Rap-Up.com || Alicia Keys, Ciara, Missy Elliott, Brandy, & Keyshia Cole Perform at ‘Black Girls Rock!’

It was ladies’ night as BET aired its annual “Black Girls Rock!” celebration on Sunday. Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King, the star-studded affair honored the achievements of women of color with heartfelt performances, tributes, and special awards. This year’s honorees included Dionne Warwick (Living Legend Award), Alicia Keys (Rock Star Award), and Janelle Monáe (Young, Gifted, & Black Award).

Ciara had the crowd on its feet with “Sorry” and the title track off her upcoming album One Woman Army, and was joined by Missy Elliott for “1, 2 Step.” Missy also delivered her new single “9th Inning.” Brandy soared with “Wildest Dreams,” and Keyshia Cole tore the house down with her new single “Trust and Believe” off her upcoming album Woman to Woman.

Alicia ignited the stage with “New Day” and her female anthem “Girl on Fire,” India.Arie performed “I Am Not My Hair” and her new single “6th Avenue,” and Luke James, Anthony Hamilton, and Eric Benét catered to the ladies with “Wildflower.” Even SWV returned to the stage to perform a medley of their ’90s classics.

Watch all the performances on demand below.

Alicia Keys – “New Day” + “Girl on Fire”

Brandy – “Wildest Dreams”

Keyshia Cole – “Trust and Believe”

Ciara and Missy Elliott – “One Woman Army,” “Sorry,” “1, 2 Step,” and “9th Inning”

India.Arie – “6th Avenue”

India.Arie – “I Am Not My Hair”

Eric Benét, Anthony Hamilton, and Luke James – “Wildflower”

SWV – Medley

Posted in Alicia Keys, Brandy, Ciara, Keyshia Cole, Missy Elliott, TV Appearances | Permalink

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48 Comments

Amozing
November 4th, 2012 at 8:21 pm
Ciara was amazing!

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Amozing Reply:
November 4th, 2012 at 8:21 pm
@Amozing, Oh yeah! & 1st!

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MmmHmm
November 4th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
MISSYs ENERGY WAS EVERYTHING!!! :D

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Speechless
November 4th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Ciara did that!!!

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Dave
November 4th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
CIARA & MISSY SLAYED!

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boom boom
November 4th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
oh, the flopbeen is back in action(Cici)
Missy was dope!
Alicia was incredible.
Brandy was okay

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lyric commander lee
November 4th, 2012 at 8:51 pm
alicia rocked it – love the new song – new day – ciara shocked the hell outta me – had no idea she could sing like that – loved missy! brandy…i dont know – something is just off about the new her…this era and album – idk

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commanderofthedancefloor Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 10:50 am
@lyric commander lee, not to burst your bubble or slam cici, but she was lip singing her performance until she grabed a mic at the end with missy to say a few words. But her dancing made up for it, i guess.

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youwannaknow
November 4th, 2012 at 8:53 pm
KEYSHIA SLAYED!!

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Sharp Tongue
November 4th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Keyshia was surprising.

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Tosha89
November 4th, 2012 at 9:07 pm
Brandy did great. I didn’t like the band too much though.

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Wayne
November 4th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
Here goes Rap-Up being ignorant again.

Kerry Washington was the FIRST honoree of the night. How the hell can you conveniently leave her out?

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listen Reply:
November 4th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
@Wayne, kerry washington is irrelevant.

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relly Reply:
November 4th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
@listen, irrelevant to what, she’s the star of a hit series among critics and fans and was relevant event to be honored

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Wayne Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 1:57 am
@listen, Really? Well, that must be why she and Scandal are receiving rave reviews from critics.

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I Told You Karruche Would Never Be Rihanna Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 11:06 am
@listen, Ignorance must be bliss

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listen
November 4th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
@aliciakeys: she actually sounded pretty good this performance. i’ve been very critical of her voice since 3rd album, but she was hitting her notes and i’m glad for her. @brandy: i love the song, not sure if it should’ve been the single. it’s one of those sit in your seat type of songs and she needs more than that. great vocal performance though. @keyshiacole: everybody was sounding good for the most part. generally a flat singer, however, with those great background singers, she stepped her game up. good for her. @ciara/missy: lmao!! cici’s time is definitely up. she hasn’t really evolved and this will be the first time missy’s first single failed to make it in the billboard top 75. “ninth inning” is WEAK. i don’t know how someone so innovative could chose that as her single. @india: great singer. nice song. but is she trying to sell records? @swv: i love how they gave lele that little part at the end of “weak” and she couldn’t even sing that well! lamo!!!

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Mb92 Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 5:39 pm
@listen, You’re a sad story hahah knock it off hating on Ci… she could’ve be lip singing but that performance was hot!

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Asa Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 11:17 pm
@listen, India.Arie is the most positive person I’ve ever seen, and you still managed to rag on her. smdh

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jacon
November 4th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Keyshia showed the world last night exactly why she is a star…best performance of the night!

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youwannaknow Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 12:02 am
@jacon, I AGREE

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Haw
November 5th, 2012 at 12:08 am
The all rock it !!!
love ‘em all !

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dafoxzdon
November 5th, 2012 at 12:36 am
SWV were HOT.

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Haw
November 5th, 2012 at 12:47 am
Wow.. I love the beginning part of Ciara.
It sounds like the intro of the album.
And when she sang the first sentence,
I had goose bumps.

Black Girls Rock!!!

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listen Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 5:56 am
@Haw, lmao!!!

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OneTwoThreeFOUR
November 5th, 2012 at 1:20 am
Loved me some Brandy

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Jay-Me
November 5th, 2012 at 6:14 am
I’m a fan of all these women. Keyshia killed it, Missy killed, Ciara mimed and looked epileptic & Brandy & Alicia disappointed me; they were lack lustre.

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av
November 5th, 2012 at 6:30 am
Brandy, Brandy, Brandy. Love Ya.

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Vance
November 5th, 2012 at 6:45 am
LA Reid needs to be bitch slapped just for being associated with Ciara.

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Dree Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 8:08 am
@Vance, Hater much? lmao. SIT DOWN.

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Vance Reply:
November 6th, 2012 at 4:20 am
@Dree, Hater? No. Realist. Here’s a seat for you, though. It’s a beach chair ___________/

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Sam937
November 5th, 2012 at 6:51 am
All the performers rocked and did a spectacular job.

Alicia Keys is always a woman of perfection. I loved her performance and speech.

Kerry Washington is a smart, smart women who continues to inspire.

Susan Taylor was the life of Essence. She is missed with her positive words. Essence Magazine hasn’t been the same since.

Dionne Warwick is a beautiful woman with a voice that stands the test of time.

Janelle Monae made me cry. She is well spoken and has a beautiful aura.

The show was inspirational and full of positivity which is need in our communities.

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Demarco
November 5th, 2012 at 7:46 am
Keyshia Cole sucks vocally. Her fans like this hood ish so good for yall….BRandy was everything!!!

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bibi93
November 5th, 2012 at 8:03 am
Congrats black divas!!

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immabreakyourneckbitch!!!!
November 5th, 2012 at 8:48 am
cici killed it once again!!!!

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Jay
November 5th, 2012 at 9:52 am
Looked like an amazing night with great performance! Wish I could’ve been there. My baby Ciara killed with Missy!!! I ready for One Woman Army!!!! :)

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LOVETHISGIRL
November 5th, 2012 at 10:10 am
Damn all their performances sucked BIG time..I felt embarrassed just by watching..They coulda came better than that..all of them were boring as hell..wtf? is up with that..

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jfj
November 5th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Ciara DID THAT!! You can really see that shes stepping her game ALL the way up this go around! Theres NO way u can say that intro wasnt EPIC! Who else out right now is performing like this?! I. Was. Shocked.

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TopB*tch
November 5th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
CIARA DID THAT!!!

Bump what a hater has to say!

She still getting deals and making money!!!

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KEYLOLO ... Thats K.E.Y LOLO
November 5th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
O>M>G!!!!!

JUST THE INTRO OF CIARA VIDEO WILL SHUT UP ALL HATER’S!!!!

#DIVA

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MmmHmm
November 5th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
MISSY!!!!!! I NEED TO SEE HER ON THE STAGE EVERYDAY!

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TheWigCollector
November 5th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
YALL DUMB AF!!!! FIRST of all yall don’t know the industry Ciara didn’t lipsync she used the head piece so she could do the choreography FULL out she had a backing track! who wants to Hold a fucking microphone in their hand when they’re dancing and do high intense choreo as Ciara? she switched to a Mic with Missy because she wasnt doing nothing but being a HYPE girl duh!!! I mean i understand her VOCALS slaaayed so much one wud think she lip synced but she just CLEARLY stepped her pussy up and learned to use her voice and control it and yall hating ass hoes will DEAL!!!! ya fave (Rihanna) cud NEVER sound as good live #BAM

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Asa
November 5th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
Alicia Keys, I love you, but stop dancing. I’d rather hear you rock your vocals, not hold a mic to your face while dancing. Thanks! :D

Brandy, killed it. What’s with the lip syncing by backup dancers though? That was lame. It’s obviously Brandy background vocals. Sheesh. Just dance ladies.

Has Keyshia Cole really improved that much live? Or is she lip syncing? If it’s live, about time girl. Show that skill live. I knew it was there. If not, well… can’t blame her. She can be iffy live.

Missy and Ciara rocked it.

India.Arie is always amazing. She’s so graceful and amazing. Sinful they cut off “I Am Not My Hair” though. ):

SWV,

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Asa Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 11:18 pm
@Asa, SMV,

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AllAmerykhanBoy
November 6th, 2012 at 7:11 am
Boring Performances. Where’s Beyonce

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Pray America Reply:
November 6th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
@AllAmerykhanBoy, C#U#N#T#D#I#C#K!

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Rez
November 6th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
I’m so proud of Keyshia, cause she step up her game vocally. If she came back trippin, people would had dissed her badly.

Brandy, what can you say about her? She sounded amazing and had breathing technique down, cause she sounded flawless. She was a lil raspy than usual, cause she did alot of promotion for Two Eleven before performing for BGR…

Either way, Keyshia Cole and Brandy had the best performances of the night vocally!!

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Drew
November 7th, 2012 at 1:32 am
So disappointed SWV didn’t perform any songs off their new album ‘I Missed Us’. I was hoping for ‘Love Unconditionally’ or ‘CoSign’.

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