- Sunday night’s BET Awards show was a huge success, thanks to the 7.7 million people who tuned-in. The show earned the second-highest ratings of all the BET Awards since the annual event was established in 2001. The 2009 awards show is the record holder though, with 10.7 million viewers for an all-star tribute to Michael Jackson. [Perez Hilton]
- Alicia Keys is a busy woman! Besides promoting the 10th anniversary of her debut album, Keys has signed on to help produce a Broadway play this fall. Alicia will work with Lydia R. Diamond on her play “Stick Fly,” a comedy that tells the story of a wealthy Black family on summer vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. The play officially opens on December 8. [KSL Entertainment]
- Congrats are in order for Janelle Monae! Our Black Women in Music honoree rocked the stage at the Glastonbury festival, earning a 4,928% increase in her album sales on Amazon in the UK! Her album “Archandroid” shot up the charts into a top ten spot. Way to go, Janelle! [VIBE]
- Fashionistas, hold on to your seats! Beyonce gave her sister Solange — who celebrated her 25th birthday last Friday — a pair of shoes for every year of her life. That’s 25 pairs of fierce shoes! Beyonce ordered 25 pairs of heels from Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman to send to her little sis. How sweet and thoughtful of Beyonce! [The New York Post]
- LeToya Luckett is as excited as we were about former Destiny’s Child’s bandmate Kelly Rowland’s BET Awards performance. “Kelly is motivating me to get back in the studio and get myself together. She’s dear to my heart and I’m so excited for her,” said LeToya. Kelly truly is a ‘motivation!’ [Necole Bitchie]
- Neo-soul songstress Erykah Badu announced that her first mixtape, which she has also produced, will be released in July. Can’t wait to hear what she has in store! [All Hip-Hop]