Los Angeles – R&B newcomer John Legend joined established stars Alicia Keys and the soon-to-disband Destiny’s Child as winners at Tuesday night’s BET Awards.
Legend was named best new artist, a trophy the man who discovered him, Kanye West, won at last year’s awards. Destiny’s Child was named best group, West won for male hip-hop artist and Usher took the male R&B artist trophy.
Soul diva Alicia Keys hoisted her award for female R&B artist toward the audience and declared: “This is for all my people who are really trying to dream big dreams.”
“Let’s do it,” she said. “Let’s think big. Let’s think beyond what these people are trying to hold us down to. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, musicians.”
She also said backstage she was working on an “MTV Unplugged” live album to be released in October.
The show kicked off with a surprise reunion of The Fugees, who haven’t recorded an album together since 1996’s “The Score” and haven’t even been on speaking terms in recent years.
“If you want another Fugee album, let me see your hands in the air right now,” Wyclef Jean said after climbing into the crowd. The group performed “Ready Or Not” and put a reggae twist on “Fu-Gee-La.”
The group’s Lauryn Hill, who had largely dropped out of public view since a 2002 live album, sounded weak at first, saying at one point, “We got a little overzealous in rehearsal.” Her voice returned in time for a rendition of “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”
Backstage, third member Pras said the group was in the studio and hoped to release an album next year. The Fugees split after “egos got real big,” he said, adding that there were “a lot of wounds … getting healed right now.”
Hosts Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith laid down the rules for the show at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre.
They arrived on-stage in a horse-drawn carriage with spinning custom rims; Smith said they wanted to make the BET Awards on par with shows like “the Emmys, the Oscars, the Grammys, the Tonys.” “The white ones,” Pinkett Smith added.
The first rule, according to Smith: “You don’t need to come up here with all 15 people that you came with.” “There is a three homeboy limit tonight, period,” his wife added.
Also, “No bright suits and no gold goblets,” Pinkett Smith said. “This is not the pimp of the year awards.”
And finally, “Do not thank God if you can’t show or perform your work in church.”
Performers included Destiny’s Child, Missy Elliott, The Game, Mary J. Blige and 19-year-old Ciara – collaboration winner for her pairing with Elliott on “1, 2 Step.”
Keys presented R&B and gospel legend Gladys Knight with a lifetime achievement trophy.
