Archive for October 2nd, 2009

Beyonce and Lady Gaga were honored today (Oct. 2) with the Woman of the Year and Rising Star awards, respectively, during Billboard’s annual Women In Music luncheon held at New York’s Pierre Hotel.

Lady Gaga, sporting a see-through dress decorated with feathers and human hair, arrived first. “Twelve months ago I never would have imagined being here and receiving this award,” Gaga told Billboard.com.

Inside, Billboard’s Publisher, Howard Appelbaum, gave the welcoming remarks before introducing Bill Werde, Billboard’s Editorial Director. He introduced Billboard’s Women In Music Power Player List, which includes Universal Motown Records President Sylvia Rhone, MTV Chairman/CEO Judy McGrath and William Morris’ Cara Lewis, noting that the 2009 group “was the most diverse yet.”

Werde then introduced Lady Gaga, saying that “She’s procovative, fearless and most importantly, a prodigious songwriter.” After a short speech highlighting all of her achievements in the past year, followed by a video reel, Gaga accepted the award herself. “I didn’t expect to be accepted into the pop community like I have,” Gaga said, holding back tears. “With help from radio program directors, the gay community, fans and people like Billboard we had a remarkable year. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Gaga was then interviewed by NBC’s “Today” co-host Hoda Kotb, during which she addressed the cancellation of her upcoming “Fame Kills” tour with Kanye West. “Everyone makes mistakes,” she said of West’s now legendary MTV VMA’s outburst. “It’s unfortunate, but he’s a good person. And I think its important to stand by friends.”

Werde then introduced Billboard’s 2009 Woman of the Year recipient. “It is theoretically possible someone on some other planet had a better year than Beyonce,” he quipped. “But I’m not buying it.”

“It’s obvious how classy she is,” Werde continued about Beyonce, who was accompanied by her mother and father, Matthew and Tina Knowles, and Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child. Beyonce accepted the award, remarking “I am the luckiest woman in the world.”

Beyonce then took the hot seat alongside radio personality and Oprah’s best friend, Gayle King, for a Q&A during which she was probed about her relationship with husband Jay-Z, her position as a role model for young women, and her goals for the future. “I really want to win an Oscar,” she revealed.

The event closed with heart-rending renditions of Beyonce’s hits “Halo” and “Single Ladies,” performed by Staten Island grade schoolers, the P.S. 22 Chorus.

Courtesy of Splash & Billboard.

Here is video footage of Alicia Keys performing during the shooting of Empire State Of Mind in Times Square. You can also check out the photos in our gallery after the jump! Photos taken by Lenny “Kodak Man” Santiago Courtesy of Rapradar. Video spotted at Rapradar, Courtesy of Jayworld.
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Why He’s Hot: It’s been in the air for a couple of years now. Gucci Mane’s name has been bubbling — no, boiling over — in the underground scene, and he’s been inching his way closer and closer to cracking into the top 10 Hottest MCs in the Game since ‘07. The Gucc didn’t just break through this year; he’s been able to leapfrog all the to way to the middle of the pack by having a cult following of pavement dwellers in the ‘hood and charming Middle America with a gold-tooth grin and a gaggle of guest spots on high-charting pop hits.

In all his flamboyant splendor, Gucci has accrued a die-hard core following that devours everything he puts out with extreme delight. The mode of attack for La Flare — as he calls himself — has been spending sleepless nights in the studio recording literally hundreds of records. As soon as a song is done — or a hefty amount of them, anyway — he puts it out. Gucc has almost replaced Lil Wayne as the street-CD poster child.

The Atlanta native will never get spoken about in the conversation of great wordsmiths, like a Royce Da 5′9″ or a Jadakiss. His subject matter is great, but his wordplay is sometimes criticized for being elementary. So if it isn’t his rhyme schemes that have been winning him new fans and accolades and keeping his core satisfied, what is it? Simply put, Gucci is a character. Gaudy jewelry, his own humorous slang such as “burrr” — you may not be able to tell by his shy demeanor in interviews, but the ATL native has a lot of personality on the mic, with his muddy Southern drawl. Also, to put it bluntly, Gucc is extra believable in the eyes of fans. They a see a person who has overcome murder and drug charges to still make it to stardom. They just don’t relate to his raps; they see themselves in his music.

On any given night Down South, you can go to a club and hear an hour’s worth of new Gucci music — and none of it will be singles pushed by his label. He’s been living heavily off the love he gets from the streets. Now, though, Gucci is getting a major taste of stardom because the radio and the rest of the country are cozying up to him. He’s been flooding the airwaves, receiving great looks alongside mainstream darlings Mariah Carey, Trey Songz, Omarion, Black Eyed Peas and Mario, while keeping up cameos with concrete heroes like OJ Da Juiceman. Mane is also doing it big in the label structure. His single “Wasted,” featuring Plies, is in the top 10 of the Billboard R&B and hip-hop charts.

Courtesy of MTV.