Bet Awards 2024: Usher Is Honored, Will Smith Returns, and the Election is Top of Mind

Usher accepts the Lifetime Achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Usher accepts the Lifetime Achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Bet Awards 2024: Usher Is Honored, Will Smith Returns, and the Election is Top of Mind

Usher accepts the Lifetime Achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Usher accepts the Lifetime Achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Usher accepted the lifetime achievement award at the 2024 BET Awards - even if the superstar mused it might be a bit early.
The Grammy winner stayed on his feet as a parade of artists performed his hits - Childish Gambino kicked it off with "U Don´t Have to Call," joined by Keke Palmer, who took the lead on "You Make Me Wanna..." Coco Jones appeared in the audience for a sultry rendition of "There Goes My Baby," serenading Usher and his wife Jenn Goicoechea, The Associated Press said.
Summer Walker hit the stage for "Good Good," Tinashe did "Nice & Slow," Marsha Ambrosius tackled "Superstar" and Chlöe performed "Good Kisser." Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monét teamed up for "Bad Girl," mirroring Usher and Beyoncé´s choreography from their performance of the song. Latto brought the energy for "Yeah!" In some ways, the homage underscored the women that carried much of the night - dominating the performances.
After introductions by Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, Usher accepted the award from music executive L.A. Reid.
"Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it," Usher began his lengthy speech, reflecting on his career, which has spanned over three decades. He questioned the timing, saying, "I´m still running and gunning and I still love this (expletive) like I did when I was 8 years old," he said.
Much of his speech couldn't be heard to audiences at home because it was censored.
"I forgive each and every person who had anything to say negative about me because it only motivated me to be who I am," he said at one point.
Earlier in the night, Will Smith stood in a circle of fire - joined by Fridayy and the gospel choir Sunday Service - to make the live debut of his latest single, "You Can Make It."
"I don´t know who needs this right now," Smith opened his set. "But I am here to tell you, you can make it."
Mid-way through, Kirk Franklin joined, and then two rapped together. "Nobody gets an easy ride," Smith, who is in the midst of his comeback from slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars two years ago, told the room. "There is wisdom in that fire. Dance in your darkest moments."
The forthcoming presidential election was a huge topic of conversation throughout the show. After Childish Gambino presented Killer Mike with the album of the year award for "Michael," the rapper used his acceptance speech to address his Grammys arrest and voting.
"Technically, I was not supposed to be here. I was put in handcuffs, and I was marched out of this building. But I want to tell you, look at God. ´Cause I´m back, baby. I´m back and I´m winning," he said in his speech. Killer Mike was arrested at the Grammys earlier this year over a physical altercation he said was caused by an "over-zealous" security guard; he was not charged over the incident.
"They going to tell you who we vote for is important," he continued his speech, "And it is who we vote for on the big stage. It´s important, but it´s more important you know who your city council person is, who your prosecutor is."
Megan Thee Stallion opened the show by emerging from an egg - a metaphor for her a new musical rebirth - before diving into with an energetic medley of her new singles "Hiss" and "Boa."
"BET, Where my girls at?" she said, shouting out Monét and Jones in the crowd before launching into "Where Them Girls At" - a track that's been an immediate fan favorite since Friday's release of her third studio album, "Megan."
Taraji P. Henson hosted the show at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Her opening monologue was a performance, Henson rapping "It's about us," in a loose parody of Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," which he released in the midst of his reignited feud with Drake.
"No beef in here tonight," she joked, "Can we say plant-based?"
Tyla, the Johannesburg , South African amapiano superstar, won two honors on the show, starting with best international act.
Later in the night, she'd take home the award for best new artist. "This is crazy," she said. "I just want to dedicate this one to Africa."
Monét, who earlier this year won the Grammy for best new artist, made her BET debut and set a high bar for performances, condensing a full set into a few mins with three costume changes and a pair of songs, "On My Mama" and "Alright."
Then Sexyy Red took the stage, performing her smooth bedroom ballad "U My Everything" before moving to another stage and a costume change - tackling "Get It Sexyy" in front of an LED screen depicting the White House and dancers dressed like the Secret Service.
The show took a tonal shift when VanVan and Heiress Harris, two child rappers, their empowerment anthem "Be You" in a school room set. Harris is the daughter of rapper T.I. and singer Tiny Harris.
Best female R&B/pop artist went to SZA and best actress to Regina King, both of whom were not in attendance; the BET HER award went to Monét for "On My Mama." She brought her mother up to accept it.
Country musician Tanner Adell brought her "Buckle Bunny" and her new song, "Cowboy Break My Heart." GloRilla emerged from above, descending to join her dancers for "Yeah Glo!" and "Wanna Be" - the latter of which saw a surprise appearance from Megan Thee Stallion. Shaboozey kept the country coming with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and was joined by rapper J-Kwon, who appears on the track, creating an unexpected and rewarding collaboration across genres.
Lauryn Hill closed the night, beginning with "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" going into "Lost Ones," before introducing her son YG Marley for his reggae tracks "Survival" and "Praise Jah In The Moonlight." Best of all: Wyclef Jean appeared, and the trio - in front of a full-band - performed Fugees´ "Fu-Gee-La." Pras, the third member of Fugees, was not present. The rapper, who was accused in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning two presidencies, was convicted in April.



'Gladiator 3' Already in Works, Say Director And Star

Paul Mescal says he would be "massively down" to appear in Gladiator III. Photo: AP PHOTO
Paul Mescal says he would be "massively down" to appear in Gladiator III. Photo: AP PHOTO
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'Gladiator 3' Already in Works, Say Director And Star

Paul Mescal says he would be "massively down" to appear in Gladiator III. Photo: AP PHOTO
Paul Mescal says he would be "massively down" to appear in Gladiator III. Photo: AP PHOTO

Ridley Scott's long-awaited "Gladiator" sequel has not even hit US theaters yet, but the veteran director is already hard at work on a third installment.
"Gladiator II," which arrives in North American cinemas Friday, stars Irish actor Paul Mescal ("Normal People") as Lucius, the son of Russell Crowe's Maximus from the multiple Oscar-winning original, AFP said.
A bloody, blockbuster epic of revenge, treachery and -- yes -- gladiators, it has drawn positive reviews and already hauled in a muscular $87 million at the global box office since opening in several countries last week.
"Given the performance in the rest of the world that we've seen yesterday, there's certainly going to be a 'Gladiator III,'" said Scott, in Los Angeles on Monday for the movie's glitzy US premiere.
"Because it also becomes financial, and you'd be insane not to consider a third version," said the British director of seminal films such as "Blade Runner" and "Thelma & Louise."
The plot of "Gladiator II" was also "planned to leave it wide open to a sequel," added Scott, a famously prolific filmmaker who is still directing roughly a film per year at the age of 86.
The second film opens with Lucius -- sent into exile by his mother to avoid certain death in Rome -- battling in vain to defend his adopted North African home city from the arrival of seemingly unstoppable Roman soldiers.
Captured as a prisoner of war, he is brought back to the imperial metropolis, where he must prove his worth in the Colosseum in order to exact revenge on invading general Marcus Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal.
Danish actress Connie Nielsen reprises her role as Lucilla from the 2000 original, while Denzel Washington is already earning Oscar buzz for his conniving, mercurial and highly flamboyant ringmaster, Macrinus.
"Jewelry, sandals and everything -- I just looked like a Roman pimp... I couldn't put on enough rings," joked Washington on Monday.
'Political'
Mescal -- whose character battles bloodthirsty baboons, rhinos and sharks in addition to humans in "Gladiator II" -- also expressed excitement about returning for another film.
But he said Scott had discussed a new direction for the plot that would not simply "go back to the arena as we know it."
"The last time I spoke to (Scott) he said he had nine pages. Yesterday, he said he had 14," Mescal told journalists.
"I would be excited for it to go into a more political sphere," with Lucius thrust into a world of court intrigue that he does not want to inhabit, like Michael Corleone in "The Godfather," added Mescal.
Asked how the second film's themes tackled power and politics differently, some 24 years after the original Scott said: "They're exactly the same."
"A super-rich man thinks he can take over the Empire. Is that familiar?" he said, just days after billionaire Donald Trump's re-election as US president.
"We don't learn anything historically. We keep repeating the same mistakes. We're going through exactly the same thing right now in several parts of the planet," he added.