The BET Experience 2015 this weekend included performances by Nicki Minaj on Friday night, June 26, and comedian Kevin Hart on Thursday night, both giving shows at the Staples Center, as well as concerts by Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube with special guests N.W.A. on Saturday. There were also other events going on, like panel discussions led by celebs and sports figures such as Floyd Mayweather and NBA star of the L.A. Lakers, Kobe Bryant. All of the concerts, events and activities are leading up to the 15th annual BET Awards 2015 on Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m. EDT on BET.
This year marks the third annual BET Experience since the BET Awards moved to L.A. in 2013. It is a festival that keeps on getting better every year. The BET Experience 2015 is expected to bring over 100,000 fans to experience the fun, activities, panels and concerts going on all weekend.
On Friday night, Nicki Minaj brought her Pinkprint Tour to the Staples Center, while on Saturday night, the headliners for Hip-Hop night were Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg. Other performers who took part in Minaj’s concert, which was delayed for 30 minutes due to technical reasons, were Tinashe, Rae Sremmurd and Ne-Yo. They opened up for Minaj.
At the Los Angeles Convention Center for this year’s BET Experience’s Fan Fest, Janelle Monae and other musical artists with Wondaland Records gave a concert for her fans and The Roots gave a concert at Club Nokia, along with special guests like Erykah Badu on Saturday. On Thursday and Friday nights at Club Nokia, the musical artists were Bell Biv Devoe and Miguel.
Earlier on Saturday afternoon at the BET Experience’s Fan Fest, there were a series of fascinating panel discussions held by celebs and sports figures like boxing great, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers, singer and actress Kelly Rowland and Badu, which were free to the public. Bryant talked about his plans for what he will do after he retires with ESPN sports announcer, Jemele Hill.
There was even a celebrity basketball game free for the public to enjoy, with 2 Chainz and Tyrese serving as the coaches. Their team members were Tyga, French Montana, Chris Brown, Soulja Boy, Terrell Owens, John Wall (point guard for the Washington Wizards), Mayweather, and Snoop Dogg.
It had been rumored that N.W.A. would be reuniting at Ice Cube’s BET Experience concert, performing songs from their album Straight Outta Compton, though Dr. Dre had not confirmed that he would be joining MC Ren and DJ Yella of N.W.A. Both Ice Cube and N.W.A. are also among the musical artists scheduled to perform at the BET Awards show on Sunday, June 28. Other fun activities that attendees at the BET Experience’s Fan Fest participated in or viewed were slam dunk contests, a Nickelodeon Worldwide Day of Play, carnivals and a sneaker convention.
The hosts of the BET Awards 2015 will be Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, two of the co-stars of the ABC’s hilarious comedy, Blackish. The awards show, which will be broadcast live from the Los Angeles Microsoft Theater on Sunday at 8 p.m., will feature terrific musical performances besides honoring today’s hottest entertainers and sports figures.
The two musical performers who are tied with the most nominations at six are Minaj and Beyonce. Both Sam Smith and Lil Wayne are next, with four nominations each. Janet Jackson will be among the entertainers honored. She will be presented with the very first BET Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award. Ciara, Tinashe and Jason Derulo, among others, will pay tribute to Janet Jackson through a dance. The BET Humanitarian Award will be presented to Tom Joyner while the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Smokey Robinson.
Some of the musical artists scheduled to perform at the BET Awards 2015 show, besides Ice Cube and N.W.A., are the cast of the TV series Empire, Minaj, Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, and Robin Thicke. The list of presenters includes Laverne Cox, star of Orange Is the New Black, along with Zendaya and actor Michael B. Jordan.
The weekend of concerts and performances by entertainers like Kevin Hart and Nicki Minaj, panels, and other activities that took place during the BET Experience 2015 and free Fan Fest drew in tens of thousands of people to enjoy the weather, have a great time, indulge in delicious food and listen to fantastic music. Besides being an excuse to cut loose and have a fun time, the BET Experience was also a way to build up the anticipation level for the BET Awards 2015 show on Sunday night.
Written By Douglas Cobb
Sources:
Hollywood Reporter: BET Awards: Guide to This Weekend’s Festivities
International Business Times: BET Awards 2015: 6 Things To Look Forward
To On June 28, From Celebrity Attendees To Performances
Billboard: BET Experience 2015: Nicki Minaj Brings ‘The Pinkprint’
Tour to Los Angeles
L.A.com: BET Experience may host N.W.A. reunion during Ice Cube’s set
before Sunday’s BET Awards in Los Angeles
Photo Courtesy of Dyllan’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons 2.0
