52nd AMAs Pivot to Nostalgia With Queen Latifah, Pussycat Dolls

Queen Latifah, right, poses with partner Eboni Nichols, their son, Rebel, and Kaavia on the red carpet before the 52nd American Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday. Latifah hosted a show built around millennial-era nostalgia and legacy collaborations. (Photo Credit: Dick Clark Productions)

The 52nd Annual American Music Awards transformed the MGM Grand Garden Arena into a celebration of millennial nostalgia on Memorial Day, proving the enduring influence of 1990s and 2000s urban contemporary music.

Rap pioneer and actress Queen Latifah returned to anchor the live CBS and Paramount+ broadcast as the solo host, 31 years after she first co-hosted the event in 1995.

The telecast served as a proving ground for the lasting power of millennial anthems, expanding its lineup to feature major legacy collaborations. The Pussycat Dolls made a highly anticipated return to the stage, performing alongside veteran artist Busta Rhymes. Nostalgia continued to rule the broadcast with appearances by foundational pop and R&B figures, including a performance from Teyana Taylor.

Acknowledging the cultural dominance of legacy acts, the AMAs introduced 12 new categories this year, including Best Throwback Song. The inaugural award in that category went to the Black Eyed Peas for their hit “Rock That Body.”

While the veterans provided the night’s foundation, modern stars heavily influenced by the 1990s and 2000s dominated the hip-hop award categories. Cardi B swept the block, taking home Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Best Hip-Hop Song for “ErrTime” and Best Hip-Hop Album for “AM I THE DRAMA?”. Kendrick Lamar took home the trophy for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, while Monaleo secured Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist.

Bruno Mars mirrored that dominance in the R&B categories with wins for Best Male R&B Artist, Best R&B Song for “I Just Might” and Best R&B Album for “The Romantic.” The R&B genre also saw major victories for SZA, who won Best Female R&B Artist, and Leon Thomas, who secured Breakthrough R&B Artist. Tyla dominated the Afrobeats and social categories, winning Best Afrobeats Artist and Social Song of the Year for “CHANEL.”

The night’s highest overall honors belonged to a mix of global superstars and rising talent. BTS claimed the coveted Artist of the Year award, as well as Song of the Summer for “SWIM” and Best Male K-Pop Artist. Breakout group KATSEYE claimed New Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Pop Artist and Best Music Video for “Gnarly.”

Additionally, Karol G took home Best Latin Album for “Tropicoqueta” and was presented with the rare International Artist Award of Excellence by John Legend.

To view the full list of the night's winners click here.

Rob Base, Harlem Rapper Who Anchored 'It Takes Two,' Dies at 59

Hip-hop pioneer Rob Base performs at the Houston Dash 90s Bash in Houston on Oct. 8, 2023. The Harlem-born rapper, who anchored the platinum 1988 crossover anthem "It Takes Two," died Friday after a private battle with cancer. He was 59. (Photo: 2C2K Photography, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Rob Base, the pioneering Harlem rapper whose 1988 platinum single "It Takes Two" became a foundational anthem for hip-hop and global dance culture, died Friday following a private battle with cancer. He was 59.

Born Robert Ginyard, the artist passed away peacefully surrounded by family, according to a statement released on his official social media accounts.

"Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world," the statement read. "Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten."

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Base emerged from the New York hip-hop scene in the mid-1980s alongside his childhood friend and musical partner DJ E-Z Rock (Rodney "Skip" Bryce). After building local momentum in Harlem with early singles, the duo signed with Profile Records in 1987. The following year, they released "It Takes Two," a track that permanently altered the trajectory of the genre.

Built around a heavy, driving drum break and a vocal sample from Lyn Collins’ 1972 James Brown-produced funk track "Think (About It)," the song successfully bridged the gap between raw, lyric-driven hip-hop and the high-energy club scene. Introduced by Base's iconic opening declaration — "I wanna rock right now / I'm Rob Base and I came to get down" — the single peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard dance charts, reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, and quickly achieved platinum certification.

The accompanying album, also titled "It Takes Two," generated subsequent massive dance-floor hits including "Joy and Pain" and "Get on the Dance Floor." The project secured the duo's legacy during hip-hop's golden era, proving the commercial viability of rap music in mainstream spaces without compromising its street origins.

While the group's dynamic shifted in the 1990s — with Base releasing the solo album "The Incredible Base" in 1989 before reuniting with DJ E-Z Rock for 1994's "Break of Dawn" — his foundational 1988 work remained a permanent fixture in global pop culture. "It Takes Two" has been endlessly sampled by subsequent generations of producers and remains a ubiquitous presence in film, television, and sports arenas.

Memorial service arrangements for Ginyard have not yet been announced.

Federal Jury Orders Ye to Pay Over $430,000 in Copyright Lawsuit Over Uncleared Sample

Rapper and entrepreneur Ye, right, stands alongside former Adidas executive Eric Liedtke in front of a Yeezy promotional display. A federal jury in Los Angeles recently ordered Ye and his affiliated companies, including Yeezy LLC, to pay over $430,000 in damages following a copyright infringement trial over an uncleared song sample.

A federal jury has ordered the artist legally known as Ye to pay more than $430,000 in damages for using an uncleared sample during a massive stadium listening event in 2021.

The unanimous verdict, delivered last week in Los Angeles, concluded a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by a group of musicians including veteran hip-hop producer DJ Khalil (Khalil Abdul-Rahman), Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff and Josh Mease. The plaintiffs alleged that Ye, formerly Kanye West, unlawfully used their 2018 instrumental track "MSD PT2" as the backbone for an early, unreleased version of his Grammy-winning song "Hurricane."

During the six-day trial, the court heard that Ye played the uncleared version of "Hurricane" for 40,000 fans at a listening party for his 10th studio album, "Donda," at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium in July 2021.

Plaintiffs' attorney Irene Lee successfully argued that the stadium event generated an estimated $5.5 million through ticket sales, merchandise and a streaming deal with Apple Music, rendering the unauthorized broadcast a commercial copyright violation.

"There was no deal, no agreement, no license, and no clearance," Lee told the jury during closing arguments.

The jury found Ye personally liable for $176,153, while his company Yeezy LLC was ordered to pay the exact same amount. Two of his affiliated companies, Yeezy Supply LLC and Ox Paha Inc., were additionally found liable for $41,625 and $44,627, respectively.

Ye testified in person during the trial, telling jurors that he believed his team had gone through standard industry procedures to clear the sample. The "MSD PT2" sample was ultimately removed and replaced with recreated elements before the final version of "Hurricane" — which featured The Weeknd and Lil Baby and later won a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance — received its official commercial release.

Following the verdict, a spokesperson for Yeezy dismissed the outcome as a "failed shakedown," noting the plaintiffs had initially sought up to $30 million before the judge dismissed several of the more lucrative composition claims prior to trial.

"The moral of the story? There is a cost attached to thinking you can take advantage of Ye," the spokesperson said.

Britton Monts, a manager for Artist Revenue Advocates, the company that represented the four musicians in the lawsuit, celebrated the jury's decision.

"It's a victory for working artists, who typically lack the resources to go against someone like Ye, a megastar and celebrity," Monts said. "The underdogs got their day in court."