The 'Fits You Missed From The 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards Red Carpet
Tonight, the biggest names in hip-hop gather to kick off the 16th annual BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. Held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, this year's show is hosted by the 85 South Crew: Karlous Miller, Young Fly, and Chico Bean. Nelly will be honored with the I Am Hip Hop Award, awarded last year to Master P.
Industry powerhouses Cardi B and Meg Thee Stallion lead the pack in nominations with 9 each, while our controversial loverboy, Drake, follows closely with 8. Performances will include ATL legend Lil' John, chart-topping darling BIA, and 'Best Duo' nominee Young Thug. "Best New Hip Hop Artist" Award nominees include BLXST, Coi Leray, Don Toliver, Morray, Pooh Shiesty, and Yung Bleu.
The theme was definitely comfortable and cozy this year, with few artists differing. Below, see what all your favorite artists, actors, and singers wore on the BET red carpet.
85 South
Derek White/WireImage via Getty Images
85 South put a show on the red carpet before taking up hosting duties inside. The crew donned a mix of utilitarian, classic hip hop, and new school fresh; each playing to their respective personalities.
Fat Joe
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Fat Joe went for the ultimate old-school hip-hop vibes this year. He hosted the BET Live pregame in baby blue sweatpants and a matching Louis Vuitton bomber jacket.
BIA
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Ahead of her performance, BIA shut it down in a black bodysuit and head-to-toe zebra print. The rapper solidified the look with an oversized 'BIA' chain and 90's-style crimped blonde hair.
Lakeyah
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
The stunning rapper Lakeyah showed out in a beautifully draped gold-sequined cut-out gown. The gown was selectively sheer, giving us the ultimate sophisticated but seductive look.
Sarunas J. Jackson
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
The block's favorite Insecure love interests, Sarunas J. Jackson was peak causal in a delicious royal blue sweatsuit. While he did elevate the look by adding loafers, he doubled down on the coziness with the undone jacket. Speaking of Insecure, we can't wait to see the finale season on October 24.
Benny The Butcher
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Benny the Butcher stayed casual in a logo-centric Balenciaga sweater and gold accessories.
Kidd Kenn
Marcus Ingram/Getty Images
Kidd Kenn shut down the red carpet in a modernized silver and blue suit. Male artists tend to wear the same thing, so it's exciting to see a risk-taker on the BET red carpet.
D Smoke & Angelina Sherie
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
D Smoke and Angelina Sherie were the epitome of cozy-chic as they hit the red carpet, hand-in-hand. Angelina was angelic in an all-white slightly oversized suit, while D Smoke elevated his casual look with a stylish wide-brim hat.
Nelly
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Nelly was one of the only celebrities that brought the fall vibes on the carpet. The I Am Hip Hop Award honoree rocked camouflage Burberry from head to toe and accessorized in everyone's favorite: diamonds.
Ari Fletcher
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Ari Fletcher came through to support her man, Moneybagg Yo, but she did not disappoint. In all-black custom Calechie, Ari completed the look with a sleek bun and meticulously placed diamond-studded barrettes.
Doechii
Marcus Ingram/Getty Images
Doechii stunned in a plunging neckline, secured by safety pins and the gods. The plunging neckline and metallic skirt are giving us major inspiration for upcoming holiday parties.
DreamDoll
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
DreamDoll decided to give us 'Headmistress Realness' in a corseted tuxedo coat-dress. Only a doll of this magnitude can pull off this plaid look effortlessly.
Nick Cannon
Derek White/WireImage via Getty Images
Nick Cannon showed up in Christmas crocs, a metal breastplate, and a long fur coat. Complete with red beaded braids and a stack of foam cups, it's clear that Nick opted for the classic Hollywood rockstar vibe.
Tyler, The Creator
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Tyler, the Creator secured the bag literally. He channeled classic bellhop vibes in a plush orange hat, silky smooth button-up, and match suitcase that he often posed with on the carpet.
The Originals
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
LaNell Grant, her brother Tobe Nwigwe, and his wife Martika Ivory Rogers (also known as "Fat") were complete #familygoals on the red carpet as The Originals in coordinating sweatsuits. And we can talk about those adorable girls?! By far the cutest dressed in our book.
Remy Ma & Papoose
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Remy Ma left everyone speechless in a perfect cut-out red asymmetrical number, complete with gorgeous strappy heels. She pulled up with her husband Papoose, radiating Black love up and down the red carpet.
Latto
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Latto hit the red carpet in a modern deconstructed suit, with exposed, drop shoulders and 'cut-off' suit shorts. Latto personalized the look with her signature long (red) nails and layered silver chains.
Young Thug
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
By far one of the biggest risk-takers on the red carpet, Young Thug sported metallic-draped jeans and a fur-lined cardigan jacket. Complete with 90s style sunglasses, we always appreciate a man who takes risks in fashion.
Featured image by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Courtney is a contributing writer, based in Puerto Rico by way of Tennessee. Interested in the intersection of fashion and culture, she has an affinity for fashion, empowerment, and really good tacos. Keep up with her on Instagram (@hautecourtxo).
For Us, By Us: How HBCU Alumni Are Building Legacies Through Entrepreneurship
Homecoming season is here, and alumni are returning to the yard to celebrate with their friends and family at the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that have changed their lives forever.
No matter where their life journeys have taken them, for HBCU students from near and far, returning to where it all started can invoke feelings of nostalgia, appreciation for the past, and inspiration for the future.
The seeds for these entrepreneurs were planted during their time as students at schools like Spelman, North Carolina A&T, and more, which is why xoNecole caught up with Look Good Live Well’s Ariane Turner, HBCU Buzz’s Luke Lawal and Morehouse Senior Director of Marketing and Comms and Press Secretary Jasmine Gurley to highlight the role their HBCU roots play in their work as entrepreneurs, the legacy they aim to leave behind through the work that they do, and more as a part of Hyundai’s Best In Class initiative.
On Honoring HBCU Roots To Create Something That Is For Us, By Us
Ariane Turner
Courtesy
When Ariane Turner launched Look Good, Live Well, she created it with Black and brown people in mind, especially those with sensitive skin more prone to dryness and skin conditions like acne and eczema.
The Florida A&M University graduate launched her business to create something that addressed topical skin care needs and was intentional about its approach without negative terminology.
Turner shared that it is important to steer clear of language often adopted by more prominent brands, such as “banishing breakouts” or “correcting the skin,” because, in reality, Turner says there is nothing wrong with the way that our skin and bodies react to various life changes.
“I think what I have taken with me regarding my HBCU experience and translated to my entrepreneurial experience is the importance of not just networking,” Turner, the founder and CEO of Look Good, Live Well, tellls xoNecole.
“We hear that in business all the time, your network is your net worth, but family, there’s a thing at FAMU that we call FAMU-lee instead of family, and it’s very much a thing. What that taught me is the importance of not just making relationships and not just making that connection, but truly working on deepening them, and so being intentional about connecting with people initially, but staying connected and building and deepening those relationships, and that has served me tremendously in business, whether it’s being able to reach back to other classmates who I went to school with, or just networking in general.”
She adds, “I don’t come from a business background. As soon as I finished school, I continued with my entrepreneurial journey, and so there’s a lot of that traditional business act and the networking, those soft skills that I just don’t have, but I will say that just understanding how to leverage and network community and to build intentional relationships is something that has taken me far and I definitely got those roots while attending FAMU.”
On Solving A Very Specific Need For The Community
Luke Lawal Jr.
Courtesy
When Luke Lawal Jr. launched HBCU Buzz, his main focus was to represent his community, using the platform to lift as they climbed by creating an outlet dedicated to celebrating the achievements and positive news affecting the 107 historically HBCUs nationwide.
By spotlighting the wonderful things that come from the HBCU community and coupling it with what he learned during his time at Bowie State University, Lawal used that knowledge to propel himself as an entrepreneur while also providing his people with accurate representation across the internet.
“The specific problem in 2011 when I started HBCU Buzz was more so around the fact that mainstream media always depict HBCUs as negative,” Lawal says. “You would only see HBCUs in the mainstream media when someone died, or the university president or someone was stepping down. It was always bad news, but they never shed light on all the wonderful things from our community."
So, I started HBCU Buzz to ensure the world saw the good things that come from our space. And they knew that HBCUs grew some of the brightest people in the world, and just trying to figure out ways to make sure our platform was a pedestal for all the students that come through our institutions.”
“The biggest goal is to continue to solve problems, continue to create brands that solve the problems of our communities, and make sure that our products, our brands, our companies, and institutions are of value and they’re helping our community,” he continues. “That they’re solving problems that propel our space forward.”
On How Being An HBCU Alum Impacts The Way One Shows Up In The World
Jasmine Gurley
Courtesy
Jasmine Gurley is a proud North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alum. She is even more delighted with her current role, which enables her to give back to current HBCU students as the Senior Director of Brand Marketing and Communications and official press secretary at Morehouse College.
“It was a formative experience where I really was able to come into my own and say yes to all the opportunities that were presented to me, and because of that, it’s been able to open the doors later in life too,” says Gurley of her experience at North Carolina A&T. “One thing I love about many HBCUs is that we are required to learn way more about African American history than you do in your typical K through 12 or even at the higher ed level."
She adds, “It allowed us to have a better understanding of where we came from, and so for me, because I’m a storyteller, I’m a history person, I’m very sensitive to life in general, being able to listen to the stories and the trials that our ancestors overcame, put the battery pack in my back to say, ‘Oh nothing can stop me. Absolutely nothing can stop me. I know where I came from, so I can overcome something and try anything. And I have an obligation to be my ancestors’ wildest dreams. Simultaneously, I also have a responsibility to help others realize that greatness.
Gurley does not take her position at an HBCU, now as a leader, lightly.
“People think I’m joking when I say I’m living the dream, but I really am,” she notes. “So I wake up every day and know that the work that I do matters, no matter how hard it might be, how frustrating it may be, and challenging it. I know the ripple effect of my work, my team, and what this institution does also matter. The trajectory of Black male experiences, community, history, and then just American advancement just in general.”
On the other hand, through her business, Sankofa Public Relations, Gurley is also on a mission to uplift brands in their quest to help their respective communities. Since its inception in 2017, Sankofa PR has been on a mission to “reach back and reclaim local, national, and global communities by helping those actively working to move” various areas of the world, focusing on pushing things forward for the better.
“Through Sankofa, we’ve worked with all different types of organizational brands and individuals in several different industries, but I would think of them as mission-based,” says Gurley.
“So with that, it’s an opportunity to help people who are trying to do good in the world, and they are passionate about what they’re doing. They just need help with marketing issues, storytelling, and branding, and that’s when my expertise can come into play. Help them get to that moment where they can tell their story through me or another platform, and that’s been super fulfilling.”
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
Feature image courtesy
These 8 Hacks Will Immediately Give Your Mental Health A Much-Needed Boost
If there is one thing that 2020 and 2020 2.0 (which is what I call 2021) taught us, it's how important it is to prioritize our mental health and well-being. Yet in the midst of all of the drama that just refuses to let up around here, I totally get if that can be hard to do. That's why I've got a few hacks; ones that I hope will help to relax you, to center you, to not let this crazy world get you so caught up and frazzled that you're not able to focus on your priorities, your needs, your peace.
If it feels like you've been on edge lately and, no matter what you do, you can't seem to get a grip, here are eight things that can help to bring you back to the middle.
1. Create Something
In the Bible, the first thing that God is introduced as is being our Creator. Since the Good Book says that we are made in his image and likeness (Genesis 1), I am a firm believer that we all have the ability to create something — to make something that came out of our own thoughts or imagination. It might be a piece of jewelry. A photograph. An article. Some art. A DIY project. The list is endless yet when you are intentional about creating something unique and new, it affirms the power and ability that you have within your own being and how can that not be the ultimate kind of mental health boost?
2. Talk to a Positive Person
Lawd. There is so much negativity out in these streets that I think we should take out a moment to discuss some of the telling signs of what a positive person looks and lives like. Positive people tend to look for the good in all situations. Positive people like to laugh and have a good time. Positive people are self-aware and mindful. Positive people are supportive and encouraging of others. Positive people choose to let things go. Positive people don't wallow in negative feelings. Positive people are proactive about making wise and healthy choices. Positive people are solutions-oriented. Positive people surround themselves around other positive people.
Some days are gonna be better than others. Don't beat yourself up about that. However, instead of hopping on social media or calling that one relative who finds a way to see the bad in everything, connect with a positive person instead. I've got a friend who is always seeing life from a glass-half-full perspective. It's kind of hard to stay feeling "blue" when she sees things in "yellow"…if you know what I mean.
3. Buy Yourself a Plant or Some Flowers
Did you know that there are science-based reasons why having a plant in your house is a really good idea? Thanks to the organic compounds known as phytoncides, plants can help to reduce your stress levels which can ultimately boost your immune system. Since plant life also has a way of calming us down, they can actually boost your productivity levels if you have one at your desk or home office. And, because plants require some level of care, they are a way to help you to become more nurturing and compassionate to others as well. So yeah, if you're looking for a bit of a mental pick-me-up, a plant can be just the thing to help you do it.
While we're on this topic, something else that you can do is purchase a bouquet of flowers (check out "Love Fresh Flowers? Here Are Tips To Make Them Last Longer"). The combination of the colors and scent, along with making a proactive decision to do something to make you feel better is also a great way to give yourself the mental boost that you need.
4. Take a Nap
Something that my friends know about me is I talk about taking a nap like I am about to have sex with a 6'5" Godiva-coated king. I'm not joking. I think a big part of it is because, when I'm not counseling couples, I'm usually on my laptop writing about stuff like this which is a blessing (because I am doing what I want to do for a living, from the comfort and convenience of my house) and yet can also be a little draining too. And so, when my mind tells me that it wants a break, I give it just that. And because naps give me more energy and help me to feel refreshed, I am all about encouraging other folks to take one too.
If you're doing it strictly for the sake of your mental health — you know, in order to get through the rest of your day — there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, a nap that lasts longer than 30 minutes can put you into a deep sleep that could cause you to wake up feeling groggier and/or throw off your sleep schedule at night. That's why you should set an alarm to go off at around 20 minutes, you should try and take a nap in the early afternoon, and you should do it in silence or with some ASMR nature sounds; that way, your brain can truly get some rest (without your mind working overtime, even in your sleep), so that you can feel significantly better once you awaken.
5. Have a Yogurt Smoothie, Salmon Salad, Some Guacamole or a Piece of Dark Chocolate
Having a little snack is something else that you can do to mentally get through the rest of your day. A yogurt-based smoothie is good because the potassium and magnesium can help to increase oxygen to your brain which can make you feel more alert. A salmon salad is bomb because salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D, both of which are proven to reduce depression-related symptoms, sharpen your memory and improve your mood. I will make some fresh guacamole in a heartbeat — good thing too because the Vitamin K and folate that are in avocados can help to improve one's memory and concentration while the carotenoid lutein is great at strengthening brain function. Or how about a couple of pieces of dark chocolate? So long as it's 60 percent dark cocoa or more, you'll be taking in the antioxidants known as flavonoids which are awesome at keeping you alert and putting you into a better mood.
6. Turn Your Phone Off
Sometimes, what has us stressed out more than anything is the fact that either folks are constantly able to get a hold of us or we're overwhelmed by all of the info that we're consuming online. The device that typically makes this possible is our phone. While I know it might seem like you can't live without your smartphone, a lot of us are old enough to remember what it was like to only have landlines and I promise you that we survived — thrived even. Unless you are a parent, there is no need to feel hesitant about turning off your phone from time to time. Even if you are, at least silence those notifications for a few hours a day.
The sense of urgency that phones provide is an illusion. Folks can text or leave a message after the beep and whatever your social media accounts are talking about, you can pick up where you left off whenever you log back on. (For more reasons to take this tip to heart, check out "8 Solid Reasons To Put. Your Phone. Down.")
7. Write Someone a Thank-You Note
If there is one thing that the absolute cyclic-ness of this pandemic has taught me (Lawd, did folks learn anything last year?!), it's how selfish and unteachable human nature can be (especially in the United States). If you're not careful, it can get you either super caught up or really jaded. One way to avoid this is to focus on the things that you should be grateful for. One way to do that is to handwrite a thank-you note to someone.
It can be a friend, a co-worker, someone who works at a favorite store — even your partner or child. By making the time to tell another person what you truly appreciate about them, it can remind you about the good things that still exist in this world while helping you to not be so self-consumed. Besides, the response that you get from that person will be sure to put a smile on your face. It's a "win" all the way around.
8. Toast Yourself
I am BIG on toasting myself. I will straight-up go to the store, get myself some bubbly (sometimes alcoholic, sometimes not), fill up a champagne flute, and think of something that I am proud of (even if it's as simple as not cussing somebody out who really needed it or paying a bill ahead of time) and "drink" to it. Y'all, sometimes, we're so consumed by all of the ways that we can improve that we don't take a minute to celebrate how far we've come — even if it's in tiny increments.
When it comes to mental health hacks that can immediately do you some good, I'm signing off here because ending the day with a toast to yourself can do wonders. I've been doing it for years and it always makes me feel really good. About myself. Which is always a mental health boost. Cheers!
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Unsplash
Originally published on September 9, 2021