LOS ANGELES (BET Awards Website) - The second annual BET Awards upheld its black star power banner slogan Tuesday (June 25) when the event aired live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. In addition to being hosted by comedians Steve
Harvey and Cedric "The Entertainer," the BET Awards brought out some of the biggest names in entertainment, including honorees Earth, Wind & Fire, Muhammad Ali, and Will Smith, as well as Ashanti, Ja Rule,
Janet Jackson, and P. Diddy, among others.
Earth, Wind & Fire received the lifetime achievement award, and Ali took home the humanitarian award. Other honorees include Smith (best actor), Halle Berry (best actress), B2K (viewer's choice award), Usher (best male R&B), and India.Arie (best female R&B).
Arie, who did not win any awards at this year's Grammys despite being nominated for seven, said she was shocked to get a BET Award. "It's funny. I was caught way off guard because I know that the things that I talk about in my music and the gentleness of the production and everything is not what the popular thing is about," she said. "So to be honored by BET, especially, was very surprising and very satisfying. And it means more to me this year than it would have last year 'cause now I understand what awards are and what they're not. And what acceptance is and which acceptance matters and which acceptance doesn't. So it's a journey. I'm learning the lesson here."
R&B singer Sisqo has also learned a lesson over the last year, according to Usher. When commenting on his feelings about being named best male R&B artist, Usher recalled the boastful proclamation Sisqo made last year. "Last year Sisqo said he was the best R&B artist of all time. I guess not," Usher said with a laugh.
Tributes to Earth, Wind & Fire and Ali provided the night's performance highlights. For Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan performed "Fantasy," Gerald Levert and Tweet sang "Can't Hide Love," and the band played "Let's Groove Tonight."
In paying respect to Ali, Angie Stone sang her song "Brotha." Alicia Keys played Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)." Jill Scott offered a rendition of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," and Yolanda Adams performed Sly & the Family Stone's "Stand." Additionally, the event also featured live shows from Usher, B2K, Ashanti, Ja Rule, and Mary J. Blige.
The three-hour broadcast flowed smoothly, but the attendees felt a bit of tension during a disruption involving Tha Row CEO Suge Knight. There was an altercation between Knight and former Death Row artist Snoop Dogg. However, representatives for both Knight and Snoop Dogg did not provide comments by press time.
After the taping, Harvey explained what happened. "Now as far as the incident that happened, I just pulled Suge to the stage, kissed him, and asked him for respect, and he said that he would never disrespect what we doing. And he went back, and it was squashed, and that was it. Now, how it got going? I don't know. But I got relationship with some of these cats, so I'm able to talk to them. And you know they ain't, it ain't all the time what you think it is. Sometimes you just got to speak to people," he said.
