Award shows, and the BET Awards in particular, know that in order to keep viewers coming back you have to give them something to talk about the next day. However, about an hour into the 3-hours long show, I thought that the BET Awards Show had missed the memo this year and was quickly on its way to becoming a snooze fest. Despite leading with heavy hitters like Kanye West, Usher, Alicia Keys, and T.I. the energy level was noticeably low to this blogger. No doubt, Kanye West’s opening of the show with a performance of Power while standing on a mountaintop a la Moses and special effects cranked way up was something magical to watch. But did it blow me away? Not really. Added to this, Usher’s follow-up slow number and Alicia Key’s compilation of her various hits did not impress. The show was going nowhere fast. Thankfully, the performances featured in the second hour kicked things up a notch and reminded me of why I continue to watch the BET Awards Show year after year (especially after the disaster that was last year’s show).As the host, Queen Latifah gave it a good effort. In her opening, she shouted out popular rappers and other entertainers, performed a rap to the beat of Drake’s Say Something and throughout the rest of the evening, she paraded some of the characters that she played in various movies and series (Hairspray, Set It Off, Just Wright) onstage. She’s certainly not the best host the Show has ever seen but it was a good effort nonetheless. However, the real highlights of the show came via the performances. There were quite a few "good" performances throughout the evening but the ones that stood out for me were the various tributes, the gospel medley (although Kirk Franklin is better at directing than he is at singing), and the Diddy-Dirty Money (why do we keep indulging him with these silly name changes) collaboration with Rick Ross, T.I. and Nicki Minaj. I have to admit that I was a little worried when Queen Latifah first announced him because as we all know, Diddy-whatever is not at his best when he is performing by himself. But then the beat dropped and the energy level skyrocketed and I scaled back on the low expectations that I had fostered since I first heard his name. The man definitely knows how to put the right combination of people together.
Singer Tyrese’s tribute to the late Teddy Pendergrast was nothing to sneeze at either. Crooning to an audience of women waving panties in the air, Tyrese’s smooth moves and rich mellow tones did Teddy proud. He wasn't too hard on the eyes either. And then there was the Prince tribute. The camera continually returned to capture Prince’s reactions throughout performances of some of his hits by Trey Songz who bordered on cheesy, Janelle Monet who is a new hot one to watch, Esperanza Spalding who had a nice fro but was not otherwise memorable, Alicia Keys who scared me for a minute when she climbed on top of the piano with her pregnant belly but who gave a great performance and Ms. Patti LaBelle. Patti Labelle was clearly Prince’s favorite. He did not seem moved or even amused by most of the other performances but when Patti sang Purple Rain, he was on his feet, laughing and clearly enjoying the diva. Apparently, a divo giving a diva her due! I got the sense that Prince would not have made it to the BET Awards Show if he wasn’t the guest of honor. From what I was able to piece together from his short speech, he stayed in his hotel room for much of the show and only arrived just in time for his tribute. And, he didn’t even perform any of his hits. Has Prince really gotten too big for the likes of BET? I think that would be a fair assessment!
At each award show, BET has been known to dig through its closets and drag out entertainers who hadn’t been in the spotlight for years, some of whom (in the months following the show) saw new life breathed into their flat-lining careers. Maxwell was one such entertainer a few years ago although I dare say, his comeback was inevitable. El Debarge was clearly this year’s artist in need of a recharge but was last night also Chris Brown's second chance at redemption? No doubt, CB will be forever associated with the beating that he gave ex-girlfriend Rihanna. We’ve seen his efforts to offer up apologies fall flat and we’ve heard news of declining records sale. We’ve seen spoofs like this one that make it clear that CB was tried and found guilty in the court of public opinions. He was definitely feeling the consequences of his actions, as well he should! But could that all be at an end after last night?
Last year, I was very disappointed in the obviously hasty performances that were meant to honor the King of Pop. This year, Chris Brown did a much better job of honoring Michael Jackson when he sang some of his more memorable hits (The Way You Make Me Feel). However, after a dance sequence, CB became choked up when he attempted to sing the lyrics to Man in the Mirror. Publicity stunt? That’s certainly the sentiment spreading across the net, a sentiment that is supported by the fact that by the end of the show, CB was awarded the Fandemonium award, an award chosen by the fans. What better confirmation does he need that he still has a thriving fan base? Whether it really was a publicity stunt or not CB played it just right. Who can help but soften up at the sight of a man-boy crying and being overcome by his emotions, expressing remorse? And with that single act, he did what his appearance on Larry King Live and numerous tired apologies couldn’t; Chris Brown resurrected his music career! I believed him when, while accepting his award, CB promised his fan that he wouldn't let them down again. I believe that, or rather, I believe that he won’t let himself get caught next time.
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