Music’s biggest voices saluted black women in business, politics, entertainment, sports, and community service at BET’s second annual “Black Girls Rock!” event, honoring Angela Davis, Shirley Caesar, Taraji P. Henson, Tatyana Ali, and more.

Erykah Badu kicked off the festivities by beat-boxing and adding her own instrumentation to “Appletree.” Melanie Fiona showed off her powerful pipes with her new song “This Time,” newcomer Elle Varner stepped into the spotlight with “Only Wanna Give It to You,” and Estelle said “Thank You” with her Akon-penned single.

Soul diva Jill Scott delivered a spoken word performance of “Womanifesto” and empowered her fellow ladies with “Hate on Me.” And Mary J. Blige closed out the inspiring evening with “Just Fine” and “My Life.”

Get lifted with the ladies of R&B by watching the performances below.

Mary J. Blige – “Just Fine”

Mary J. Blige – “My Life”

Erykah Badu – “Appletree”

Melanie Fiona – “This Time”

Elle Varner – “Only Wanna Give It to You”

Estelle – “Thank You”

Jill Scott – “Womanifesto” + “Hate on Me”

Erykah Badu serves up a sequel to her video for “Out My Mind, Just in Time,” a cut off last year’s album New Amerykah Part Two. The soulstress directs and stars in the black-and-white visuals, rolling around on the floor as the camera locks in on her.

Jimmy Fallon threw a “Late Night” party and invited a colorful cast of characters. Nick Jr.’s Yo Gabba Gabba! debuted “We’re Gonna Party Today” with some help from The Roots, Erykah Badu, Biz Markie, Bootsy Collins, and more. DJ Lance Rock kicked off the festivities with a dedication to the late Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson. Ms. Badu rocked an Afro and futuristic attire as she boogied down to the funky sounds. Can you dig it?

It was a family affair as the normally private Lauryn Hill brought five of her six kids onstage with her at the Rock the Bells Festival on Governors Island in New York on Saturday (Sept. 3). The children, ranging in age from three to 14, joined their mother as she closed the hip-hop fest, performing her classic album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in its entirety.

She also surprised the crowd by reuniting with her fellow Fugee Pras for the first time in years. “Just got off the stage with Miss Lauryn Hill we rock the stage on rock the bells, clef where you at?” tweeted Pras.

Ms. Hill wasn’t the only mom on the bill. Erykah Badu rocked the mic with material from her debut Baduizm and was photographed backstage with her young son. The day-long festivities also included sets from Nas, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The RZA, and others.

A year after releasing New Amerykah Part Two, Erykah Badu gives us one more video for “Out My Mind, Just in Time.” Miss Badu keeps the visuals simple, expressing her lyrics as she dances alone in a dark room.

Catch Erykah performing select dates on the Rock the Bells 2011 Festival this summer, along with Lauryn Hill, Nas, and Black Star.

Erykah Badu spread peace, love, and happiness on Day 2 of Coachella. After a slight delay, the neo-soul songstress hit the main stage in a sheer shall, rolled up overalls, gold accessories, and a black hat. She opened with “20 Feet Tall” from her latest album New Amerykah Part Two, performing crowd favorites like “Appletree” and her mainstay “On and On.”

But like Cee Lo Green before her, Erykah’s set ended abruptly when her microphone was cut due to her tardiness. She politely smiled, then tossed the mic head into the audience to express her disappointment.

Odd Future, including superfan Tyler, the Creator, and Wynter Gordon were spotted soaking up the sounds of Ms. Badu.

[MWP]

West Coast collective Odd Future stole the show at the Fader Fort during the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, on Friday (March 18). The raucous crew performed cuts from their respective releases including leader Tyler, the Creator’s single “Yonkers,” rocking ski masks over their faces and prompting the crowd to chant “Golf Wang” as they stage dove into the audience.

The up-and-comers shared the stage with Erykah Badu, who played the drums with indie duo Matt & Kim, who inspired her controversial “Window Seat” video. The overall-clad soulstress posed for a picture backstage with Tyler. “I Fu**ing Love Her,” he previously tweeted about Badu.

If you weren’t brave enough to be at the show, watch clips from Odd Future’s riotous performance below.

Erykah Badu glides through a futuristic factory in the video for “Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long,” a cut off her recent release New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh. In the Flying Lotus-directed clip, the soul singer moves through a blueprint-like setting where panels showing the eccentric songstress glide past the camera. Take a journey into tomorrow by watching the trippy new video.

A downpour of rain didn’t stop die-hard New Yorkers from attending the Hennessy Artistry finale Thursday night at posh hotspot Cipriani. Hosted by raptress Eve, The Roots headlined the event, which brought a mix of legends to the stage. Before the evening’s stars grabbed the mic, DJ D-Nice spun old-to-new school hip-hop tunes and everything in between.

The Roots’ first guest, Q-Tip, graced the stage, looking dapper in a black shirt and white tie combo whilst performing classics like “Bonita Applebum” and “Electric Relaxation.” As the crowd continued vibing, Ron Isley took the crowd back a few years with his smooth R&B flow and sang the smash “Between the Sheets.” In the midst of all the powerhouses, it was Mike Posner who performed his chart-topping single “Cooler Than Me,” ensuring his place on the stage as Black Thought resigned himself to hype man.

Representing for the women of hip-hop, Eve gave a short but energetic performance. The tattooed rhymer, in a white geometric bustier, rapped hits like “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” and “Who’s That Girl?” The Roots’ collaborator Erykah Badu came up next, sporting a platinum blond ‘do and gold cuffs that looked as if she would take flight at any second. Erykah sang undeniable gems such as “Bag Lady,” “Window Seat,” and “You Got Me,” all while making beats live on stage.

Just as the crowd didn’t think the night could get any better, Bobby Brown shot on stage and hyped onlookers with “Every Little Step” and “My Prerogative.” As the concert began to wind down, The Roots had one last surprise in store: special guest Mary J. Blige. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul looked radiant and graced the audience with hits “Be Happy,” “I Love You,” and “Real Love.”

Rain or shine, the evening proved that timeless music overcomes even the strongest of storms.

–Nadia Chanté

Erykah Badu is no stranger to controversy. After causing a stir with her much-talked-about “Window Seat” video, the soul songstress is speaking out about her disappointment with today’s music.

“How y’all gone stand by and let our music turn into pop techno cornball ass music,” Badu asked her Twitter followers, referring to the electro, dance, and pop sounds currently dominating radio. “We don’t own our music no more. come to think of it , did we EVER own it ? where is the funk AT?”

The shift in popular music surprised Badu. “They playd 6 in a row today- #pop techno songs back to back . with so called r&b and rap artist… on the hop hop station . where I been?”

The 39-year-old artist, who has her own young children, opened up the discussion to her followers. “I wann hear from the young people? easy for me to complain about this techno-pop cause i have a taste for something else. but how do u feel?” she questioned. “I definitely don’t want to offend anyone . young people, I know this is the music of your generation.”

Without naming names, she expressed her dismay at the hip-hop artists following the trend. “These rappers ought to be shame of they damn selves,” she chided. “I’m talkin bout the mc’ s rappin over this pop techno music… I believe in pimpin the system [but] got DAMN! not like this.”

Do you agree with Erykah? Let us know below!