ACTRESS ERICA ASH PASSES AWAY AT THE AGE OF 46 …

The entertainment world is mourning the sudden passing of actress Erica Ash. Known mostly for her roles in “Survivor’s Remorse”, “In Contempt”, and “Real Husbands of Hollywood”, Ash was an undeniable force in the acting world.

As of press time; no word has been provided on her cause of death. Of course, we’ll stayed on top of this story and keep everyone as up to date as possible.

We at U.G. Digital Media & Publishings, and U.G. Digital Magazine extend our deepest condolences to fans, friends, and family of Erica Ash!

BET ANNOUNCES SOUL TRAIN AWARDS AT APOLLO THEATER…

NEW YORK, NY – BET announced the return of the 2021 “Soul Train Awards” from a new location, the World Famous Apollo in New York. For the first time in its 33-year history, the annual celebration will tape in New York City, joining forces with the non-profit Apollo, now in its 88th year and widely considered the soul of American Culture, for one of its first in-person events in 2021. Celebrating the best in soul music and the television show’s 50th anniversary, the "Soul Train Awards” recognizes the best in Soul, R&B, and Hip Hop from both established industry legends and the next generation of promising artists. The 2021 “Soul Train Awards” premieres Sunday, November 28 at 8 pm ET/PT on BET and BET Her.

“Don Cornelius’ brilliant vision created a revolutionary show that became a cornerstone in American culture. Fifty years later, the Soul Train Awards continues to amplify his powerful message of Love, Peace & Soul to a global audience,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. “We are honored to be a part of the Soul Train legacy and partner with the national treasure that is the Apollo to celebrate Black excellence and culture with one unforgettable night of can’t miss moments.”

“The Apollo has long been a center of Black cultural and creative innovation for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world. It has provided a platform for Black artists at all stages of their careers, and a gathering place for audiences to express themselves freely,” said Apollo Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes. “The Apollo is thrilled to partner with BET to host the Soul Train Awards, bringing together three iconic brands that represent Black culture and excellence under one roof. This is an occasion to celebrate, and we look forward to the incredible performances that will light up our stage during the Soul Train Awards."

Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy will oversee the annual show, with Jamal Noisette to Co-Executive Produce for BET. Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, to serve as Executive Producer of the 2021 “Soul Train Awards” along with Jesse Collins Entertainment’s Jeannae Rouzan–Clay.

CARDI B AND MEGAN THEE STALLION RULE THE 2021 “BET HIP HOP AWARDS” WITH 3 WINS FOLLOWED BY TYLER, THE CREATOR, JAY Z, AND LIL BABY WITH 2 WINS EACH....

New York, NY – October 5, 2021 – This year the 2021 BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” brought the hottest names in Hip Hop back to Atlanta, GA for the annual taping. Comedy supergroup 85 South (Karlous Miller, DC Young Fly, and Chico Bean) hosted this year’s awards from The Cobb Energy Centre which premiered on Tuesday, October 5 on BET, BET Her, MTV2 and VH1. Watch an encore airing of the award show Thursday, October 7 at 9 PM ET/PT on BET.

Cardi B and  Megan Thee Stallion ruled the night by jointly snagging three wins each including ‘Song of the Year,’ ‘Best Hip Hop Video’ and ‘Best Collaboration’ for their smash hit “WAP.”  Tyler, The Creator took home two wins for ‘Hip Hop Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Live Performer’ in addition to his “Rock the Bells Cultural Influence Award”presented by LL Cool J.  Jay Z scored double wins in the “Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse”and “Impact Track” for his Nipsey Hussle collaboration “What It Feels Like.” NewcomerYung Bleu was crowned ‘Best New Hip Hop Artist’ while rap sensation Saweetie took home ‘Hustler of the Year.” Music icon Missy Elliott  was voted ‘Video Director of the Year’ and ‘Lyricist of the Year’ went to J. Cole. UK rapper Little Simz took home the ‘Best International Flow’ award.

Young Thug kicked off the night with an explosive performance of “Tick Tock” followed by Gunna with “Too Easy” before coming together with their hit collaboration “Ski.”  Hot new rapper Bia performed her smash single “Whole Lotta Money,” then brought out Atlanta icon Lil Jon for “Bia Bia” to close it out. Baby Keem made his award show debut with “Family Ties.”  Hip Hop sensation Latto brought the house down with a sparkling, high energy performance of “SoufSide” and new song “Big Energy” while Tobe Nwigwe made it a family affair with Fat & Nell on their song “Fye Fye.” Isaiah Rashad performed alongside Doechii & Kal Banx for “Wat U Sed” before ending the set with his solo single “From the Garden.”

The hotly anticipated cyphers were hosted by DJ Hed and featured a bevy of emcees dropping hot sixteens including Grip, D Smoke, Smino, Tierra Whack, Rico Nasty, Sleepy Hallow, Erica Banks, Fivio Foreign, Toosii, Lakeyah, Kidd Kenn and Symba.

Presenters for the evening included a trio of Hip Hop powerhouses Trina, Remy Ma, andRapsody. “I Am Hip Hop Award” recipient Nelly closed out the show with a performance of his greatest hits including “Country Grammar,” “Hot In Herre,” “Air Force Ones,” “Dilemma,” “Grillz” with an appearance by Paul Wall and more. 

The complete list of 2021 “BET Hip Hop Awards” winners are:

HIP HOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

"CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST" - TYLER, THE CREATOR

SONG OF THE YEAR

CARDI B FEAT. MEGAN THEE STALLION - WAP

HIP HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR

LIL BABY

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO

CARDI B FEAT. MEGAN THEE STALLION - WAP

BEST NEW HIP HOP ARTIST

YUNG BLEU

BEST COLLABORATION

CARDI B FEAT. MEGAN THEE STALLION - WAP

BEST DUO OR GROUP

LIL BABY & LIL DURK

BEST LIVE PERFORMER

TYLER, THE CREATOR

LYRICIST OF THE YEAR

J. COLE

BEST INTERNATIONAL FLOW

LITTLE SIMZ (UK)

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

MISSY ELLIOTT

DJ OF THE YEAR

DJ SCHEME

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

HIT-BOY

HUSTLER OF THE YEAR

SAWEETIE

BEST HIP HOP PLATFORM

GENIUS

SWEET 16: BEST FEATURED VERSE

JAY-Z - "WHAT IT FEELS LIKE" (NIPSEY HUSSLE FEAT. JAY-Z)

IMPACT TRACK

NIPSEY HUSSLE FEAT. JAY-Z - "WHAT IT FEELS LIKE"

GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING RAPPER, PRODUCER, ENTREPRENEUR, AND FOUR-TIME 2021“BET HIP HOP AWARDS” NOMINEE TYLER, THE CREATOR TO RECEIVE THE FIRST-EVER “ROCK THE BELLS CULTURAL INFLUENCE AWARD”

NEW YORK, NY – September 30, 2021 –Today, BET announces a new partnership with ROCK THE BELLS, the global lifestyle brand and preeminent voice for classic and timeless hip hop, founded by LL COOL J to debut a brand new award at the 2021 BET HIP HOP AWARDS.  The “ROCK THE BELLS CULTURAL INFLUENCE AWARD” honors the massive cultural impact hip hop artistry has on popular culture, bridging the gap between all generations of hip hop lovers.

Global entertainment icon, 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J, will present the first-ever “Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award” to Grammy-Award winning rapper, producer, entrepreneur and four-time “BET Hip Hop Awards” nominee TYLER, THE CREATOR, honoring his impressive cultural contributions, talent and unbound creativity, that has cemented him as one of the most innovative forces in music.  

In addition to the “Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award,”  Tyler, The Creator is nominated for four 2021 “BET Hip Hop Awards” including ‘Best Live Performer,’ ‘Hip Hop Artist of The Year,’ ‘Hip Hop Album of The Year,’ and ‘Producer of The Year.’ The “Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award” is presented to a younger, innovative, otherworldly artist that has significantly impacted the culture — while uplifting their community. Future recipients of the award will have displayed a profound respect for Hip-Hop and have inspired others with their art and actions - elevating and pushing the culture forward. Honorees are selected via an editorial process including LL COOL J and current Rock The Bells Icons.

The 2021 “BET Hip Hop Awards” premieres Tuesday, October 5, 2021, at 9:00 PM ET/PT. 

“At Rock The Bells part of our mission is to bridge the gap of Hip Hop’s rich history to the present, which is why we are thrilled to team up with BET, a company that has always been at the forefront of Black culture,'' said LL COOL J.  “I am proud to honor Tyler, the Creator, with the first-ever ‘Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award,’ which celebrates an artist who continues to break down the conventional boundaries of Hip Hop culture. His fearlessness and creativity speaks to the influence he’ll have on future Hip hop generations.”

“LL COOL J is an entertainment icon whose work transcends decades across music, film, television, publishing, fashion, and philanthropy,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. “No stranger to the ‘Hip Hop Awards’ stage, we look forward to LL’s return with this new Rock The Bells partnership. This award will celebrate innovative hip hop artists who are shaking the industry, like Tyler, The Creator, and who will carry the hip hop torch for generations to come.”