Prince and Patti’s Shoe: This Moment in Black Awesomeness
My girl VEG is a Prince fan and most importantly, a foolery enthusiast. And I’m tryna convince her to be writing for me once a week, in a column called “This Moment in Black Awesomeness.” Anywho, she wrote me the post below on request because she had me cackling in Facebook. Enjoy.
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There are some moments that are so awesome – and so awesomely BLACK – that every time we mention it, any black person within earshot will chime in with a “Mmmhm, yep. I remember that.”
The time Prince caught Patti LaBelle’s shoe is one of THOSE moments.
Luvvie: “Yup. I surely remember that. It was a glorious moment.”
It was the 2010 BET Awards show and, as they do every year, BET honored a music legend. In this case, Prince. And, as is usually the case during these types of tributes, the network asked a very diverse group of performers to honor Prince by singing his songs to him. A very pregnant Alicia Keys writhed around on a piano (not hitting every key), Janelle Monáe did her quirky cool Monáe thing…and then Patti came out.
Patti LaBelle…in all her down home, wing flapping, note shattering glory. She SANG and Prince paid attention. When Patti was in the middle of ‘Purple Rain’ and started kicking off her shoes – because that is what she does – Prince got up and CAUGHT ONE.
Look at Prince…holding that Louboutin so high, with such a serene look on his face. You would swear the man had just been touched by Jesus himself. Adding to the awesomeness of this moment: the outfit. He’s got a picture of himself on his bell-sleeved tunic. Who but him could rock an outfit like this? And, what man besides Prince can rock a bell-sleeved tunic and still look sexy? I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention his hair. LAID. Halle’s pixie wishes it were as tight as Prince’s.
Luvvie interrupts: I’m sorry. The man isn’t segzy to me. He looks like a REALLY pretty 12-year-old and I’d love to go shopping with him. However, to do the segzy times with? NAWL. But yes, that hair IS laid like the sacrifice of our forefathers. And I love monogrammed stuff so a whole shirt with not just my initials but my face?!?! I’d totally do it. GO PRINCE!
The awesomeness doesn’t end there, though! Check out this other pic:
Prince is still holding Patti’s shoe up to the heavens, and has that ‘Bish…I will cut you’ stance. I wonder if the woman in the pic tried to take the shoe from him. As you can see, Prince was not playing with her. He was ready to fight.
Luvvie says: RIGHT??? Whatever she said to Prince, he was like “I will protect this Loub at all cost.” I still can’t get over this tunic of his though. It’s a turtleneck with his face in the front and what looks like a Lisa Frank folder replica in the back. Chile…
*chimes in later* So that’s Prince’s backup singer. I guess he was just gloating. HA!
It’s not often that we get to see two music legends – legends who just happen to be black – play off of each other in this way. Because of that, and because Prince and Patti are both so fabulously flashy, this moment is definitely an Awesome Moment in Blackness.
Do y’all remember this awesome moment? Wasn’t it everything?
Also, check out my girl VEG, a Nawlins-born, Chicago-based traveling, cooking, reading, news watching, sports loving beer drinker – in fierce heels. You can follow her on Twitter at @GirlGetaLife.
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33 Comments
Yassss! I loved this moment! And if I recall correctly, didn’t the person that Prince ended up passing the shoe to sniff it ON CAMERA??
I remember this! It was everything! And I don’t know who she is but he let that bald woman hold THE SHOE!
https://www.google.com/search?q=luvvie&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb
LMAO! I can’t with ya’ll today! Not the Lisa Frank folder tho!
I’m saying. The back of that tunic was busier than a hooker on $2 Tuesdays. Just bright.
That took me out too, but it really does.
My aunt hypothesises that the bald woman is his bodyguard. You know the one that deep conditions his hair with her breast milk, honeysuckle the water of the river jordan.
OH, and Miss P is just casually up there throwing the winning pass in the game of life! *LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN*
WITH BREAST MILK, HONEYSUCKLE AND WATER FROM THE RIVER JORDAN!!!
*faints* LEMME LAY HERE BECAUSE I’VE BEEN SLAYED!
The bald woman is one of his backup singers, she can sing the eyelashes off your eyes. Amahhhzing!
Yes That’s Shelby J his backup singer. Was no shade to her at all!
“She can sing the eyelashes off your eyes.” Who is this woman and where can I hear her voice because I AM SOLD!
See, I don’t remember the shoe moment, as much as I remember that lil lite-skinned Negro Trey Wrongz tryna sing Purple Rain & getting the side-eye of death from Prince… who seemed like he was about to go up there & snatch his mic. I mean Alicia was off too, but bless her heart…
I remember that cut eye… it is the stuff of LEGENDS!!!!!
Here it is: http://fourfour.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b8c369e20134850b3160970c-800wi
you got me at work literally LOL I just got that picture IN MY HEAD! YEAAASSSS he was not here for anyone on that stage besides Janell and Ms. Patti! period!
LMAO! I remember me wanting to jump on that stage and snatch Trey off it. Whose idea was it to have him e’em… chile… NAWL!
YES! Epic side eye
Remember it well and it was indeed a moment in black awesomeness BUT ….. those music tributes to Prince were AWFUL!!!
Actually I didn’t think Trey was that bad but the rest (Patti, Alicia and Lord knows Janelle) were awful.
Just awful
WHAAAAT! Janelle killed “Let’s Go Crazy” in a great way and I loved Esperanza Spaulding’s rendition of “If I Was Your Girlfriend”!
You just put “Patti” in the awful category? Don’t make me rebuke you!
YASSS, i remember this moment! lol because it came RIGHT AFTER Trey Songz and his chicken chest had the unmitigated GAUL to butcher “Purple Rain” right in front of its creator! I know he was thinking, “if i wasn’t a Jehovah’s Witness now, i’d drown you in Soul Glo, lil’ bwoy!”
but yes! he knew who the High Priestess was THAT night and held her shoe until Mz Patti was ready for it BACK! I wish he had performed though…lol isn’t he the only one [alive] with a tribute that DIDN’T perform after they were fawned over?!
uhmm…can someone get the GIF for that EPIC side-eye? Pretty Please…
I remember this…but I also remember him watching Alicia writhe on that piano like “would somebody come carry her behind up out of here? Because if her pregnant behind falls, I promise imma laugh. Out.Loud. Open mouthed and pointing….oop….doggit, somebody came to help her”.
Other than the shoe catch, that is honestly the only moment he showed any emotion above “yes yes, try your brand of inferior genius on my superior masterpiece, little girl…valiant effort though”. #Welp
I kept praying to Jesus for her not to slide her pregnet ass off that piano. She plays too much.
i just remember prince looking so nervous after she climbed up there lol. like who told her that was ok?!
Prince IZ sexy, but I wouldn’t touch him. Every woman that fools around with Prince, needs Jesus afterward. And I ain’t here for that…..
I spit my coffee out cackling out loud. Every. Single. One. of his exes. LOL!!
It’s a risk I’m willing to take. LOL.
I am here for Patti. This gives me life http://youtu.be/zVhUPpChcSI
I went ahead and just watched this…WHY!!? Patti had be catching fever at my desk and I almost fell to the floor with her! LOVE IT!
Praise Jeszus!
I really went to watch because Prince is sexy, I love him and Patti gave him so many feelings. It was beautiful to behold.
http://www.viddler.com/v/67dff01
That moment gave me life for the rest of the year. Oh and there is a long time Patti and Prince connection. Prince wrote Yo Mister for her.
And just like that…we’ve lost a rare, irreplaceable, beautiful treasure.