The 2020 Billboard Music Awards are two weeks away, and Billboard has announced the first round of performers set to take the stage on Oct. 14. After an eight year absence, Alicia Keys will return to the BBMAs with a performance from her seventh studio album “Alicia”, after wowing the BBMA audience in 2012 with Stevie Wonder. Joining Keys on the docket will be several BBMA inaugural performers including Luke Combs, Bad Bunny, and Post Malone, the latter of whom leads this year’s lists of artists with with 14 nominations. Meanwhile, Combs, who won Top Country Artist at last year’s ceremony, and Bad Bunny are each running in four categories within their respective genres. As previously announced, Garth Brooks will take the stage as this year’s ICON Award recipient, following in the footsteps of previous honorees Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Cher, Celine Dion and more. More performers will be announced as the show’s big day draws closer. The 2020 Billboard Music Awards will air live on Oct. 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET, from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on NBC. Singer Kelly Clarkson will serve as host. The 2020 Billboard Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by MRC, Billboard’s parent company.
I’m extremely sad to report the death of longtime Tower Of Power bassist, Rocco Prestia. He was 69. Prestia had been in hospice care, and fans had been bracing for this moment. Tower Of Power was one of the hottest bands of the 1970s, charting with such hits as “What Is Hip”, “You’re Still A Young Man” and “So Very Hard To Go” among others. Prestia was a guitarist when Tower Of Power leader Emilio Castillo recruited him and convinced him to switch to bass. He was a mainstay of the group for three decades before an illness forced him to retire more than a decade ago. Rocc Prestia’s electric bass was a key part of Tower Of Power’s biggest hits and his legacy will live on. May he rest in peace.
Jimi Payton, known professionally as DJ Jimi, is an American club DJ from New Orleans, LA. Working out of the club Big Man’s, Payton honed his crowd hyping skills, and in 1992 he signed with Soulin Records. He recorded and release the single “(The Original) Where They At”, which included a bounce beat and infectious chants. He toured to support the record and recorded a follow up for Soulin/Avenue that featured the production work of Leroy “DJ Precise” Edwards and introduced the first recordings of rapper Juvenile, the first hip hop artist to emerge from New Orleans.
Bernard Wright is an American jazz/funk singer/keyboardist from Jamaica, Queens, New York City. He began his career as a session musician and later released four solo albums. In 1981, Wright signed with GRP Records and released his debut album “Nard.” The album was re-released in 2001. He followed with “Funky Beat” (1983) and “Mr. Wright” (1985) on Manhattan Records. The latter of these albums included the single “Who Do You Love”, for which a music video was made that is featured in the title sequence of Video Music Box. In 1990 Wright released the gospel album “Fresh Hymns.” In 2000 he formed a trio with Alfredo Elias and Damon Banks and released the album “Back To Our Roots.” Wright has also appeared on the recordings of such artists as Miami Mike Devine Pennington, Doug E. Fresh, Cameo, Bobby Brown, Pieces Of A Dream, Charles Earland, Marcus Miller and Miles Davis. Since his recording days, Wright has continued to play keyboards in Dallas, where he mentors young artists.
Rapper 21 Savage and producer Metro Boomin announced that they will release the follow up to their 2016 EP “Savage Mode” on Friday. The news comes two weeks after more than 28,000 fans signed a petition for “Savage Mode 2’s” release, according to XXL. The announcement arrived with an epic trailer, narrated by actor Morgan Freeman. The one-minute, Gibson Hazard -directed clip finds the duo in the studio on a dark, snowy night. See the trailer below.
Rapper DaBaby leads the 15th annual BET Hip Hop Awards with twelve nominations. Roddy Ricch follows with eleven. Megan Thee Stallion and Drake are tied for third place, with eight nominations each. Future received six nominations. Lil Baby grabbed four. Beyonce, DJ Khaled, Travis Scott and Mustard each received three. DaBaby has double nominations in four categories: Best Hip Hop Video, Song Of The Year, Hip Hop Album of the Year, and Best Collaboration. According to BET, this is the first time an artist has had two nominations for Hip Hop Album of the Year in the same year. DaBaby won Best New Hip Hop Artist last year. Ricch was nominated in that category last year. This year’s nominees in that category are Flo Milli, Jack Harlow, Mulatto, NLE Choppa, Rod Wave and the late Pop Smoke, who died on Feb. 19 at the age of 20. The BET Hip Hop Awards will air on Tuesday, October 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Here’s the complete list of nominations.
BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
DABABY, “BOP”
DABABY FEAT. RODDY RICCH, “ROCKSTAR”
DRAKE, “TOOSIE SLIDE”
FUTURE FEAT. DRAKE, “LIFE IS GOOD”
LIL BABY, “THE BIGGER PICTURE”
RODDY RICCH, “THE BOX”
BEST COLLABORATION
DABABY FEAT. RODDY RICCH, “ROCKSTAR”
FUTURE FEAT. DRAKE, “LIFE IS GOOD”
JACK HARLOW FEAT. TORY LANEZ, DABABY & LIL WAYNE, “WHATS POPPIN (REMIX)”
Aaron Tyler, known professionally as MC Eiht, is an American rapper/actor from Compton, CA. His stage name was partly inspired by the numeral in rapper KRS-One’s name. He chose Eiht for its links to “hood culture” including Olde English 800 and .38 caliber firearms. He began his career as a member of the West Coast rap group Compton’s Most Wanted. He’s known for his role as A-Wax in the 1993 film “Menace To Society”, as well as voicing the character Ryder in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. During the course of his career he’s released the albums “We Come Strapped” (1994), “Death Threatz” (1996), “Last Man Standing” (1997), “Section 8” (1999), “N’ My Neighborhood” (2000), “Tha8t’z Gangasta” (2001), “Hood Arrest” (2003), “Veterans Day” (2004), “Affiliated” (2006), “Which Way Iz West” (2017), “Official” (2020) and “Lessons” (2020).
Rahbi is an American singer from Atlanta, GA. He began his career singing gospel before catching the attention to Antonio “LA” Reid, who recruited him to be a member of the R&B vocal group 4th Avenue. When the group’s career faltered, he pursued a solo career and has developed a following that includes Erykah Badu and Jonelle Monae among others. He’s released several singles. “I Love You” is among them.
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