Diddy still has some dues to pay to Ciroc for not sticking to their deal and promoting their brand to the fullest, so he and the Vodka company threw an afterparty for the 2008 BET Awards Tuesday night in L.A. at the Roosevelt Hotel. Guestlist included: Lil’ Kim, Lil Wayne, Michelle Williams, Jermaine Dupri, Nelly, Ashanti, and more! Follow the break for more flicks from the shindig…

CONTINUE READING

Usher performing “In This Club” as the opener for the 2008 BET Awards, which aired last night live from Los Angeles.

The 2008 BET Awards went down last night, and while there were a few lackluster performances (Usher’s being one of them), there were a few memorable, surprising, and exciting moments. One being Alicia Keys’ performance when she brought out SWV, En Vogue, and TLC! Another notable performance of the evening was Ne-Yo’s, where he showed us he can hang with the big dogs when it comes to his dance moves - he even brought out the Jabbawockees (winners of MTV’s America’s Dance Crew). Chris Brown did his thing as well, and surprised everyone when he brought out Ciara. Did Rihanna approve of this beforehand? I’m curious to know. And speaking of Rihanna, did anyone else notice how far she’s come along, as far as her live vocals? I was really impressed when she performed Take A Bow! And last, but most certainly not least, on my list of the best performances of the night, Lil’ Wayne! He kind of scared me towards the end of the show because it seemed like he wasn’t going to come out. The show was already running 15 or 20 minutes over when he was introduced. But he did come out, and he showed us exactly how and why he has sold nearly 1,500,000 copies of Tha Carter: III so far! He started out with Got Money (feat. T-Pain), paid homage to Static Major (R.I.P.) with Lollipop, and ended off his performance with A Millie. He had the whole crowd hyped, and ended off the show perfectly.

While the 2008 BET Awards did have its good moments, much of the show left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. I expected a lot more from Usher. His performance was probably the most hyped up (pre-show), and ended up being one of the absolute worst of the night. While I love Keyshia Cole’s Heaven Sent, she really needs to work on her live vocals … and her stage presence. She had a lot of energy, she just didn’t know how to keep it all together. She looked like she was doing too much to me.

In my opinion, the 2007 BET Awards were much better. The performances, the overall show, and oh yeah … the host! Who the hell approved of D.L. Hughley being the host of this year’s show? I hope they received a pink slip in their box this morning. BRING MO’NIQUE BACK!!!

Follow the break for nearly 50 photos from all of last night’s performances
CONTINUE READING

Usher - “Love In This Club”

In case you missed the live coverage we did on the 2008 BET Awards last night, don’t worry. T2W is here to fill you in with the actual performances from the show! There were a lot of surprises in last night show and we have all of the performances thanks to HipHopMusicDotCom. Click play to view Usher’s performance of “Love In This Club” above!

CONTINUE READING

Many celebrities showed up in support of Cartier’s Third Annual Loveday Celebration. There were a lot musicians and actors there for this event. Eve, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupri, Common, Ashanti, Kimora Lee Simmons, Rosario Dawson, Fergie, and the list goes on. Check out more photos after the cut.

CONTINUE READING

PHOTOS: WIRE IMAGE

The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art held it’s annual gala last night to celebrate the opening of the new show “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” which runs from May 7 to September 1, 2008. Singers Janet Jackson, Beyonce and Mary J. Blige walked the red carpet alongside actresses like Thadie Newton and Paula Patton and all looked fabulous even though most of the dresses worn at the event last night were surprisingly low-key and safe considering the theme. Keep reading for more Pics and to see the best and worst dressed.

CONTINUE READING

(Photos: Ben Rose / Wire Image) Hotlanta was full of unsigned talent and the biggest names in hip-hop Thursday night (Apr. 24th). Atlanta’s Luckie Lounge was host to the 11th Annual BMI Atlanta Unsigned Urban Showcase, which featured performances from Lil’ Wayne, Sean Garrett and Teyana Taylor. But Usher, Lil Scrappy, Polow Da Don, Lil John, and a host of celebrities (from Atlanta and beyond) came out just to party!

CONTINUE READING

Polow Da Don is filling up those pockets, I see! He makes a cameo appearance in Nelly’s new video for Party People, the Polow-produced track featuring singer Fergie, which is the debut single from Nelly’s 5th studio album, Brass Knuckles. The album is currently looking at a June 24th 2008 release.

Check out Kelly Rowland’s new video after the cut! CONTINUE READING

PHOTOS: DENISE TRUSCELLO / WIRE IMAGE

Singer Fergie and Movie Director Quentin Tarantino celebrated their birthdays in Sin City at The Mirage Hotel and Casino on Thursday night. Celebs like Vivica A. Fox, Polow Da Don, Nelly, Keyshia Cole and many more came out to party with the pair. Looks like they had a lot of fun!

CONTINUE READING