Doechii Wins Her First BET Award and Uses Her Speech as a Call for Justice
Grammy-winning rapper Doechii won Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the 2025 BET Awards. She used her acceptance time on stage as a powerful call for justice, condemning Trump's immigration crackdown and the military response to the protests. After receiving her first BET award and acknowledging her fellow nominees, Doechii shifted her speech towards the events unfolding in Los Angeles, questioning the state of our city and government."There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order," she said. "Trump is using military forces to stop a protest. I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us. What type of government is that?"The BET awards took place on Sunday night amid a weekend of protests over immigration raids. On Monday, President Donald Trump responded to the chaos by authorizing the mobilization of over 4,000 National Guard members to protect federal property.
California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, have criticized the action as unconstitutional and have filed lawsuits claiming the deployment occurred without the state's consent. Others have alleged that the Trump administration used military force to incite disorder and intimidate protestors.Doechii used her big win to speak up against the injustice, inspiring loud applause from the audience. The artist's speech was the only direct response to the chaos ensuing in the surrounding area of the event. 'People are being swept up and torn from their families,' she continued. 'I feel like it's my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people … We all deserve to live in hope and not fear. I hope we stand together.'The 25th anniversary of the BET Awards took place just blocks from where National Guard troops are now stationed, highlighting the intersection of entertainment and political activism as celebrities increasingly use their platforms to raise awareness.
This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
8 minutes ago
- CNBC
Nothing is off the table as Trump and Putin set to meet
As Russian President Vladimir Putin holds face-to-face talks with White House leader Donald Trump on Friday, Ukraine — and the world — will be watching with baited breath. The state leaders are set to begin their summit at 11:30 a.m. local time (3.30 p.m. ET) at the Elmendorf Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska. There will then be a working lunch for both delegations, before the presidents hold a joint press conference to summarize their talks. The presser will undoubtedly be one of the most closely watched events of this year, revealing just how near — or far — is the end of the war in Ukraine that has spanned more than three and a half years. "Trump wants to exhaust all options to have a peaceful end to war," the White House stated on the eve of the Alaska summit. It remains to be seen whether those "options" will ultimately be good or bad for Ukraine. Not only is a ceasefire at stake — if Trump can persuade Putin to agree to one — but so are Ukraine's territorial integrity, Europe's security, Russia's economy and geopolitical alliances. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has a checkered relationship with Trump and was not invited to the Friday event, will be nervous as the talks get underway. Both he and his European allies fear the U.S. leader could capitulate to skilled negotiator Putin's likely demands for Moscow to retain occupied Ukrainian territory and cut short Ukraine's NATO membership aspirations, in return for halting its military offensive. Moscow has released more details about the summit than the White House, which only this week confirmed that the presidents' talks would be a "one-on-one" meeting. The Kremlin echoed that view, stating that Trump and Putin will meet "in a tete-a-tete format" behind closed doors with translators in tow, "naturally," according to Putin's aide on foreign affairs, Yuri Ushakov. "Considering that very important topics of a sensitive nature will be discussed, the list of participants in the negotiations is not big," Ushakov added, in comments translated by NBC News. Russia's delegation includes only a few members of Putin's inner circle, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's investment and trade envoy, as well as Ushakov. The presidential aide commented that "it is obvious to everyone that the central topic will be the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis," including the "broader tasks of ensuring peace and security," as well as pressing international and regional issues. Signaling that Russia will be looking to extol the economic benefits of a rapprochement with the U.S., Ushakov added that "an exchange of views is expected regarding the further development of bilateral cooperation, including in the trade and economic area," noting that "this cooperation has enormous and, unfortunately, untapped potential."
Hypebeast
9 minutes ago
- Hypebeast
'AIN'T NO DAMN WAY!': KAYTRANADA's Return to Form
Summary As of late,KAYTRANADA's sonics have taken a flurry of different forms. On his most recent album, last year's acclaimedTimeless,the multitalented musician focused intently on the R&B influences on his artistry, while before that, on Grammy-winningBubba,he took an entirely different approach to the the project's production, fostering an in-person, in-real-time collaborative process for each track, connecting with every featured artist in the studio. But if you asked Kay himself, his most authentic, stripped-down form is an electronic music producer, with roots enshrouded in the dancefloor but an influence that has extended far beyond the confines of the genre. KAYTRANADA's new album is all about harkening back to these roots, a collection of club-ready cuts that channel the dancey early-career sound he championed. EntitledAIN'T NO DAMN WAY!,the album signals a return to form, dripping with dancefloor-driven production and ridden with retro flair. Fluid in its 12-track structure, each cut blends effortlessly into the next like one long live set, breathing a refreshing new life into a nostalgic curation of '90s samples and subgenres. Predominantly an instrumental project, the spotlight shines not on creative collaborations or lyricism, but on Kay's sleek production and sampling tactics. 'Letting y'all know that this album is strictly for workouts, dancing, and studying, and for my people that love beats,' he wrote in an Instagram story earlier this week. The first single on the tracklist is 'SPACE INVADER,' the album's sole pre-release single that kicks offAIN'T NO DAMN WAY!,a cohesive and immersive listen all the way through to the closing track, 'DO IT! (AGAIN!)' which features none other thanTLC. 1. SPACE INVADER2. CHAMPIONSHIP3. HOME4. TARGET JOINT5. THINGS6. backstABS7. GOOD LUCK8. SHINE YOUR LIGHT FOR WE9. GOODBYE BITCH!10. DON'T WORRY BABY/I GOT U BABE11. BLAX12. DO IT! (AGAIN!) – feat. TLC After its surprise reveal on Monday,AIN'T NO DAMN WAY!arrives shortly after the producer announced an already mostly sold-out slate of co-headlining North American tour dates withJustice. StreamAIN'T NO DAMN WAY, out on all streaming services now.
Fox News
15 minutes ago
- Fox News
Rep. Greene accuses Zelenskyy of trying to 'sabotage' Trump-Putin summit with drone strikes on Russia
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., late Thursday took shots at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of trying to sabotage Friday's highly anticipated peace talks between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin by launching drone strikes on Russia. Greene responded to a post on X from the account, "Open Source Intel," which reported that Ukraine had in recent hours launched "one of the largest" drone attacks on Russia. "On the eve of the historic peace talks between President Trump and President Putin, Zelensky does this," the Republican lawmaker wrote. "Zelensky doesn't want peace and obviously is trying to sabotage President Trump's heroic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. I pray peace prevails." Fox News Digital has reached out to the Ukrainian embassy, seeking a response to Greene's post. Ukraine launched multiple drone strikes into Russia overnight Thursday, damaging several apartment buildings in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and injuring more than a dozen civilians, according to acting governor of the region, Yuri Slyusar. Two of those wounded were hospitalized in serious condition, he said. The Ukrainian strikes came after Russian strikes in Ukraine's Sumy region overnight Wednesday, resulting in multiple injuries, including a 7-year-old girl, per officials. Local officials also accused Ukraine of launching a drone strike in Belgorod that injured three people, and another that struck a car in the village of Pristen that killed at least one individual. Despite the violence, Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday for a high-stakes summit on the future of the Ukraine war. The meeting will mark Putin's first visit to the U.S. since 2015 and the first U.S.-Russia summit since June 2021. Putin praised the U.S. on Thursday for making "sincere efforts" to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has been raging since early 2022. Appearing on television, the Russian president said the U.S. was "making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict." Zelenskyy accused Russia of not being sincere in its intention to wind down the war. "This war must be ended. Pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a just peace. Ukraine's and our partners' experience must be used to prevent deception by Russia," Zelenskyy said. "At present, there is no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war. Our coordinated efforts and joint actions – of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace – can definitely compel Russia to make peace," he added.
