the cracks in everyone I knew,” she said. “I was at Roc Nation at the time and JAY-Z was managing me. The lawsuit was so ridiculous, it proposed that they would keep one hundred percent of my earnings for the rest of my life if I ever earned more than $2 million dollars. JAY-Z was, like, ‘You should sign that shit’ and I was, like, ‘No.’” Read the full story at Huck.

Pitchfork has contacted M.I.A. and JAY-Z’s respective representatives for comment and more information.

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On Saturday, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter showed she’s a true fan of fine art (or just teasing her parents) by throwing her paddle into a bidding war, and offering $17,000 on a painting of Sidney Poitier. It was all part of the Wearable Art Gala in Los Angeles, organized by Blue’s grandparents, Tina Knowles and husband Richard Lawson.

“Y’all made me come from behind the podium, because Blue was out there bidding,” said Star Jones, who served as the event’s auctioneer.

Blue Ivy & Beyoncé arriving at the #WearableArtGala tonight ? pic.twitter.com/WDVxZO8YFP

— Blue Ivy Source (@blueivysource) March 18, 2018

After Blue made the initial bid, Tyler Perry countered with $18K for the Poitier piece.

Blue came back with $19K, as Jay-Z jokingly tried to take her arm down.

Finally, the art was sold to Perry for a cool $20K.

The exchange was caught in a video shared by @alrhemist.

Lool… Blue Ivy is about to buy all the Artworks at the auction. She must have been listening to JayZ's tracks about Basquiat and investing in Art. pic.twitter.com/Nd0pFrA16z

— R. (@alrhemist) March 18, 2018

However, Vanity Fair reports that Blue, in a gold wig that matched her mother’s outfit, didn’t stop her bidding there. She won a different item at the auction: a $10K art piece made of deconstructed law and medical books.

Other highlights of the fund-raising event included humanitarian awards given to Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s mother, Gloria Carter.

The gala benefits the WACO (Where Art Can Occur) Theater Center, which provides teen mentorship programs and a place for expression through theater and art.

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The superstar couple announced the “OTR II” stadium tour on Monday.

The tour will kick off Wednesday, June 6, in Cardiff, UK. They’ll stop in 15 cities across the United Kingdom and Europe before hitting 21 cities in North America.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting the announcement since a posting briefly appeared on Ticketmaster and Beyoncé’s Facebook page last week for a July 30 “On the Run 2” date at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field

Beyoncé on Monday shared a series of photos on her official Instagram account about the upcoming tour.

The pair last toured jointly with “On The Run” in 2014.

They recently released a video for their song “Family Feud” from Jay-Z’s Grammy-nominated “4:44” album.

The presale comes Wednesday, followed by general public sales on March 19.

More information can be found at Beyonce.com.

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“Meanwhile Georgie Porgie sinnin’ and sendin’ me threats/Save your breath, you couldn’t beat a flight of steps/Try that shit with a grown man/I’ll kill that fuckboy with my own hand,” Hov spits. Ouch.

The bars seem to be a direct response to Zimmerman threatening the New York rap mogul a few months back. Jay is executive producing a documentary series on Trayvon Martin’s life. In December, Zimmerman claimed film crews made unannounced visits to his family members’ homes in order to try and get interviews for the series, and the former neighborhood watchman was pissed. “I know how to handle people who fuck with me, I have since February 2012,” he reportedly told The Blast, adding, “anyone who fucks with my parents will be fed to an alligator.”

It sounds like Hov is willing to put the beats on Zimmerman, but has plans on exposing him in a more diplomatic way. Jay’s series, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story is set to be released in July through the Paramount Network.

M

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Susan Monaghan, the woman behind the now infamous photo of a really surprised fan reacting to seeing Beyoncé and JAY-Z, has recounted her unlikely story in an interview with the Boston Globe.

The New Jersey resident was in Manhattan on Saturday night (Jan. 27) with family for her granddaughter’s gymnastics competition and to celebrate her daughter’s birthday when she said she headed up to her room alone as the rest of her family stayed behind.

Monaghan detailed that as she exited the elevator she saw photographers and security guards rushing by and she tried to step out of the way but found herself in a close encounter with a “handsome” man that she could not place at first.

“I’m thinking in my mind, ‘Who is this?’ And I looked at him and he looked tall, and thin, and had curly hair, and was really good-looking,” she said.

Monaghan did not realize that she happened to be staying at the same hotel where Clive Davis holds his iconic pre-Grammys party and then she saw Beyoncé and reacted as any mere normal person would when being blessed to come in such close contact with Queen Bey herself.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’” Monaghan shared, recalling the moment when she realized how close she was to music’s biggest couple. “I looked at her and all I could think was, ‘No one is going to believe me. No one is going to believe me.’”

She even began shouting it out loud and that’s when the “Formation” singer flashed her a smile that Monaghan read as, “Don’t worry, it’s going to be OK.”

When asked why she believes Beyoncé included the picture of her among the numerous shots posted to Instagram, Monaghan shared “I think she posted it for me. So people would believe me.”

To see the hilarious shot — which was spoofed and talked about on late night shows all week — skip to the fourth picture in the photo series below.

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“JAY-Z also embodies the vibrant spirit of New York City and we couldn’t imagine a more fitting honoree as we return to Manhattan for this year’s GRAMMY Awards,” Neil Portnow, president/ceo of the Recording Academy said. JAY-Z leads the charge with eight Grammy nominations including album of the year, song of the year, best rap album, best rap song, record of the year, best rap/sung collaboration, best music video, and best rap performance.
Hov’s latest album didn’t only earn him Grammy nods; in addition to his Grammy nominations, JAY-Z and his mother, Gloria Carter, will be honored at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards for their 4:44 collaboration “Smile,” where Gloria shares her coming out story.
Billboard has reached out to JAY-Z’s reps for confirmation.
The 2018 Grammy Awards will be held at Madison Square Garden this Sunday (Jan. 28) and will air live on CBS beginning at 7:30 pm EST.

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