Life & Style | Finally, Missy Elliott will receive MTV Video Vanguard Award

Missy Elliott, one of the most iconic players in the history of music videos, will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards.

MTV announced this week that Elliott will also perform on Aug. 26 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Since her debut video for “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” in 1997, where she sported an inflated trash bag with confidence and charisma, Elliott has been a powerhouse on the music video scene with an oddball, eccentric and creative style that’s inspired generations after her.

Her upcoming performance on the VMA stage will mark her first since 2003.

Elliott became the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Lil Nas X’s viral song sets more records on Billboard charts

Lil Nas X is galloping his way to two new records on the Billboard charts thanks to the massive success of “Old Town Road.”

The song that beat out Mariah Carey and “Despacito” to become the longest-running No. 1 hit in the history of the Hot 100 chart has now set records on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs and Hot rap songs charts, respectively.

“Old Town Road,” which features Billy Ray Cyrus and is spending its 19th week at No. 1, surpasses the record set by Drake’s “One Dance” on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. Drake’s track spent 18 weeks at No.1.

On the Hot rap songs chart, where Lil Nas X’s county-rap tune is also spending its 19th week on top, the 20-year-old beats the record set by Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” and Missy Elliott’s “Hot Boyz.” The latter three songs each spent 18 weeks at No.1.

Last month Lil Nas X’s viral song became the most successful No. 1 song of all-time when it reached its 17th week at No. 1 on the all-genre Hot 100 chart — Billboard’s main chart for singles — surpassing the 16-week record held by Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito.”

“Old Town Road” is now spending its 19th week on top of the Hot 100 chart.

Lil Nas X’s song, which has achieved most of its success through audio streaming, was originally a solo song but he added Cyrus to the track.

Tom Hanks reads audio for Ann Patchett’s new novel

The audio edition of Ann Patchett’s new novel has a voice that listeners should find familiar: Tom Hanks.

HarperAudio announced yesterday [Macau time] that the Oscar-winning actor is narrating Patchett’s “The Dutch House,” which comes out September 24. The book is a multigenerational story centered on siblings Danny and Maeve, and told from Danny’s point of view. Patchett told The Associated Press in a recent email that she and Hanks have become friendly over the past few years. She interviewed him in Washington, D.C., when he was promoting his book of stories, “Uncommon Type.” He and his wife, Rita Wilson, have also met with Patchett in Nashville, where she runs Parnassus Books.

Hanks has narrated audiobooks before, including “Uncommon Type” and Stephen Colbert’s “I Am a Pole (And So Can You!)”