Dwight “Heavy D” Myers was remembered by his family and friends at a funeral service held at Grace Baptist Church in his hometown of Mount Vernon, New York, on Friday (Nov. 18). Jay-Z, Usher, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, John Legend, Queen Latifah, Denzel Washington, Salt-N-Pepa, and more gathered to pay their respects to the self-proclaimed “Overweight Lover” at the star-studded sendoff.

An emotional Diddy remembered his friend, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 44. “Heavy D was the first person to believe in me. He’s the person who made me who I am today,” said the Bad Boy mogul, who was seated in the front row next to Heavy’s parents. “I’ll admit that I took Hev for granted. I always thought he’d be there.”

Johnny Gill, Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell, and Heavy D’s nieces performed, while Anthony Hamilton walked down the aisle singing a somber version of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

Even the First Family grieved the loss of the hip-hop pioneer. “We extend our heartfelt condolences at this difficult time. He will be remembered for his infectious optimism and many contributions to American music. Please know that you and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers,” read a note from the Obamas, which was delivered by Rev. Al Sharpton.

Heavy D’s daughter Xea Myers also gave a touching tribute to her father during the two-and-a-half-hour funeral service. “He was just amazing,” said the 11-year-old. “That’s why we’re all here today. To celebrate his love and passion.”

An all-star ensemble gathered to pay homage to music’s fallen legends at Sunday’s BET Awards. First up, a jazz soloist paid tribute to saxophonist Clarence Clemons before Snoop Dogg and Warren G performed “Regulate” for their fellow West Coast brother Nate Dogg. Queen Latifah recited a spoken-word piece in honor of the late Gil Scott-Heron and Ledisi sang the praises of the “Ivory Queen of Soul” Teena Marie.

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Queen Latifah rises from the sea for Disney Parks’ new campaign “Let the Memories Begin.” The multi-talented entertainer spreads her tentacles as notorious Disney villain Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid in the photo shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, which will appear in national magazines.

Other celebrities remaking animated Disney classics include Penélope Cruz and Jeff Bridges as Belle and the transformed prince from Beauty and the Beast, and Olivia Wilde and Alec Baldwin as the Evil Queen and Spirit in the Magic Mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Check out the Queen’s transformation below.

Mom-to-be Alicia Keys showed off her growing baby bump in a bikini while sailing with husband Swizz Beatz in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France, this week. After tying the knot in a secret wedding ceremony last weekend in Corsica, the newlyweds celebrated their honeymoon with pal Queen Latifah aboard a 180-foot yacht named “Obsession.” The vacationers took a dip in the ocean and soaked up the sun. Now that’s fancy!

BET celebrated the achievements of Whitney Houston, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Queen Latifah at the 3rd Annual BET Honors taped at Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Saturday (Jan. 16). Among the evening’s highlights…

• Jennifer Hudson sang the praises of her idol Whitney Houston with her rendition of “I Will Always Love You” as Houston looked on.
• Jazmine Sullivan performed soul-stirring interpretations of “Unforgettable” and “Rock Steady” for Queen Latifah.
• Stevie Wonder and Trey Songz raised eyebrows by dueting on Trey’s raunchy single “I Invented Sex,” and hit a more somber note with their tribute to the late Teddy Pendergrass on “Wake Up Everybody” with special guest India.Arie.
• Mary J. Blige showed appreciation to the man who helped launch her career, Diddy, by singing a medley of her hits including “Love No Limit,” “I Love You,” and “Be Happy.”
• Maxwell closed the show with “Fistful of Tears” and “Bad Habits” from his Grammy-nominated album BLACKsummers’night.

Celebrities of all colors (and both sexes) braved the chill in New York City to celebrate the 4th Annual Black Girls Rock! Awards, held Saturday (Oct. 17) at The New York Times Center. Spearheaded by model-turned-DJ Beverly Bond (the awards show serves as Bond’s fundraiser for her non-profit youth empowerment mentoring organization, Black Girls Rock! Inc.), the night’s festivities celebrated the achievements of exceptional women of color.

Renowned poet and professor Dr. Sonia Sanchez (recipient of the Legend Award), DJ Spinderella (recipient of the Jazzy Joyce DJ Award), and actress Raven-Symoné (recipient of the Young, Gifted, and Black Award) were a few of the stellar females honored at the event hosted by actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King.

“I think it’s awesome,” Symoné said of her award. “I tell girls to take what they love and take it to the heights, and never take no for an answer.” Besides acceptance speeches, the audience was treated to the sounds of Universal Motown recording artist Melanie Fiona, who sang several selections from her debut, The Bridge, including “Monday Morning” and “It Kills Me.”

Alternative-soul artist Janelle Monáe, who received the Who Got Next Award, closed the show with a rousing performance of her hit, “Sincerely Jane.” During her well-delivered speech, she thanked her grandmother and the legendary James Brown for keeping her grounded: “I never defined my success on how famous I became, but by the art I’d leave behind.”

Other award recipients of the night included Mary J. Blige (Icon Award), Naomi Campbell (Fashionista Award), Anthony Hamilton (the only male honoree to earn a Soul Brother #1 Award), and Queen Latifah, who pledged to donate $25,000 to Bond’s organization.

VIPs received coveted gift bags including Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, AMBI Skincare products, one-year Crunch gym memberships, personalized Black Girls Rock! Converse sneakers, iTunes gift cards, and vouchers for Completely Bare spa treatments.

–Crystal “Crys Breezy” Williams

Queen Latifah races to the finish line behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang in the video for “Fast Car” featuring Missy Elliott, the latest single off her new album Persona.

Alicia Keys, Iman, and Padma Lakshmi co-hosted Keep a Child Alive’s 6th Annual Black Ball at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Thursday (Oct. 15). Guests including Usher, Halle Berry, Nick Cannon, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Estelle, and Queen Latifah were there to honor former President Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, and African Ambassador Youssou N’Dour for their humanitarian work. Keys performed her own set and dueted with John Mayer on “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

Chew on this. Jay-Z lunched with Angie Martinez at Sequoia restaurant in Manhattan last week for a taping of BET’s “Food for Thought: Conversations with Jay-Z,” airing September 11 at midnight.

Plus, Mary J. Blige is white hot, Queen Latifah kicks it with Liza Minnelli, Estelle is a PAPER chaser, Kelly Rowland vogues, and Jesse McCartney gets schooled.

Queen Latifah gets behind the wheel of a 2010 Ford Mustang on set of the video for “Fast Car,” her Missy Elliott-assisted single from her new album Persona. The clip, shot over the weekend at Wall Township Speedway in New Jersey, features cameos from Common, Robin Thicke, and actress Paula Patton.