OPINION: BET Awards 2009 Was A Bunch of Stars Without the Sun
Smokey Fontaine and I go through this every year. We bicker like children over the socio-political implications of the annual BET Awards. I think last year’s show picked our current president. He thinks it was ‘ok’.
One thing we do seem to agree on, though, is that the best rap performance is usually a coronation of the at-the-minute top rapper in the game. In 2001, Jay-Z had the gall to actually debut the song “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and killed it. In 2003, 50 Cent blew the doors off the show with “What Up Gangsta”. Last year, Lil Wayne sang something; but it was good.
And I can’t deny that I wasn’t waiting for this moment again, as part of the numbing process. I was hoping that maybe Drake would do something interesting, but he just sat there, rapping from a stool like an old man. I also hoped that Hov would cut his “DOA” performance short to kick his lead verse from the remix of “You Rock My World” but I was disappointed. Lil Wayne didn’t disappoint me any more than he has of late, which was completely.
Other offenders on this horrible night were Beyonce. By showing up on stage in an all white gown, she had me gassed to think that she was gonna refigure Diana Ross’ “Missing You” tribute to Marvin Gaye for… you know, but she sang “Ave Maria” and I wanted to throw some kind of magical shoe that could pass through my television screen and conk her on the head.
But there was good, of course. Much good. Maxwell was brilliant and single-handedly brought back the double-breasted suit. Ne-Yo freaked his version of “The Lady In My Life”. The OJays were great with the exception of not singing “I Love Music“, “Love Train” or “Cry Together“. And Jamie Foxx was a competent host and funny and he was also the only one that gave us what we needed all night long. Then Janet Jackson showed up to reclaim what was hers.
After that, we went back to mourning. I must admit, it was an almost impossible task trying to both celebrate and grieve at the same time and on only three days notice.
But it was done.
Famous Gay African-Americans
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Robert9677-1-2009 2:33 pm
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« Previous 1 2They should have never went on with the awards show. Peace.
lol beyonces performance was ave maria was AMAZING…not many ppl in the world can perform that song AT ALL..much less put her own spin on it..tru she wasnt jumpin around stage shakin her ass with 50 back up dancers as usual..but speakin from a vocal standpoint it was AWESOME…havin changed a show in 3 days that took them almost a year to plan i think they did very well..black ppl are our own enemies….its sad..so negative ALWAYS
I would have to agree with a comment that someone else just wrote before me. This is exactly why we can’t over come. We dog each other out. We don’t lift one another up in a damn thing. I also heard some ugly comments about 1st lady Michelle Obama being ghetto. That wasn’t nice. Can’t we come together and edify each other. I think the awards show was good for a quick change considering what it was going to be. There was some cussing that could have been left out but that’s us as black people. We act just the way we perform. We are a talented people. That’s why people imitate us. Commercials are done with so much soul in them. Our music is the background in a lot of things now. White people are using our talent to promote so many things. We are really dominating right now and we just don’t know how to handle the power. A lot of times we act different in other folks eye’s, yet they mimic the crap out of us. If we act so different. Why do you use us?
Please. I beg of US BLACK people. Let’s not tear each other down. Let’s find some UNITY, Some GOOD, some LOVE, some CARING FEELING in each other.
Love to us all
Don’t just voice your complaints on here, got to BET.com and let them know how you feel!
ok ppl. i liked the awards,but didnt like it. jamie foxx did the best he could, and i respect him for that. the jackson 5 in the beg. was perfect. im just curious, when they award ppl, does that mean they have to be alive? because MJ should have had some. but idk, what the case is. however beyonce changed her performance in like a matter of not even 3 days! so that was great. she needs to stick to single ladies tho my bad B. but lil waynes performance disgusted me. the fact that michael loved children and he had children on the stage talkin bout effin every girl in the world. what kinda crapp. atleast take the girls off. and quit the cussin seriously. soulja boys performance was okay. kc and monica’s was lovely. and the fact that most of the artists even at the end of their performance didnt say nothin about MJ. and showed they didnt really care. and ugh jay-z please. jamie and ne-yo did amazing!! and trust me sweethears im not hatin, just givin my opinion. ps. monica looked amazing.
I enjoyed Bey’s performance…Ave Maria is a beautiful song and if you werent paying attention she also sang arms of an angel, which sounded like a tribute to me. Jay, the O’Jays, The O’jay tribute singers, and maxwell were the best parts. I am so appalled at the Drake performance…its one thing to sing a song about screwin every girl in the world but when you bring little girls on stage while singing it, it makes me very sad and it makes me wonder about the integrity of the parents of the girls and the girls themselves.
FYI Beyonce don’t sing she wines
I READ SOME OF THESE PATHEIC AZZ COMMENTS FROM SO-CALLED AFRICAN AMERICANS OR SHOULD I SAY BLACK PPL!! (ARRIELLE2007, MISSSTRINGS43, YOURNAWTEEGIRL, & LAST & MOST DEFINETLY LEAST RK BYERS) THIS IS ONE OF REASON WE CAN NEVER RISE TO THE TOP!! ALWAYS PUTTING YOUR OWN PEOPLE, ALWAYS CRITIZING WHICH YOU ALL PROBABLY DON’T HAVE A POT PISS IN & WINDOW TO THROW IT OUT OF!! BEFORE YOU WRITE/TYPE A COMMENT THAT’S NEGATIVE TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSELF & SEE IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY ROOM TO TALK!
I was really disappointed with the sound quality that was provided. The sound kept going low than got high when Beyonce sang that dread awefulllll song. Monica and K. Cole did good job but K. Cole had no love lost for MJ. Monica gave a shout out after they went down on the stage. Jamie Foxx did as best a job that he could with a change of show venue. He sang his behind off last night. I was impressed. Janet was heart felt. Her daddy promoted his new record label and has to be in denial about this right now. He is old and may be regretful about a lot of things right now. You know people act out in many strange ways when they are up against the press and spotlight. I’m gonna miss MJ.
I honestly think that alot of what we saw as viewer’s of last night’s show was a bunch of people not really knowing how to represent their feelings on MJ going home. They did not know where they fit in last night. It was pretty sad. A lot of mixed emotions was in that audience.It was sad just watching it in my living room. I would love it if after the funeral..BET would redo the show as it was intended. Now that would redeem a lot.
I truly want to give the producers at BET credit. It takes months to plan an award show and they changed everything around at a moments notice. But anything lacking has to go towards the celebs. Beyonce was a hot mess. Looking for attention. Souljah Boy, I have no idea why he performed but I he was horrible. Ciara was actually okay. She cant sing but she tried her best for Micheal and I can appreciate that. Jay Z was wrong for not even trying to include something with Micheal into his performance like everyone else did. The O’Jays were great. Maxwell was sizzling. Janet was beautiful. Lil Wayne was ugly. Jamie was excellent as a host and as a performer. Neyo was great and gave us all a lot of touching moments. I think those that tried did the best they could and those that didnt deserve all the slack the BET awards seem to be getting.
OH AND CIARA’S PERFORMANCE WAS HORRIBLE!!!! B***H CAN BARELY SING…SHE COMPLETLEY F’D UP THAT SONG
I WAS LIKE WTF
YEAH DRAKE WAS SITTING DOWN CUZ HE HAD TO…HIS LEG IS HURT