—blogged by @lovelikejhoney
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“Black excellence televised!” #JamieFoxx screamed as he hosted and witnessed the breathtaking performances go down at Sunday’s BET Awards ceremony. Several artists including #JCole and #MeekMill used their platform to advocate different social issues that still resonate with viewers.
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After announcing J.Cole was next to hit the stage, many were surprised to see Wale sitting in front of a television set. Followed by Canadian singer #DanielCaesar, who delivered the hook on Cole’s “FRIENDS” from his new KOD album. The song talked about addiction to drugs and the lack of successful black role models and ambition to teach the children.
Cole’s poetic flow also mentioned the importance of mental health and how people medicate their illness with drugs. Joined by a group of children dressed in all white, Cole encouraged the purest cure to any illness: meditate.
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Following the anti-drug message, recently released from prison rapper Meek Mill debuted his new song, “Stay Woke” — featuring R&B singer #Miguel — on a stage that took us all back to his Philly neighborhood. In the song, Meek shared his struggle growing up in a violent environment filled with drug abuse and how it affected his mentality at a young age. Over 10 years later, the Philadelphia-native is still facing the consequences from a gun charge that led to a variety of probation violations and other charges.
During his performance, Meek addressed police brutality, racial discrimination, and senseless violence while rocking an XXXTentacion shirt — in tribute to the recently slain Florida rapper. Meek’s powerful performance aligned with his recent work towards prison reform and his new Amazon series dedicated to improving the criminal justice system.
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Performing at the BET Awards is a moment for artists such as J.Cole and Meek Mill to take advantage of the opportunity to shed light on issues without being silenced. The essence of hip-hop is spreading knowledge on the struggles we face as minorities that are never addressed. How long will it be for powerful stage performances like this ignite change or action?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpwoVDWqyYM
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