Babyface

Babyface and SZA To be Honored at 2024 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards

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Babyface and SZA To be Honored at 2024 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards

BMI announced that GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Babyface will receive the BMI Icon Award at the 2024 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards on September 5th. This honor recognizes his extensive catalog of hit songs that have connected with audiences across generations. Additionally, GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter SZA will be presented with the BMI Champion Award for her efforts in fostering the next generation of music creators. The event will be hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill and Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton, at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

“We’re excited to honor the legendary Babyface with the BMI Icon Award in celebration of his incredible talent and gift of prolific songwriting which has influenced decades of hits among all genres,” said Brewton. “We’ll also recognize the exceptional industry-shifting career of SZA, who challenges conventions and has a unique vibe that continues to transform and inspire a new feel of R&B that we have grown to love. It will be a phenomenal night of music celebrating BMI’s award-winning songwriters, producers, and music publishers that we’re so fortunate to represent.”

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds has contributed to over 800 million records sold and over 800 billion streams. As the co-founder of LaFace Records, he launched the careers of Toni Braxton, P!nk, TLC, Outkast, Usher, and more. Babyface has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums and recently topped the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart in 2023 with “As a matter of fact.” His accolades include 13 GRAMMY wins and numerous BMI Awards.

SZA, a GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter, continues to set new standards in creativity and songwriting with over 10 billion streams worldwide. Her debut album “Ctrl” and sophomore effort “SOS” both received critical acclaim and commercial success. SZA has received four GRAMMY Awards, a Golden Globe nomination, and an Academy Award nomination.

For more information on the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, visit BMI’s official website and use the hashtag #BMIRnBHHAwards on social media.

The post Babyface and SZA To be Honored at 2024 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards first appeared on The Source.

The post Babyface and SZA To be Honored at 2024 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards appeared first on The Source.

Babyface Electrifies Crowd at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas

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Over the weekend, Las Vegas’ renowned Palms Hotel was treated to a night of unforgettable music and nostalgia courtesy of the incomparable Babyface. The 12-time Grammy-winning and platinum-selling artist graced the stage with an electrifying presence, showcasing his endless catalog of hits.

As the lights dimmed and the crowd roared in anticipation, Babyface transported the audience through decades of his illustrious career. With flawless renditions of classics like “Whip Appeal” and “Every Time I Close My Eyes,” as well as a mesmerizing medley of his greatest compositions for artists like Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, TLC, and Boyz II Men, fans were captivated throughout the night.

But the surprises didn’t stop there. Babyface brought out special guests who added their magic to the evening. Chante Moore lent her soulful vocals to Karen White’s “Superwoman,” while Tank put his charismatic touch on Johnny Gill’s beloved hit “My, My, My.” Kevon Edmonds showcased his incredible talent with a stunning rendition of After 7’s “Ready or Not.”

The night’s climax arrived when Tank and Kevon joined Babyface on stage for a show-stopping collaboration, delivering flawless renditions of timeless Boyz II Men classics, “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love to You.” The trio’s harmonies were perfection, and their energy left the audience in awe, making this a night to remember in Las Vegas.

“Babyface’s sold-out show at the Palms Hotel was a testament to his enduring legacy and the timeless appeal of his music. His unrivaled talent, combined with the incredible performances of his special guests, created a night that will be remembered by fans for years to come,” said Michael Paran, founder and CEO of P Music Group, Babyface’s management company.

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The post Babyface Electrifies Crowd at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas first appeared on The Source.

The post Babyface Electrifies Crowd at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas appeared first on The Source.

Babyface Breaks Silence On Anita Baker “Feud”

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R&B singer-songwriters Babyface and Anita Baker have alleged beef. After being unceremoniously cut from Baker’s Songstress tour, Babyface went on the Jason Lee Show to clear the air. The tour, which is celebrating the 40-year anniversary of Anita Baker’s debut album, had Babyface as an opening act. However, due to multiple issues, Baker thought it necessary to cut him from the show.

According to Babyface, one of his last appearances in the show was rife with technical difficulties. From Baker’s point of view, he constantly went over his allotted time, causing her to start very late. In Newark, NJ, technical failures shortened the show, leading to the decision to give the remaining time to Anita. Fans of the male musician reportedly cyberbullied Baker, upset about his limited stage time. Combine outraged fans with an opening act going beyond his time, and it was enough for Baker to pull the plug.

Read more: Babyface Puts His Spin On Chrisean Rock’s “Vibe” Song

How Babyface Feels About Anita Baker

OXON HILL, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 05: Singer Anita Baker onstage during the 2019 Urban One Honors at MGM National Harbor on December 05, 2019, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Despite his fans being overtly critical of Baker, making her out to be a villain, Babyface seems unfazed about it all. “First of all, I have no problem being a support act for Anita Baker,” he says in a video clip of the Jason Lee Show. “I have that much love and respect for her art.” He also clarifies that it was always her show and that it was never a co-headliner situation. The full interview dropped on Revolt TV yesterday, so we can get more insight into what he thinks about his fans cyberbullying Baker and what he’s going to do with his newly found free time.

Babyface is an R&B icon with over 40 years of music output. He released an album in 2022, Girls Night Out, his first one in seven years. As for Anita Baker, she’s still busy after all these years. In addition to the Songstress Tour, she performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at this year’s NFC East Championship Game for the 2022 NFL Playoffs. Rolling Stone has Baker ranked number 92 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Read more: “Snooze” Co-Writer Babyface Says He Has More Songs With SZA

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The post Babyface Breaks Silence On Anita Baker “Feud” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Babyface Puts His Spin On Chrisean Rock’s “Vibe” Song

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After being kicked off of Anita Baker’s tour earlier this month, Babyface is ready to speak his truth. The 64-year-old addressed his feud with the female songbird, along with several other hot topics on the latest episode of The Jason Lee Show. Apart from spilling the tea on his rumoured romance with Toni Braxton, Babyface also addressed claims that he hates Beyonce, and covered one of Chrisean Rock’s earliest singles while the cameras rolled.

The full video interview hasn’t made it onto YouTube quite yet. Still, audio can be found on Spotify and other DSPs. In the meantime, a select few clips from the interview have been circulating online, one of which shows the Indiana native singing “Vibe” while strumming on his acoustic guitar. “I’mma do it my way,” Babyface declares before crooning, “It’s a vibe all the time” repeatedly. At the end of his brief performance, the in-studio audience applauded as the host grinned from ear to ear.

Read More: Babyface Reacts To Being Kicked Off Anita Baker’s Tour

Babyface Covers a Chrisean Rock Classic

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk)

As shown in the second slide of @theneighborhoodtalk’s post above, Rock’s original cut has much more aggressive energy than Baby’s version. The reality starlet first shared the song in March 2021 and has since amassed 5.7 million streams on just Spotify. Chrisean has been dropping music fairly consistently so far this year, kicking things off with “Lit” before connecting with Dee Duchess on “Not the One.” Her most recent single, “Time,” arrived at the end of March.

Since then, Rock has been primarily focused on preparing for motherhood and staying out of trouble. As for Babyface, he’s definitely got some unexpected free time on his hands now that he’s no longer touring with Baker. Fingers crossed he uses it to make some unforgettable moves in the studio.

Read More: Chloe Bailey On “The Jason Lee Show”: R&B Star Talks Gunna, Beyoncé, Her Debut Album, And More

Stream the Full Episode

Tap into Babyface and Jason Lee’s full interview on Spotify below. Do you think that the producer’s cover of “Vibe” is better than the original? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.

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The post Babyface Puts His Spin On Chrisean Rock’s “Vibe” Song appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Babyface Responded To Anita Baker Kicking Him Off Her Tour After She Faced ‘Cyberbullying’ And ‘Threats Of Violence’ From His Fans

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Anita Baker and Babyface have been on tour together recently, but there’s been tension. Back in May, a show was delayed, so Baker apparently asked Babyface to not perform his set. He said at the time, “I am truly sorry to my fans who have been waiting for us to hit the stage this evening at the Prudential Center. I was asked not to perform in order to give Ms. Baker her space and time to perform her show in its entirety. My band and I are extremely saddened we didn’t get to perform for y’all tonight.”

Things have soured since then, to the point that Baker has dropped Babyface from the tour.

In an announcement tweet shared yesterday (June 13), she wrote, “After Silently, Enduring Cyber Bulling/Verbal Abuse & Threats of Violence from the Fan Base, of Our Special Guest[heart emoji]/Support Act. In the Interest of Personal Safety. I will continue, The Songstress Tour, alone. Appropriate refunds will be made.”

Babyface has since offered a response, saying in a statement shared with ET, “I am saddened by the news that Anita Baker has decided to remove me from The Songstress Tour. It’s unfortunate and disheartening to see how things have played out via social media. While I was looking forward to the rest of the dates, I have nothing but love & respect for Anita and I wish her the best for the remainder of her tour.”

Babyface’s Tiny Desk Concert Was A Black-Ass Musical Family Reunion Showcasing His Impact Across The Past 50 Years

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Kenneth Edmonds, professionally known as Babyface, is one of the most sought out songwriters in modern times. So, it was only fitting that when the NPR Tiny Desk Concert series wanted to kick off Black Music Month, they called the musician. Babyface didn’t hold back, giving the series one Black-ass musical family reunion showcasing his impact across nearly fifty years.

Outside of his solo catalog, as a producer, he’s worked with some of the biggest names in music, including the late Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Usher, and recently Ari Lennox. His setlist offered a tasting of those past collaborations. With backing support from fellow vocalist Tank, Chanté Moore, and Avery Wilson, Babyface opened up with his classic 1987 song “Two Occasions,” recorded as part of the group The Deele. The entertainer followed that up with his solo 1989 song, “Whip Appeal.”

Known as the woman whisper, when transitioning to Karyn White’s “Superwoman,” which he wrote and produced, Babyface shared how he’s been able to create music from the women’s perspective. “When I was a kid, I was always falling in love and getting my heart broken,” he said. “So when that would happen, I would write these really sad songs. Then I realized I probably was feeling the same hurt women were feeling.”

The remainder of the set included a cover of Madonna’s “Take A Bow,” Mary J. Blige’s “Not Gon’ Cry,” Tevin Campbell’s “Can We Talk,” “Change the World,” Fall Out Boy’s “Thnks fr th Mmrs,” Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love To You” and “End Of The Road,” and closed with Whitney Houston’s “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” off of the Waiting To Exhale movie soundtrack that Babyface produced.

The band consisted of Babyface on both the keys and, at times, the guitar, musical director Erskine Hawkins II as additional support on the keys, Antoine Porter on the guitar, Walt Barnes Jr. on bass, and Reggie Regg on drums.

Although the series features Black artists throughout the year, this subsegment is dedicated to celebrating their contributions to the art form on a much grander scale. The outlet said, “Together, these artists represent the past, present, and future of Black music.”

Watch the full performance above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Anita Baker Apparently Asked Babyface Not To Perform His Opening Set In New Jersey, Which Left Many Fans Upset

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Concertgoers are having a tough time this year. Last month, Morgan Wallen fans were sitting at the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi waiting for him to perform after all the openers went on. Then, he ended up canceling the show. At an Anita Baker concert in Newark, New Jersey left attendees similarly upset last night (May 10).

The audience waited two hours and were told it was due to a technical glitch. Babyface did not perform at all. However, he took to Instagram to share that it was because Baker apparently didn’t want him to.

“I am truly sorry to my fans who have been waiting for us to hit the stage this evening at the Prudential Center,” he wrote. “I was asked not to perform in order to give Ms. Baker her space and time to perform her show in its entirety. My band and I are extremely saddened we didn’t get to perform for y’all tonight.”

Fans are expressing their disappointment in Baker on social media, but she’s yet to comment on the situation.

In 2021, Baker made headlines for regaining control over her masters after her previous label refused to return them and then being praised by Taylor Swift for it.

“Snooze” Co-Writer Babyface Says He Has More Songs With SZA

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In March 2021, SZA shocked her fanbase with a tweet regarding R&B legend Babyface. The record-breaking vocalist shared a text message inviting her to the studio with the celebrated musician, to which she happily obliged. We now get to get a chance to hear what came out of the session with “Snooze,” which he helped pen and co-produce. The track appears on SZA’s Billboard 200’s No. 1 SOS, where it’s been perched for ten weeks straight. Billboard also listed her as their 2023 Woman of the Year, which they honored her with during their Women in Music Awards yesterday (March 1).

In a new interview with Rap Radar, Babyface confirms there are still three collaborations in the chamber. ”There are still two songs,” he tells Elliot Wilson and B. Dot. “And there’s another song that exists—I won’t say the title-but I hope that she will finish it.” Though he refused to expound further, Babyface did mention a track entitled “Brianna’s Way” in the two-minute clip. Thorough research revealed no mention of the song online, and SZA has yet to comment on her musical endeavors with the 63-year-old songwriter. She did, however, allude to a possible collaboration with singer Miley Cyrus earlier this year.

Babyface Praises SZA And Alludes To Other Songs

Prior to the unreleased music news, Babyface revealed SZA was set to appear on his 2022 album Girls Night Out. The groove-heavy LP spotlights R&B’s leading ladies, including Ella Mai, Ari Lennox, and Muni Long. One can only assume SZA’s presence on the project would have been highly received, as well. “Maybe she’ll grace us with that one day, with a deluxe album or something,” Babyface adds.

Further along, Babyface goes on to praise the Grammy-winning songstress despite her musical insecurities. ”I don’t think she has any idea how incredible she is, and how talented she is,” he shares. He then calls SZA “one of the best” musicians he’s ever seen, an incredible compliment coming from a person who’s worked with Toni Braxton, Mary J. Bilge, and the late Whitney Houston. The “Kill Bill” songstress is currently on her 17-city SOS Tour alongside Omar Apollo, which ends later this month.

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Ari Lennox And Babyface’s ‘Liquor’ Is The Smoothest Serving Of R&B With An Intoxicating Video To Match

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Babyface found his perfect sensual collaborative partner in Ari Lennox. Their latest single, “Liquor,” and accompanying music video directed by Jean Esten, is a match made in R&B heaven. The track featured on the legendary producer and songwriter’s compilation album, Girls Night Out, which was released in October 2021, is the perfect bridge between Lennox’s rising star power and Babyface’s veteranism.

On the song, Lennox puts her signature vocals on full display as the pair serenade one another. However, in the official video, instead of exploring this chemistry further, Lennox, in the role of lounge singer at the one and only The Peppermint Club in West Hollywood (not to be confused with the iconic Peppermint Lounge), an entranced patron of the establishment falls deep into Lennox’s web of lust as Babyface assists in the background of the sole bartender.

When asked about Lennox’s talent by media personality Angela on her podcast Lip Service, Babyface said, “I think that Ari’s voice is a voice that she can sing about many things that matter to a lot of people. Her voice is an important voice, and I think that it’s just the beginning for her.”

“Liquor” is filled with clever adult beverage puns that effortless role of the tongue of Lennox as she sings, “Two shots of liquor, no chaser / No rocks, no blend, straight up, just you / Two shots of liquor, oh, oh / I need one hundred from my man, he can’t be eighty proof / When he ask me throw it back, I tell him absolut-ely.”

If you’re going to be drunk in love, then who better to stumble for than Ari Lennox or the King of R&B, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds?

Watch the full video above.