New Edition And Chance The Rapper To Be Honored At BET Awards

Chance the Rapper and New Edition will receive special honors  at the upcoming BET Awards. New Edition will receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, while Chance the Rapper will receive the Humanitarian Award presented by Walmart.

Chance the Rapper, who is rightfully deserving of the Humanitarian Award this year, made news this year when he pledged to donate $1 million to Chicago Public Schools to help offset the lack of government funding. The social activist, who has also won three Grammy Awards in February including best new artist and best rap album for “Coloring Book,” has also been very politically vocal about the abuse and mistreatment for black people, and underprivileged city youth.

One of the programs Chance launched is “My Brother’s Keeper Challenge,” an initiative of the United States Federal Government to promote intervention by civic leaders in the lives of young men of color – working to address their unique challenges and to promote racial justice.

New Edition members Bobby Brown, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant,Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell and Johnny Gill are are still riding on their high from the success of the group’s self-titled BET biopic. The three-part miniseries, broadcast in January, was BET’s first scripted music-focused program, and so far, their highest rated program for the year.

The 2017 BET Awards, hosted by Leslie Jones, with performances (so far announced) by Bruno Mars, Future, Migos, Trey Songz and Tamar Braxton. The Awards will air live on June 25 at 8 p.m. ET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on BET.