mag1999 said:

SOMEBODY PLEASE, TELL ME WHERE I CAN FIND THE FULL TRIBUTE???

I've been looking for links for the whole show like crazy but got nothing. The BET videos are not working for me

jumanji2016 said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

Yes, I'm in my 20s and I didn't know anybody else my age remotely familiar with Prince's music growing up. This is why I don't really agree with the "where were you when he was alive?" sentiment a lot of the time. Under a certain age where were you going to hear him? My generation's familiarity with Prince usually begins and ends at the Chapelle Show basketball skit, tops.

I don't know, I'm 27, and I feel like teenagers today have LESS of an excuse for not knowing who Prince is than my generation. The Internet has had more development and devised more algorithms than it did when I was a kid...when you still had to become familiar with an artist through magazines, radio, music videos, and the occasional interviewing. All of this information is literally at their disposal with YouTube, Google, Google Play, Tidal, iTunes, their favorite artists paying homage now and many of them referencing him long before his death. Kids seem to find material from more idiotic artists just fine. No reason why they can't find a gem like Prince. He's part of music's Mount Rushmore...even if you didn't know a song, you knew him. I wasn't alive when Purple Rain came out and my mom who was born in '58 like he was didn't own his records--but I've known who he was most of my life. He was on television A LOT during those years...especially '99 and 2000. I even remember him stopping by Total Request Live on MTV which was a top show musically for my generation. Social media wasn't even available 20 years ago and the Internet was still in infancy compared to what we have now, so I can't agree that he 'removed himself'. He was like one of the first artists to market his music sales through the Intrrnet with NPG as a matter of fact...when people were still doing Columbia House mailings. [Edited 6/27/16 7:03am]

While your points on the internet are valid (and 100% how I became a Prince fan when I was 13 or 14), the methods of discovery you listed.. okay, these work for other artists, but, Prince on YouTube was virtually non-existent prior to two months ago. Tidal is cool, but it's new, and whether you agree with the ethics or not most young people just aren't going to pay to stream when Pandora and Spotify are a click away. Three major teenage sources that he simply didn't exist on.

And I never say they didn't know who he was, just that they have little familarity with the music itself. I don't think you should hold it against someone, say, 25 years old for not getting into Prince based on a TRL appearance that aired once when they were 8.

djThunderfunk said:

I'm going to watch today but decided to read through this thread first. Spoilers!!! I've been bawling throught the comments. Don't know how I'll make it through the show...

Hopefully U will be able to view the individual performances

missfee said:

Can't stop watching Bilal, Maxwell and Sheila E's tribute performances. Those were the absolute highlights for me.

Yaaas!

The people who are panning Bilal obviously are not too familiar with him. They are completely ignorant of the fact that he is a very emotive performer in his own right.

Baduizm said:

loveandkindness said:

Am I the only one offended by mama Tina's comment re smelling the flowers while they are still here and appreciating the living artists ...as if we don't?I mean really??? Imagine if her daughter Beyoncé had passed ya think she would be saying that? This was a Prince tribute...

Tina wasn't throwing shade at the tributes to P, she was saying we shouldn't take living artists (or even the people we love) for granted and only pay homage to them after they die.

What better way to pay tribute and celebrate their accomplishments than while they are living and able to receive and appreciate such accolades? My mom, who also is Southern, used to say this all of the time.

Although Tina wasn't throwing shade at anyone, she failed to recognize that we do pay homage when they are living, through lifetime acheivement awards, or any award for that matter. That is what the awards are for. Fans pay tribute by buying the music and attending concerts. The tribute is not for the artist, it's for the rest of us, to help us through the grief process. To celebrate. To remember. If we were to follow her line of thinking, no one would have a funeral either, because that is all a funeral is. A laying to rest, a celebration...a tribute.

WhisperingDandelions said:

jumanji2016 said:

WhisperingDandelions said: I don't know, I'm 27, and I feel like teenagers today have LESS of an excuse for not knowing who Prince is than my generation. The Internet has had more development and devised more algorithms than it did when I was a kid...when you still had to become familiar with an artist through magazines, radio, music videos, and the occasional interviewing. All of this information is literally at their disposal with YouTube, Google, Google Play, Tidal, iTunes, their favorite artists paying homage now and many of them referencing him long before his death. Kids seem to find material from more idiotic artists just fine. No reason why they can't find a gem like Prince. He's part of music's Mount Rushmore...even if you didn't know a song, you knew him. I wasn't alive when Purple Rain came out and my mom who was born in '58 like he was didn't own his records--but I've known who he was most of my life. He was on television A LOT during those years...especially '99 and 2000. I even remember him stopping by Total Request Live on MTV which was a top show musically for my generation. Social media wasn't even available 20 years ago and the Internet was still in infancy compared to what we have now, so I can't agree that he 'removed himself'. He was like one of the first artists to market his music sales through the Intrrnet with NPG as a matter of fact...when people were still doing Columbia House mailings. [Edited 6/27/16 7:03am]

While your points on the internet are valid (and 100% how I became a Prince fan when I was 13 or 14), the methods of discovery you listed.. okay, these work for other artists, but, Prince on YouTube was virtually non-existent prior to two months ago. Tidal is cool, but it's new, and whether you agree with the ethics or not most young people just aren't going to pay to stream when Pandora and Spotify are a click away. Three major teenage sources that he simply didn't exist on.

And I never say they didn't know who he was, just that they have little familarity with the music itself. I don't think you should hold it against someone, say, 25 years old for not getting into Prince based on a TRL appearance that aired once when they were 8.

You have to remember this is a very, VERY digital age; kids do everything via the internet. And since Prince was very good at keeping his presence OFF the internet, most kids would have zero familiarity. Now, I know why he was like he was -- he was raised with real instruments, and like most older people, he was very sure his way was the only way.

He reminds me of my high school choir teacher (who also helped the band director with the band) in that regard. The man kept trying to get me to play the sax like -- god, I can't even remember who it was, but it was one od the old-timey sax players from way back in the 60's or something like that. And a LOOOOT of blues. I was a really bored teenager who didn't really care for the music he was playing to 'inspire' me. I flat out did not like the music and was frank enough to tell him so. He went into this whole THING about 'you have to know where you were in order to go somewhere' kind of thing.

You know what happened? I ignored the guy, because he just didn't understand that while I knew all that musical history, I wasn't a blues/big band/funk player. I was a modern jazz style player, and very much preferred to hear modern sax players, if I was going to bother being 'inspired' by someone else at all.

In other words, I was digital, the teacher was analog, and never the twain met.

Also, tl;dr: You can't expect kids raised in a digital world to know a whole lot about older musicians unless they're where you can reach them. Basically, Princey missed the point when he didn't let himself be on the internet.

saviour7 said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

mont0372 said:

Blakbear said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

While your points on the internet are valid (and 100% how I became a Prince fan when I was 13 or 14), the methods of discovery you listed.. okay, these work for other artists, but, Prince on YouTube was virtually non-existent prior to two months ago. Tidal is cool, but it's new, and whether you agree with the ethics or not most young people just aren't going to pay to stream when Pandora and Spotify are a click away. Three major teenage sources that he simply didn't exist on.

And I never say they didn't know who he was, just that they have little familarity with the music itself. I don't think you should hold it against someone, say, 25 years old for not getting into Prince based on a TRL appearance that aired once when they were 8.

You have to remember this is a very, VERY digital age; kids do everything via the internet. And since Prince was very good at keeping his presence OFF the internet, most kids would have zero familiarity. Now, I know why he was like he was -- he was raised with real instruments, and like most older people, he was very sure his way was the only way.

He reminds me of my high school choir teacher (who also helped the band director with the band) in that regard. The man kept trying to get me to play the sax like -- god, I can't even remember who it was, but it was one od the old-timey sax players from way back in the 60's or something like that. And a LOOOOT of blues. I was a really bored teenager who didn't really care for the music he was playing to 'inspire' me. I flat out did not like the music and was frank enough to tell him so. He went into this whole THING about 'you have to know where you were in order to go somewhere' kind of thing.

You know what happened? I ignored the guy, because he just didn't understand that while I knew all that musical history, I wasn't a blues/big band/funk player. I was a modern jazz style player, and very much preferred to hear modern sax players, if I was going to bother being 'inspired' by someone else at all.

In other words, I was digital, the teacher was analog, and never the twain met.

Also, tl;dr: You can't expect kids raised in a digital world to know a whole lot about older musicians unless they're where you can reach them. Basically, Princey missed the point when he didn't let himself be on the internet.

Agree. While he was trying to find a way to make things balanced, he isolated his work. Reading the comments on the Youtube videos its amazing how many people are saying they never knew he did this song or that song, or they never knew he was so good. It was a double edged sword for him I think, the business of trying to be compensated for his work and still be heard on a wide scale. In the end though, he left all of his work for everyone forever. I hope the world doesn't turn so digital that no one has to actually learn to play an instrument though, that future generations won't experience the joy of watching someone play a guitar but yet will only hear what digital concoction someone comes up with in a studio. sigh.

OldFriends4Sale said:

djThunderfunk said:

I'm going to watch today but decided to read through this thread first. Spoilers!!! I've been bawling throught the comments. Don't know how I'll make it through the show...

Hopefully U will be able to view the individual performances

Of course, the whole shows on several torrent sites.

dawilleyone said:

I was watching the season finale of Game of Thrones so I recorded the award show but let me tell ya as soon is Thrones was over I was reaching for the remote to watch the show! I stayed up way too late seeing how I had to get up at 6 AM this morning for work, but it was worth every moment of sleep lost.

I am so thankful to BET for throwing their tribute to (IMHO) the GREATEST ARTIST EVER!!

Everyone did a fantastic job and you cold tell each one was meaningful and personally heartfelt.

I was very pleased to see Sheila and the rest of the Paisley folks at the end - especially Mayte. I am glad she was able to participate and represent.

Much respect to all involved!

mag1999 said:

SOMEBODY PLEASE, TELL ME WHERE I CAN FIND THE FULL TRIBUTE???

It was also simulcast on MTV so maybe there. Keep checking schedules because they tend to rerun during the week I taped the replay at 12 something.

Oh, boy, here we go ... Did anyone else think Prince's recent appearance from the natural hair (Afro-style) to the tunics and chains had him resembling African-American men of the 70s? It was as if he wanted to leave the image he had cultivated behind in favor of what he was comfortable with in the 70s as he started his career. But then there were the complaints that his women were usually light-skinned - where were the darker-skinned women in his life? I am white, and I never thought of him as a black artist. In fact, I never thought of him in terms of color. He always said he was "old school," loving the James Brown School of Entertainment. Or, as in a quip about Madonna (paraphrasing) that he could sing and dance at the same time. But his color never entered into it for me.

I haven't watched the tributes yet, but I look foward to it. My mom called me during the show and was completely floored with Jennifer Hudson's version of Purple Rain and Sheila E. at the end. She thought Janelle and Maxwell were excellent, too. Can't wait to see them.

I see the point in the selections maybe not reflecting how diverse Prince was musicially. Doesn't sound like the rock side was represented. But, that doesn't really have anything to do with the race of the performers, does it? Lenny Kravitz could've done a rock selection with Jesse Johnson or someone and if they had, it still would have been primarily performers of color. So those are two different issues (and IMO the race critique is a non-issue). I don't recall any white performers in the BET tribute when Prince hand-picked the lineup, either. IIRC he picked all women of color to honor him. It seemed pretty diverse in musical styles, however, with Esperanza Spalding, Janelle etc. even if there was no rock.

dawilleyone said:

rogifan said:

peri1025 said: This doesn't really apply to Prince does it? Go look at photos of Paisley Park right after he died and all the people paying tribute and crying outside the fence. A lot of white people there. For nearly 30 years Prince lived in a predominately white community. No one is trying to take away his blackness, just pointing out that he transcended race. But considering how people had a go at Justin Timberlake on Twitter because he gave props to Jesse Williams having more diversity on stage is probably not something BET viewers are interested in.

Prince did not transcend his race. He represented it to the fullest. I hear the same thing about Obama and Muhammad Ali all the time. They "transcended their race". As if some the have left the rest of Black folk behind on some existential racial journey. As if some amount of talent or skill allows you to become more than Black.

What I suspect you are trying to convey is that his vast talent and musical gift transcended the artificial racial constructs/barriers that were placed on him by others in this society. If so I fully agree with that.

Speak on it!, Dawill.

Just because a [black] person is celebrated by multiple races does not mean he therefore has transcended race. That really seems to be a common train of thought on the org. P was a black man and proud of it.

However, P didn't want to be pidgeonholed into performing ONLY [traditionally] "black" music. He obviously loved it dearly, though, because HE LOVED THE FUNK and he championed many [black] old school funksters.

Many folks on the org get things confused acting as though P was just this no-race man of and for all people. And he very well may have been of and for the people; but he was also a black man of and for his people, and he showed it regularly.

Vashtix said:

QUESTION: WAS THAT PRINCE'S VOICE INTRODUCING SHEILA E. LAST NIGHT? It sure sounded like him.

Loved the tribute folks!!!

LuxLove said:

(WTF with Jamie Foxx singing Erotic City at the kid tho!)

I noticed that the director cut back to the stage just prior to the "f*** until the dawn" lyric.

Good call

rogifan said:

Am I a bad person if I say hip hop and rap makes my head hurt?

Let me live out the rest of my life vicariously in Prince's vault. Today's music sucks!!!

Chappelle, The Roots, Badu & Bilal nailed it!!

tracyface said:

QUESTION: WAS THAT PRINCE'S VOICE INTRODUCING SHEILA E. LAST NIGHT? It sure sounded like him.

Loved the tribute folks!!!

Yes, it was him. I damn near lost my mind when I heard him.

Oh, boy, here we go ... Did anyone else think Prince's recent appearance from the natural hair (Afro-style) to the tunics and chains had him resembling African-American men of the 70s? It was as if he wanted to leave the image he had cultivated behind in favor of what he was comfortable with in the 70s as he started his career. But then there were the complaints that his women were usually light-skinned - where were the darker-skinned women in his life? I am white, and I never thought of him as a black artist. In fact, I never thought of him in terms of color. He always said he was "old school," loving the James Brown School of Entertainment. Or, as in a quip about Madonna (paraphrasing) that he could sing and dance at the same time. But his color never entered into it for me.

I teared up a few times. A few were hits, a few misses, but I walked away thinking that Sheila E really needs to front The Revolution and hit the road. Continue the celebration, yo, that felt really good and I can't believe I am going to use this word but it felt like one of the most authentic performances of all the tributes I've seen so far. For, um, obvious reasons . But I think it was Sheila's performance that really captured that feeling for me. She embodied, as well as one can, Prince's frontperson spirit animal.

docinwestchester said:

LuxLove said:

(WTF with Jamie Foxx singing Erotic City at the kid tho!)

I noticed that the director cut back to the stage just prior to the "f*** until the dawn" lyric.

Good call

Oh pish posh! I think he was just being a proud Papa, impressed that she clearly already KNEW the song.

I don't like this song Alicia is doing but damn I'm still impressed with the performance.

1Sasha said:

Oh, boy, here we go ... Did anyone else think Prince's recent appearance from the natural hair (Afro-style) to the tunics and chains had him resembling African-American men of the 70s? It was as if he wanted to leave the image he had cultivated behind in favor of what he was comfortable with in the 70s as he started his career. But then there were the complaints that his women were usually light-skinned - where were the darker-skinned women in his life? I am white, and I never thought of him as a black artist. In fact, I never thought of him in terms of color. He always said he was "old school," loving the James Brown School of Entertainment. Or, as in a quip about Madonna (paraphrasing) that he could sing and dance at the same time. But his color never entered into it for me.

Again people totally miss the point. If I love you then I am going to love all aspects of who you are including your physical appearance. I wouldn't feel the need to blind myself to a part of you in order to be able to accept you. I realize that you mean well but that is exactly how such a platitude comes off to people of color.

In other words, it is not complementary for me to say that in order to accept you I must pretend not to notice that you are white. Why is your white skin something I have to deny? That is exactly like somebody saying to a woman..."I don't notice your gender," or saying to an elder or a baby, "I don't see age".