LL COOL J

Taylor Swift took home the top prize at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards before she closed out the show with a surprisingly big announcement: Her new album.

MTV Video Music Awards This combination of photos show LL Cool J hosting the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles on March 22, 2022, left, Nicki Minaj at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala in New York on May 6, 2019, center, and Jack Harlow at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York on Sept. 12, 2021. The rappers will host the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28. (AP Photo) (Uncredited)NEW YORK — (AP) — The MTV Video Music Awards later this month will have not one emcee but three, with rap stars LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow all set to anchor the ceremony. Minaj has been nominated and won five times at the VMAs and is nominated in the best hip-hop video category this year. Harlow, Lil Nas X, Drake, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Lizzo will compete for artist of the year.

The MTV Video Music Awards later this month will have not one emcee but three, with rap stars LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow all set to anchor the ceremony.

Nicki Minaj will receive the Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Awards later this month, joining such previous winning music luminaries as Madonna, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Jennifer Lopez and Missy Elliott.

It’s going to be a “Beautiful Day” for the band U2 and four other artists when they receive this year’s Kennedy Center Honors in December.

“This Is Us,” “black-ish” and “Better Call Saul” are among the shows to be saluted at the Paley Center for Media’s annual TV festival.

New Years Eve Times Square FILE - The 2022 sign that will be lit on top of a building on New Year's Eve is displayed in Times Square, New York, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. Confetti lit up by electronic billboards swirled in a light wind on a mild winter night in New York City. New York City reported a record number of new, confirmed cases — nearly 44,000 — on Wednesday and a similar number Thursday, according to New York state figures. A New York City tour guide, she was unemployed for a spell as the economy was shuttered and tourism tanked. Nursing student Ashley Ochoa and her boyfriend, Jose Avelar, traveled from the central valley of California specifically to be at Times Square.

New York City said it limited the number of people in Times Square to about 15,000 this year, after forgoing a public event a year ago.

New Years Eve Times Square FILE - The 2022 sign that will be lit on top of a building on New Year's Eve is displayed in Times Square, New York, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. “We are very excited to welcome back visitors to Times Square this New Year’s Eve,” said Tom Harris, the president of the Times Square Alliance. New York City reported a record number of new, confirmed cases — more than 39,590 — on Tuesday, according to New York state figures. New York City’s incoming mayor, Eric Adams, is scheduled to take his oath in Times Square soon after the ball drop. College students and sisters Mary and Vanessa Anyakwo were guardedly optimistic, too, as they took in Times Square on an outing from their home in suburban Elmsford, New York.

New Years Eve Times Square FILE - The 2022 sign that will be lit on top of a building on New Year's Eve is displayed in Times Square, New York, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. “We are very excited to welcome back visitors to Times Square this New Year’s Eve,” said Tom Harris, the president of the Times Square Alliance. New York City reported a record number of new, confirmed cases — more than 39,590 — on Tuesday, according to New York state figures. New York City’s incoming mayor, Eric Adams, is scheduled to take his oath in Times Square soon after the ball drop. College students and sisters Mary and Vanessa Anyakwo were guardedly optimistic, too, as they took in Times Square on an outing from their home in suburban Elmsford, New York.

The annual New Year's Eve ball drop in New York City's Times Square has arrived just as the year prior began, with the pandemic clouding an already uncertain future.

President Joe Biden has helped light the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse near the White House.

APTOPIX Music Rock Hall The Go-Go's hug their presenter, actress Drew Barrymore, after she inducted them into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during the induction ceremony, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in Cleveland. The self-proclaimed “greatest rapper alive” was inducted Saturday night as part of an eclectic 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class that included Foo Fighters, Carole King, Tina Turner, The Go-Gos and Todd Rundgren. His catalogue includes songs like “Hard Knock Life,” “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind” as well as 14 No. Paul McCartney welcomed Foo Fighters, who have carried the mantle as one of rock's top arena acts. “They also stand on the shoulders of the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Rapper Dr. Dre presents LL Cool J for the Musical Excellence Award during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard) (David Richard/AP)CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its eclectic Class of 2021 on Saturday night in Cleveland, and these legendary performers did not disappoint. >> Read more trending newsAmong the 2021 inductees were singer-songwriter Carole King, rapper LL Cool J, 80s trailblazers The Go-Gos, entertainment mogul Jay-Z and the Queen of Rock and Roll, Tina Turner. Inductee LL Cool J and Eminem bring down the house with “Rock the Bells”:LL Cool J performing w/ Eminem at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony pic.twitter.com/DFl7S4OmET — 2Cool2Blog (@2cooI2blog) October 31, 20214. Inductee Tina Turner delivered a video message from Switzerland:Tina Turner accepts her induction pic.twitter.com/bk7DVyvPF2 — Dr. Bryan McGeary (@BMcgeary) October 31, 2021Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 25 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Tina Turner is shown on a screen during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in Cleveland.

Music Rock Hall LL Cool J performs with Jennifer Lopez during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard) (David Richard)CLEVELAND — (AP) — LL Cool J got together some of his heavyweight musical friends to usher him into rock immortality. With New York street style and swagger, Cool J was one of hip-hops first superstars in the 1980s and remains a relevant artist more than 40 years later. "They also stand on the shoulders of the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It was also a long wait for Cool J, who had been nominated six times.

Jay-Z has added another title to a bustling resume that includes Grammy winner, songwriter, billionaire business mogul, and global icon — now, Hall of Famer.

Jay-Z's added another title to a resume that includes rapper, songwriter, Grammy winner, billionaire business mogul, and global icon — Hall of Famer. The self-proclaimed “greatest rapper alive” was inducted Saturday night as part of an eclectic 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class that included Foo Fighters, Carole King, Tina Turner, The Go-Gos and Todd Rundgren. Once a drug dealer on the tough streets of Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z rose through the rap world with hard, straight-forward songs that often portrayed the struggles of Black people in America.

Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift will induct new members into the Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Fame next week, and actor Angela Bassett will do the honors for Tina Turner.

Jason Sudeikis took home best actor in a comedy series for his leading role in “Ted Lasso,” but the actor seemed more enthused to share the show’s victory with his castmates.

“The Crown” is the winner of the best drama series Emmy Award, giving Netflix its first top series win.

Central Park Concert Barry Manilow performs at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert at The Great Lawn in Central Park on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) (Andy Kropa)NEW YORK — (AP) — This time, Barry Manilow didn’t make it through the rain. Organized early in the summer, the concert was intended as a celebration of New York City overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. But on Saturday, the concert kicked off amid worries about the highly contagious delta variant of the virus. New York City over the past week has averaged just under 2,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, according to state statistics.

This time, Barry Manilow didn’t make it through the rain.

A superstar-laden Central Park concert meant to celebrate New York City’s recovery from the coronavirus was cut short because of severe weather as Hurricane Henri approached.

Snoop Dogg is getting ready to bark out orders at Def Jam Recordings — he’s joining the label as an executive creative and strategic consultant.

Universal Hip Hop Museum Groundbreaking Ceremony Nas, left, and LL Cool J attend the Universal Hip Hop Museum groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 20, 2021, in the Bronx borough of New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) (Charles Sykes)NEW YORK — (AP) — Musical luminaries including Nas, LL Cool J, and Fat Joe came out Thursday to the birthplace of hip-hop for a ground-breaking ceremony to launch the capital campaign for the new Universal Hip Hop Museum. They joined a slew of politicians in the Bronx, where the now-global cultural force that is hip-hop has its roots. “Hip hop made me believe that anything was possible," said LL Cool J. It also is slated to include cultural and community-focused programming, including the permanent home of the Universal Hip Hop Museum.

Musical luminaries including Nas, LL Cool J, and Fat Joe came out to the birthplace of hip-hop for a ground-breaking ceremony to launch the capital campaign for the new Universal Hip Hop Museum.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will induct Jay-Z, Foo Fighters and the Go-Go's, elected this year on the first ballot.

FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2020, file photo, images of Kobe Bryant are displayed as fans enter Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse for an NBA basketball game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New Orleans Pelicans in Cleveland. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Tuesday, March 2, 2021, that the 2021 induction ceremony will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on October 30. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)CLEVELAND – The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that the 2021 induction ceremony will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on October 30. President and CEO Greg Harris said the ceremony's move to the fall will likely stick, going forward, news outlets reported. Last year’s ceremony was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and eventually replaced with an HBO special honoring the inductees.

Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Tina Turner and Iron Maiden lead this year's nominees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a female-heavy list of 16 acts that includes for the first time The Go-Go's, Mary J. Blige and Dionne Warwick. There are two newly eligible acts in Jay-Z and Foo Fighters while artists nominated for the first time include Blige, The Go-Go's, Iron Maiden, Warwick and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Turner would be inducted for a second time, having gone to the hall as part of Ike & Tina Turner in 1991. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is already in the hall as a member of Nirvana. CBS News"This remarkable ballot reflects the diversity and depth of the artists and music the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates," said John Sykes, Chairman of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, in a statement Wednesday.

FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2019, file photo, Dave Grohl of the band Foo Fighters performs at the Rock in Rio music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The band made this years list of nominees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are two newly eligible acts in Jay-Z and Foo Fighters while artists nominated for the first time include Blige, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Warwick and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is already in the hall as a member of Nirvana. “This remarkable ballot reflects the diversity and depth of the artists and music the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates,” said John Sykes, Chairman of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, in a statement Wednesday.

The trio are among several artists who have released songs in response to the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Its confusion.Other musicians have released songs in the last week in the wake of Floyd's death and those of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Mickey Guyton, one of the few black voices on the country music scene, wrote the song Black Like Me last year about her life story and experiences with racism. The black man in the grip of the oppressor. It was the first time that I shed tears over a man that I didnt even know, over a black man.

LL Cool J on hosting the Grammy Awards In this preview of an interview to air on "Sunday Morning," rap artist and "NCIS: Los Angeles" star LL Cool J talks to correspondent Michelle Miller about his hosting - for the fourth time - the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' annual awards gala.