Lupita Nyong'O, Kelly Rowland, and Beyoncé's Mom Are Among the Celebrities Featured in 'Black Is King' - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Beyoncé is powerful enough on her own. For Black is King, however, the artist included a number of dancers, actors, and even celebrities to make the Disney+ exclusive visual album a full body of work. That includes appearances from Lupita Nyong’O, Jay-Z, and even her youngest kids, Rumi and Sir Carter.

Beyoncé premiered her visual album, ‘Black is King’

The wait is over for Beyoncé fans. Only a few weeks after the release of “Black Parade,” this artist is back with a visual album featuring the songs of The Lion King: The Gift. Black is King premiered exclusively on Disney’s streaming platform, Disney+. 

“Black Is King is a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience,” Disney and Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment said in announcing the visual album, according to Variety. “The film is a story for the ages that informs and rebuilds the present. A reunion of cultures and shared generational beliefs. A story of how the people left most broken have an extraordinary gift and a purposeful future.”

Beyoncé attends the premiere of Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ | Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Which celebrities appeared in Beyoncé’s ‘Black is King’?

Singers and rappers who recorded for The Lion King: The Gift returned to work on this visual version of the album. Pharrell Williams made a cameo for “Water.” Shatta Wale tweeted a picture of Beyoncé with the caption, “Thank you My Queen for believing in my talent and giving me a platform to share my good message to the world. God will forever bless you.”

For the song “Brown Skin Girl,” the artist mentions a number of celebrities with her lyrics. One of those actors later appeared for Black is King — the performer in Us, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong’O. The same song included clips of Beyoncé with her Destiny’s Child friend, Kelly Rowland and supermodel Naomi Campbell. 

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I typically keep comments short and sweet, but I just watched the trailer with my family and I’m excited. please don’t get me hype “Black Is King” is a labor of love. It is my passion project that I have been filming, researching and editing day and night for the past year. I’ve given it my all and now it’s yours. It was originally filmed as a companion piece to “The Lion King: The Gift” soundtrack and meant to celebrate the breadth and beauty of Black ancestry. I could never have imagined that a year later, all the hard work that went into this production would serve a greater purpose. The events of 2020 have made the film’s vision and message even more relevant, as people across the world embark on a historic journey. We are all in search of safety and light. Many of us want change. I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books. With this visual album, I wanted to present elements of Black history and African tradition, with a modern twist and a universal message, and what it truly means to find your self-identity and build a legacy. I spent a lot of time exploring and absorbing the lessons of past generations and the rich history of different African customs. While working on this film, there were moments where I’ve felt overwhelmed, like many others on my creative team, but it was important to create a film that instills pride and knowledge. I only hope that from watching, you leave feeling inspired to continue building a legacy that impacts the world in an immeasurable way. I pray that everyone sees the beauty and resilience of our people. This is a story of how the people left MOST BROKEN have EXTRAORDINARY gifts.❤️✊ Thank you to Blitz, Emmanuel, Ibra, Jenn, Pierre, Dikayl, Kwasi and all the brilliant creatives. Thank you to all at Disney for giving this Black woman the opportunity to tell this story. This experience has been an affirmation of a grander purpose. My only goal is that you watch it with your family and that it gives you pride. Love y’all, B

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Jun 28, 2020 at 8:06pm PDT

Fans saw some of Beyoncé’s family members, including Blue Ivy

Sure, there were celebrity appearances from artists featured on the album. Still, Beyoncé was sure to include a number of her family members in this body of work. That includes Tina Knowles, Jay-Z, and her daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter.

For the song “Mood 4 Eva,” which featured Jay-Z as a rapper, Beyoncé’s husband performed alongside her. There were still glimpses of Blue Ivy in this song, dressed in her “unbothered” best. Blue Ivy even showed off her strength for “My Power” wearing a black hat and sunglasses, and her curly hair in the “Spirit” music video. 

The song which featured Blue Ivy as a singer, “Brown Skin Girl,” also featured a number of Beyoncé’s family members. (That’s true to the themes of The Lion King and the album itself.) One scene for Black is King included Beyoncé, her mother, and her two daughters, standing together.

The deluxe version of The Lion King: The Gift is available on most major streaming platforms. The visual album, Black is King is available only on Disney’s subscription service. To learn more about Disney+, visit their website. 

RELATED: How Beyoncé Turned Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ Into a Celebration of African Culture

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