The “2015 Billboard Music Awards” Returns to ABC Sunday, May 17^th at 8pm ET Live From The MGM Grand Garden Arena

Billboard and dick clark productions announced today that “Empire” recording artists Jussie Smollett and Bryshere “Yazz” Gray will perform at this year’s award show for an “Empire” themed performance featuring Grammy Award-winning British songstress Estelle, singing a medley of the show’s biggest hits, “Conqueror” and “You’re So Beautiful.” These stars join previously announced musical performers Iggy Azalea, Fall Out Boy featuring Wiz Khalifa, Kelly Clarkson, Hozier, Nick Jonas, John Legend, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Britney Spears and Meghan Trainor. The “2015 Billboard Music Awards” will be hosted by Ludacris and Chrissy Teigen and broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17, on ABC from 8:00 PM–11:00 PM ET.”There’s no way I could possibly love music more than I already do. The Billboard Music Awards has been the epitome of celebrating some of the best of the best in music,” stated Smollett. “To be included as a performer on this year’s celebration is a huge honor.”

“I’m still living in a dream – the success of Empire and now getting the honor to perform at the Billboard Music Awards. It’s truly a blessing,” said Yazz.

“My hope is that ‘Conqueror’ will continue to inspire people as much as possible. It’s such a powerful message! I cannot wait to perform it at the Billboard Music Awards with Jussie!” said Estelle.

Fun performer facts include:

• The Empire TV soundtrack — which features Smollett and Yazz on 12 of its 18 songs — debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It’s the first TV series soundtrack to hit No. 1 in the history of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Combined, all of the released songs from the TV series have sold 1.5 million downloads in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music.
• Combined, Smollett’s songs have sold more than a million downloads, and he’s earned six hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart — all from the Empire TV series. Those include three top 40 hits: “Good Enough,” “You’re So Beautiful” (with Yazz) and “Conqueror,” with the latter song being his highest peaking (No. 15)

BOOSIE BADAZZ RETURNS WITH LONG AWAITED NEW ALBUM

“TOUCH DOWN 2 CAUSE HELL”;

LEGENDARY RAPPER HERALDS FIRST FULL-LENGTH RELEASE IN FOUR YEARS

WITH NEW TRACK, “RETALIATION”

AND STREET TRACK, “ON THAT LEVEL (FEAT. WEBBIE)”;

“TOUCH DOWN 2 CAUSE HELL” OFFICIALLY DROPS MAY 26^TH

Trill Entertainment and Atlantic Records have announced the long awaited release of the new album from legendary Baton Rouge rapper Boosie BadAzz. “TOUCH DOWN 2 CAUSE HELL” drops everywhere on May 26^th.

“TOUCH DOWN 2 CAUSE HELL” is preceded by the new tracks, “Retaliation” https://youtu.be/K86fdjt8fns and “Like A Man (Feat. Rich Homie Quan)” https://youtu.be/MFh2WIIh1OQ. The massively anticipated album – which also includes the street single, “On That Level (Feat. Webbie)” – is further heralded by Boosie’s “TOUCH DOWN 2 CAUSE HELL” documentary trailer, now streaming at https://youtu.be/4kBTEi2PD_0.

Boosie BadAzz – until recently known worldwide as Lil’ Boosie – is among the most celebrated rappers of his generation. The Baton Rouge native first lit up the hip hop underground at just 17 and soon teamed with the renowned label Trill Entertainment to unleash a series of undisputed classics, including 2003’s “GHETTO STORIES” and 2004’s “GANGSTA MUSIK” (both with longtime collaborator Webbie), and 2009’s top 10 breakthrough, “SUPERBAD: THE RETURN OF BOOSIE BADAZZ.” His fifth and most recent solo album, 2010’s “INCARCERATED,” was recorded and released while serving a 96-month prison sentence at Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary. The album earned widespread acclaim, with SPIN hailing it as “an enormously heartfelt album that makes his legal plight even more of a feel-bad story.”

Released in March 2014 after serving a reduced sentence of 52 months, Boosie made his first public statements at the #BOOSIESPEAKS press conference, streamed live from New Orleans to his global fan following. The event proved one of the largest urban streams in Atlantic Records history with 40K people logged on and 177K overall viewers.

Since then, Boosie has been among this year’s most active and in demand rappers, with appearances on such tracks as 2 Chainz “Wuda Cuda Shuda (Feat. Lil Boosie),” Dorrough Music’s “Beat Up The Block (Feat. Lil Boosie),” DJ Mustard’s “Face Down (Feat. Lil Wayne, Big Sean, YG & Lil Boosie),” Jeezy’s “Beez Like (Feat. Lil Boosie),” and T.I.’s “Jet Fuel (Feat. Boosie Badazz).”

For more information, please log on to http://www.officialboosie.com/, twitter.com/lilboosie_ (@lilboosie_), www.trillent.com, and www.atlanticrecords.com.

Release Date: May 26^th

TRACKLISTING

1. Intro
2. Windows of My Eyes
3. Retaliation
4. Like A Man ft. Rich Homie Quan
5. No Juice
6. Don Da Da
7. Mr. Miyagi
8. On Deck
9. Hip Hop Hooray
10. On That Level ft. Webbie
11. She Don’t Love Me ft. Chris Brown
12. Drop Top Music ft. Rick Ross
13. How She Got Her Name
14. Spoil You ft. T.I
15. Black Heaven ft. Keyshia Cole
16. Kicking Clouds
17. Hands Up

VALLEJO, CA (Apr. 24, 2015) – Hip-Hop icon E-40 announced today he will headline his national “Choices” Tour starting in May, with rising stars Stevie Stone, Nessasary and Cool Nutz as opening acts. The 39-city tour kicks off on May 5th in San Diego and wraps up in Tempe, Arizona on June 17th. After dropping his triple album “Sharp on All 4 Corners” late last year, E-40 continues to set the bar high for fellow artists in the rap game, and shows no signs of slowing down.

“This is the first tour I’m headlining of this magnitude and I’m just excited to continue giving my fans and people who love my music, a chance to come rock with me up close and personal,” the Bay Area trailblazer says.

With a solid career that has lasted longer than most, E-40’s new tour is yet another testament to how he’s been able to remain relevant in today’s rap game. Titled after his hit record “Choices,” the move validates him as a thriving artist in an ever-evolving industry. With a current feature on Big Sean’s smash hit “I Don’t Fuck With You,” and Big Krit’s “Mind Control” with Wiz Khalifa last year, E-40 ingeniously maintains his star power with today’s hottest new artists.

With no major label backing, E-40 is bringing this indie tour to the masses entirely on his own accord to show his appreciation to his massive fan base. As a successful businessman in the beverage industry with his line of Earl Stevens Selections wines and “Slurricane” cocktails, E-40 has successfully transitioned from rapper to brand-builder.

With state-of-the-art production by Tech N9ne’s Strange Music in association with Sick Wit It Records, the Choices Tour is slated to bring a solid night of entertainment for Hip-Hop lovers across the nation.

Keep up with E-40 on Twitter and Instagram: @E40

See link below for “Choices” Tour Dates:

http://www.mtv.com/artists/e-40/tourdates/

BET Networks is pleased to announce that it is stepping into the ring with Roc Nation Sports as their exclusive broadcast partner to air live throne boxing events on the network. The partnership between BET Networks and Roc Nation Sports is the first of its kind for the network and includes airing up to nine live, two-hour telecasts of Roc Nation Sports throne boxing events over the next 18 months. The first main event fight to air on BET Networks will feature WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KO’s) facing former World Title Challenger Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KO’s) of England on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. In addition to the great action inside the ring, the telecast will feature several notable Roc Nation touches that offer an unprecedented fan experience, including a live musical performance and a name DJ to keep the energy at a high level throughout the night. Fans can catch the action live on BET in the United States and globally on TIDAL.com, the newly launched music streaming service that combines the best high fidelity sound quality, high definition music videos and expertly curated editorial.

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $90, $60 and $30, not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Friday, April 24 at 10:00 AM PT and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

“BET is constantly searching for ways to expand its portfolio of content with the sole goal of satisfying our audiences,” said Stephen G. Hill, President of Programming, BET Networks. “Roc Nation is doing very exciting things in the entertainment space and we are excited to partner with them on this groundbreaking deal positioning BET Networks as a go-to destination for premier live boxing events. Together, we’ll provide unique entertainment.”

“We’re thrilled to not only be introducing our newest broadcast partnership with BET Networks, but also to use this new platform to telecast Andre Ward’s highly anticipated return to the ring,” said David Itskowitch, COO – Boxing of Roc Nation Sports. “On June 20, we will once again provide fans a night of exciting throne boxing fights, live musical entertainment and an unprecedented fan experience.”

“I’m very excited to be coming back on June 20 at Oracle Arena in my hometown of Oakland which has been a long time coming,” said Ward. “I’m equally excited to be fighting on BET in front of a potential viewership of over 90 million homes. As a fighter, this diversifies my portfolio and puts me in front of a whole different audience. I have an extremely tough fighter in front of me in Paul Smith who’s looking to pull the upset, but I can’t let that happen. I have to be on my best game to turn Smith away and beat him the way I want to beat him. As always, I’m ready to put on a tremendous performance in front of my hometown fans and those watching on BET. This is a fight you don’t want to miss.”

“I cannot wait to get back in the ring and test myself against a class act like Andre Ward. I proved that I belong at the top level with my performances against Arthur Abraham and this is a challenge that I am relishing,” said Smith. “Andre is a top pound-for-pound fighter and someone I respect a lot, but he has only boxed once in almost three years and I will give it everything I have got. I am fresh and confident going into this fight. It’s a massive opportunity for me and one that I took with both hands when it was offered. I have spent a lot of time boxing in the United States and I look forward to returning for this fight.”

Known for his strong character and integrity outside the ring and his killer instinct inside it, Andre Ward’s skill and talent were apparent early in his outstanding amateur career. He racked up every title in the books, culminating with a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. As the only male American boxer to claim Olympic gold since 1996, Ward joined the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya. He turned professional on December 18, 2004, scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Chris Molina at Staples Center in a fight that was televised live on HBO. He has gone on to rack up 26 more victories since then, building an ever-growing legion of fans in the process. After becoming the Ring Magazine and WBA Super Middleweight World Champion, rising to the number two spot on the pound-for-pound list and winning the 2011 Fighter of the Year Award (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America), it was announced that Ward signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports in January 2015, opening a new chapter in his storied boxing career. Now the Bay Area product is ready to return to the ring on June 20 at the Oracle Arena in front of his hometown fans in Oakland, California.

Paul “Real Gone Kid” Smith enters his fight against pound-for-pound star Ward coming off of two heroic performances against WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Arthur Abraham. Smith challenged the Armenian-German for his title in Kiel, Germany in September 2014 and put on the performance of his career in his world title first shot. The 32-year-old native of Liverpool was the clear winner of large parts of the fight and celebrated at the bell in front of a hushed partisan crowd that thought that Abraham had been dethroned. Smith was not expecting the wide scorecards that were read out in favor of the hometown fighter and, judging by the far-reaching outrage at the lopsided numbers, neither were the majority of the boxing world and beyond, with Smith receiving support from some of Britain’s biggest sports stars on social media. A rematch was the only possible scenario and, like a true champion, Abraham duly obliged. Smith returned to Germany in February of this year to face Abraham again, this time in Berlin, but Abraham was a different fighter the night of their second fight, successfully defending his belt against a brave challenge from Smith. Once again the judges’ were forced to give a verdict and this time a decision win by Abraham was met with no outcry of controversy. On June 20, “Real Gone Kid” will return to the ring and once again venture into hostile territory to take on one of boxing’s best, looking to silence the crowd.

Ward vs. Smith, presented by Roc Nation Sports, takes place Saturday, June 20 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, will be televised live on BET and streamed globally on TIDAL.com at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT and is presented in association with Matchroom Sport.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS:

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS:

Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents world champions Miguel Cotto and Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar and Frances Tiafoe. For more information please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

ABOUT ORACLE ARENA & O.co COLISEUM:

Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, managed by AEG Facilities, are the premiere sports and entertainment complexes in Northern California. Home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and MLB’s Oakland Athletics as well as host to concerts, family shows and special events. Additional information on Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, including a complete schedule of events can be found online at www.coliseum.com. Follow Oracle Arena on Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat @OracleArena and on Facebook www.faecbook.com/OracleArenaO.coColiseum.

Source: BET Networks

So… You find out that you have ancestors that were slave owners… what would you do? Hide it? or let the world know that you discovered this while performing a search during a PBS show Finding Your Roots?

Well guess what… Ben tried to hide it… and thanks to WikiLeaks… the world now knows the story…  and they also know that Sony was in on the cover up…

Affleck broke his silence on the controversy by posting an apology on Facebook Tuesday night, saying, “I regret my initial thoughts that the issue of slavery not be included in the story. We deserve neither credit nor blame for our ancestors and the degree of interest in this story suggests that we are, as a nation, still grappling with the terrible legacy of slavery. It is an examination well worth continuing. I am glad that my story, however indirectly, will contribute to that discussion. While I don’t like that the guy is an ancestor, I am happy that aspect of our country’s history is being talked about.”

Diddy’s back in the studio recording and Kanye West is now on the team of producers to help him… ‘The Hitmen’ was the production collective that was the backbone of most of Bad Boy Records’ hits through the ’90s and early ’00s.

West joins Chucky Thompson, Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, Steven “Stevie J” Jordan, Mario Winans and Nashiem Myrick…  “Making Money Mitch” looks like the new title of the album… Kevin Hart gets some credit for that…