buzzz worthy. . .#BETMUSICMATTERS
BET will kick off Grammy weekend with a special Music Matters presentation in Beverly Hills tonight.
Music Matters Artists:
Mali Music (Nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album for “Mali Is” and Best Gospel Performance/Song for “I Believe”)
Luke James (Nominated for Best R&B Song for “Options (Wolfjames Version)”)
Antonique Smith (Nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Hold Up Wait A Minute”)
About the performers:
Mali Music - Kortney Jamaal Pollard, who performs under the stage name Mali Music, made his first televised performance during the Music Matters segment on the “BET Awards ‘11.” His soulful blend of R&B and hip-hop, and impeccable lyrics can be seen throughout his ByStorm Entertainment/RCA Records album, Mali Is, which has been nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 57th GRAMMY® Awards.
Luke James - New Orleans native Luke James, creates a fresh take on contemporary music. As a singer/songwriter already in the industry, James has co-written songs with artists such as Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears. His fan base continues
to grow with the support of Beyoncé, who selected James to appear in her “Run the World” video and granted him the opportunity to open for her on The Mrs. Carter World Tour. His innate talent and passion for R&B has been recognized by The 57th GRAMMY® Awards where he has received a Best R&B Song nomination for “Options (Wolfjames Version).”
Antonique Smith - The multi-talented Antonique Smith is no rookie to the spotlight. Smith is well-known for her role of Mimi Marquez in Broadway’s production of Rent and continued this role for two years. Wanting to expand to her musical agenda and film career, she left the role of Mimi to tap into another prominent role. She played Faith Evans in the film Notorious which is based on rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Now focusing on her music, Smith released her debut single “Hold Up Wait A Minute” and it became an instant hit. Her single was crowd funded on Kickstarter by raising $50k in 30 days. “Hold Up Wait A Minute” has received a GRAMMY® nomination this year in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category, and Antonique is the first artist whose project went from Kickstarter to a GRAMMY® nomination.
Avery Wilson – The talented Avery Wilson, originally an outstanding performer on the singing competition show “The Voice,” was recognized as a powerhouse singer instantly. His performance of “Without You” by David Guetta and Usher had all four judges fighting over him, but he ultimately went with CeeLo Green as his mentor. After leaving his mark on the show, Avery recently signed a major label deal with Grammy Award winning producer/song writer Sean Garrett and industry legend Clive Davis. He continues to create a buzz on social media as he covers tons of songs every week on his Instagram and Vine accounts. Avery Wilson will be taking 2015 by storm and is destined to have a breakout year.
Special guest Kierra Sheard - Gospel singer and songwriter, Kierra Sheard, is an unstoppable force. She’s also the newest judge on BET’s gospel signing competition “Sunday Best” representing the new, young generation of gospel music. As the granddaughter of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, one of gospel’s most influential and celebrated figures, Sheard’s talent runs through her veins. At the ripe age of 17, she released her debut album “I Owe You.” This groundbreaking album combined hip-hop, soul, and gospel into a unique and beautiful sound that was unmatched with other gospel artists. Sheard's contemporary voice and music has followed her all the way up to her most current album “Graceland,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums Chart in 2014. Her undeniable vocals resonate with
BET will kick off Grammy weekend with a special Music Matters presentation in Beverly Hills tonight.
Music Matters Artists:
Mali Music (Nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album for “Mali Is” and Best Gospel Performance/Song for “I Believe”)
Luke James (Nominated for Best R&B Song for “Options (Wolfjames Version)”)
Antonique Smith (Nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Hold Up Wait A Minute”)
About the performers:
Mali Music - Kortney Jamaal Pollard, who performs under the stage name Mali Music, made his first televised performance during the Music Matters segment on the “BET Awards ‘11.” His soulful blend of R&B and hip-hop, and impeccable lyrics can be seen throughout his ByStorm Entertainment/RCA Records album, Mali Is, which has been nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 57th GRAMMY® Awards.
Luke James - New Orleans native Luke James, creates a fresh take on contemporary music. As a singer/songwriter already in the industry, James has co-written songs with artists such as Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears. His fan base continues
to grow with the support of Beyoncé, who selected James to appear in her “Run the World” video and granted him the opportunity to open for her on The Mrs. Carter World Tour. His innate talent and passion for R&B has been recognized by The 57th GRAMMY® Awards where he has received a Best R&B Song nomination for “Options (Wolfjames Version).”Antonique Smith - The multi-talented Antonique Smith is no rookie to the spotlight. Smith is well-known for her role of Mimi Marquez in Broadway’s production
of Rent and continued this role for two years. Wanting to expand to her musical agenda and film career, she left the role of Mimi to tap into another prominent role. She played Faith Evans in the film Notorious which is based on rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Now focusing on her music, Smith released her debut single “Hold Up Wait A Minute” and it became an instant hit. Her single was crowd funded on Kickstarter by raising $50k in 30 days. “Hold Up Wait A Minute” has received a GRAMMY® nomination this year in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category, and Antonique is the first artist whose project went from Kickstarter to a GRAMMY® nomination.Avery Wilson – The talented Avery Wilson, originally an outstanding performer on the singing competition show “The Voice,” was recognized as a powerhouse singer instantly. His performance of “Without You” by David Guetta and Usher had all four judges fighting over him, but he ultimately went with CeeLo Green as his mentor. After leaving his mark on the show, Avery recently signed a major label deal with Grammy Award winning producer/song writer Sean Garrett and industry legend Clive Davis. He continues to create a buzz on social media as he covers tons of songs every week on his Instagram and Vine accounts. Avery Wilson will be taking 2015 by storm and is destined to have a breakout year.
Special guest Kierra Sheard - Gospel singer and songwriter, Kierra Sheard, is an unstoppable force. She’s also the newest judge on BET’s gospel signing competition “Sunday Best” representing the new, young generation of gospel music. As the granddaughter of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, one of gospel’s most influential and celebrated figures, Sheard’s talent runs through her veins. At the ripe age of 17, she released her debut album “I Owe You.” This groundbreaking album combined hip-hop, soul, and gospel into a unique and beautiful sound that was unmatched with other gospel artists. Sheard's contemporary voice and music has followed her all the way up to her most current album “Graceland,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums Chart in 2014. Her undeniable vocals resonate with