2009 BET Awards/ MJ Tribute – The Good, The Bad, The Worse..

First and foremost I want to say how much Michael Jackson will be missed worldwide and I am so proud to have been touched by such an influential, talented, giving man. My heart goes out to his family (though grudgingly to Joe Jackson who seemed almost unaffected and actually pimped his new record label on national television), I know I will never see such a talented humanitarian and entertainer in my lifetime. I feel lucky to have had even the smallest connection with him.

My hopes were high, perhaps impossibly high for the BET Awards where the first nationally televised tribute would take place. I was touched by a few performances, saddened by more than one outfit choice, painfully aware of the few me-me artists that completely failed to even mention Michael and was left questioning several other things.

Shall we start with fashion?

Outfits I Loved:

B’s dress was gorgeous: The dress was supposedly by Balmain.
You know she did extra miles to get her legs ready. Also loved the
natural(ish) curls in her hair – not overly styled, slightly mussed perfection)

Amber Rose – this girl can do almost no wrong in my eyes.
Bangin from those hot pink heels to those shields she never
took off. Effortlessly cool. Someone must have forgotten to tell Kanye
this was an awards show/tribute and he could leave his work boots at
home as he would not be required to help with any construction/set changes.

Trey Songz, Tyrese & Johnny Gill: loved the matching
all black, classy and appropriate. Well done.

Outfits that left me a little wtf?

Keyshia Keyshia Keyshia…that bustier with weirdly formed cones
covering your chest, a plethora of gaudy jewels on array and the
tacky lace-up detail in the back had me wondering why? And who
her stylist was (if she used one)…

Tyra.. That blouse (yes blouse, and I almost never use that word, it is reserved
for passe tops usually worn by grannies) makes you look like you’re going to work
at a law firm and not present at an awards show. The hair..that’s the best you
could do?

Souja Boy Tell ‘Em (not pictured) but was wearing a tank top that was extra long
to cover the underwear his too-low riding jeans did not. Note to Soulja Boy.. dress up,
this is an awards show not a skate park, however you’re young and hopefully will learn.

Performances

Travis Barker – YES! White boy was killin it on those drums, props for being such a strong performer especially after all he’s been through in the past year.
Neyo – fantastic rendition of Lady. Definitely one of my favorite performances of the entire evening.
Ojays: loved it and a little something my mother enjoyed.
Monica: She was quite decent, stronger than Keyshia in my opinion.
Beyonce: Ave Maria threw me off guard, though she was good I feel she could have gone in a different direction but I won’t complain. The see-through angel skirt had me wondering why she was singing a song previously sung by virgins in Church while wearing lingerie but whatever…
Jamie: truly did his best, stunned me by pulling out that guitar, good attempt at the moonwalk (even though he left his mic across the stage), great outfits and good working the crowd.

Presenters

Real Housewives of Atlanta: Sha’ree, Lisa and Nene, where was token Kim?
Keke Palmer – great voice, very cute.
Chaka & N.N. – both fantastic women, looked amazing and ageless.
Jeremey Piven..you know he was sweating being the only white guy in the room and had to quickly make a joke about his own race. Hmmm

Missing

Usher: Why oh why? I love that man and he could have pulled out some moves. Apparently this statement was released by his publicist..
“It is with regret that I am unable to participate in the BET Awards Tribute to Michael Jackson on June 28th. When the BET Awards producers and organizers reached out to me to participate in the tribute, I was extremely flattered and humbled by the opportunity to pay tribute to the world’s greatest musical icon. Unfortunately, I am currently overseas and would not make it back in time to the Awards show. I look forward to seeing the show and I plan to work on a tribute to Michael Jackson when I return.” (credit)

Justin Timberlake whom we know would have at least done some type of dance tribute.

Chris Brown: I say let him stay away. However there was much speculation regarding the reasons behind his no-show.. was it because of Jay-Z’s connections and rumors that Jayz would not be allowed at the VMA’s if Chris Brown was allowed to attend? Or is it because Cover Girl was a huge sponser of the evening and threatened to pull funding if he was allowed to perform/attend?

T.I. for obvious reasons..

Rihanna: Tiny collected TI & Rihanna’s award. Was Riri there and just didn’t want to go on stage?

Other Highlights

Alicia & Wyclef’s humanitarian efforts were exceptional and I am so glad they were honored and that information was provided concerning their foundations. Hopefully this will inspire other entertainers to follow suit if they have not already.

Also added, the three doctors from Jersey, the new first-black Mayor and his touching story of growing up terrified of the Klan that marched past his house and the children who planted and sold vegetables to pay for their education. All inspiring examples that sent out a positive message to minority youth that may feel displaced or uninspired.

Lastly, Keri Hilson truly deserves Best New Artist, its about time she gets hers after being behind the scenes for so long. She is so talented, lyrically, her choreography, loved her outfit and she is a beautiful woman. She receives the A+ for the evening.

Overall

A pretty okay show considering it was completely re-done in just two and a half days. I know those BET employees most likely worked Thursday straight through the last moments before going live and were taking cat naps on the cots they had setup. I’m curious to see MTV’s tribute, I know it will be more organized so everyone will claim it better. However, MTV will have had far more time, artists much more time to prepare and they can watch the BET Awards and steal any good ideas displayed. I will definitely be tuning in.

RIP MichaelTyra