- 3 weeks ago
ESSENCE Live honors the life and legacy of Prince. ESSENCE Entertainment director Corri Murray and ESSENCE Festival Executive Editor Chuck Arnold celebrate his life and everlasting influence. We take a look back at ESSENCE Festival 2014
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00:01Prince has died at the age of 57, and today we remember his life, his music, and incredible
00:06legacy.
00:07Essence Live starts now.
00:17Welcome to Essence Live.
00:18I'm your host, Dana Blair.
00:20As I mentioned earlier, music legend Prince has died at the age of 57, and according to
00:24multiple sources, his body was found at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota this morning.
00:29Later this month, the singer canceled some of his concerts due to illness, and just
00:32last week, he was hospitalized for the flu.
00:35However, after that hospitalization, he still performed in Atlanta and assured fans he was
00:39okay.
00:40Needless to say, we are all still in shock of this tragic loss, and we'd love to hear from
00:44you.
00:45Hit us up on social media using the hashtag Essence Live or email us at essenceslive at essence.com
00:49to share your thoughts.
00:50Joining me now to share their reflections of Prince are Essence Entertainment Director Corey
00:54Murray and Chuck Arnold, Executive Editor for EssenceFestival.com.
00:58Unfortunately, we're meeting under these terms.
01:02Chuck, this is your first time here on Essence Live.
01:04Corey, you're a regular here.
01:06I have to ask, what are your initial thoughts as music lovers and music experts hearing this
01:11news this morning?
01:12Well, you know, the team, we were in our little bullpen trying to get confirmation, and we
01:17were calling the publicist, who's a dear friend of Essence Yvette Nell Shore, and we
01:22couldn't get her.
01:23So we called her colleague, and he was like, Corey, I'm hearing the same thing.
01:28And I just broke down crying, to be completely honest.
01:33So it was more of a shock.
01:36You know, I know TMZ broke when Michael Jackson died, but I didn't want to believe this.
01:41Right.
01:42And especially, like you said, after that note, it was a video interview he gave that said,
01:45you know, wait, wait, before you send your prayers.
01:48You warn me.
01:49You warn me.
01:50So, that was my initial thing, because he was my childhood.
01:54He was my childhood.
01:55Chuck?
01:56Yeah, you know, it's been kind of trying to hold back the tears all day.
02:01And you know, sadly, I had to write about both Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston right
02:07after they died.
02:09And I was hoping, praying I wouldn't have to do the same about Prince, something I never
02:14expected and certainly never envisioned doing in my lifetime.
02:19And as you mentioned, Corey, a few moments ago, there was a video that went viral right
02:23after he was released from the hospital at one of his recent concerts, where he says,
02:27and I'm paraphrasing, to wait a few days, hold your prayers, but he did say the words
02:31a few days.
02:33And with him having been sick and having canceled some shows in the past, there's speculation
02:36right now that it's sudden for us, his passing for fans, but perhaps it may not have been
02:41sudden to Prince, something that he may have known about.
02:44Do you have any initial thoughts on the speculation?
02:47Well, that's kind of, you know, scary, but also very telling because he was a spiritual person.
02:54And I kind of, I'm very old school in that sometimes I think when you're sick, maybe you
02:59do know.
03:00Yeah.
03:01You have a feeling.
03:02I honestly, he crossed my mind this morning and I was remembering his Essence Festival
03:07performance in 2014.
03:09And for some reason, it was the idea of knowing that he had had hip replacement surgery, like
03:14right before he performed.
03:17And I remember thinking like, wow, he is jamming to just have hip replacement surgery.
03:21But then also the idea like...
03:22And jamming in a heel.
03:23In a heel.
03:24Jamming in a heel.
03:25Yes.
03:26But also it kind of reminded me like, you know, this is not Prince from 84, you know
03:30what I mean?
03:31Like I had to kind of accept like, you know, I guess I had kind of let him stop aging in
03:34my mind, but that he had gotten older.
03:36I mean, 57 is by no means young.
03:38I mean, old, but still, I don't know, it's something like a reminder that, you know, we
03:43do age and, you know.
03:46And Chuck, he was well known for his creative freedom, always making a statement, whether
03:51it was recently with creating the song for Baltimore and Freddie Gray or, you know, riding
03:56Slave on the side of his cheek and standing up against the record labels and things of
04:00that nature.
04:01Yeah.
04:02Wow.
04:03They don't really make artists like that anymore.
04:04But why do you think...
04:06What was it about Prince or him as an artist where he was just like, I'm going to stand
04:08up for any and everything, no matter what, whether it sells albums or not?
04:11Yeah, you know, I mean, he just sort of, he really, literally changed the game.
04:17I mean, what can you say?
04:19From his music to the way he handled his business, you know, to the way he lived, you know, you
04:28never really knew what was going on with Prince, you know, like he lived in his sort of own
04:32bubble.
04:33There was always a lot of mystery surrounding him, which I guess is maybe the reason why
04:39this shouldn't be a surprise because I guess we really didn't know what was going on.
04:43We never really knew until he showed up from one of those amazing performances and then,
04:48you know, he looked great.
04:49And he could show up anywhere.
04:50He could show up at a Lakers game.
04:51Yeah.
04:52He could show up anywhere.
04:53It's like nobody knew.
04:54And then all of a sudden there's Prince.
04:55Yeah.
04:56Yeah.
04:57Like he was the king of keeping secrets.
04:58Yeah.
04:59I mean, think about his guest appearance on New Girl.
05:00Right.
05:01Like...
05:02Right.
05:03Exactly.
05:04You know what I mean?
05:05You know, just to what you were saying, Chuck, I was rereading our cover story from June 2014 and
05:08Chao Hidori Coker, who did the story, he quoted Prince saying that I'm an artist and I'm always
05:15in creative mode.
05:16Like just always.
05:17He's always just rethinking things.
05:19Do you think that's what fueled him to fight the record labels?
05:21Because now it's a big thing.
05:23Like you have the Taylor Swifts of the world and so on and so forth and they're standing
05:25up for their distribution and their rights, but he was a pioneer on many different levels
05:29in that regard.
05:30Yeah.
05:31You know, I mean, I feel like, you know, they will see in the history books, you know,
05:38when you go back in time and look back at who really changed the game of how, not only
05:44music, but how music business is handled.
05:47Yes.
05:48You know, Prince, I mean, he set the mark for everyone.
05:52Yeah.
05:53That's the way that he, his music's on Spotify, he owns his music, you know, he's getting-
05:59I had to find it on title today.
06:00Apple didn't have it.
06:01Exactly.
06:02He's getting every coin.
06:03Yeah.
06:04He's teaching people how they should own not only, you know, who they are as an artist,
06:09but also their business.
06:10Mm-hmm.
06:11And so he was really a forerunner from that respect as well.
06:15From a creative standpoint, what artists do you think that we have here today, presently,
06:20that they would not exist if it weren't for a Prince and his influence.
06:23And I'm not just talking about those that may have sampled a Prince beat, you know,
06:27but-
06:28Countless.
06:29Countless.
06:30I mean-
06:31I don't know, you go for it.
06:32I mean, I almost think of every- I mean, you know, like, Janelle MonĂĄe is coming to
06:34mind.
06:35Right, right.
06:36Or-
06:37Angelo, Maxwell, The Weeknd.
06:38I know that he's been compared- Miguel has been compared to him quite a bit as well.
06:42You know, um, God, I'm just drawing a blank because-
06:45We could even go back Janet Jackson because, you know, they wouldn't have been the Minneapolis
06:49sound if it wasn't for Prince, therefore, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, therefore, Janet
06:53Jackson.
06:54I mean, it all kind of goes back to Prince.
06:56And right now, as you mentioned, Janelle MonĂĄe, we have her, this is at our Essence
06:59Festival, um, 2014.
07:01It was also the 20th anniversary of Essence Festival when they performed that year.
07:04Um, Prince was headlining and he came out and he did a little cameo for those folks who
07:08were in the Superdome.
07:09We were blessed to be in the Superdome that night.
07:10Um, he came out and did a little cameos here.
07:12It's like he, like, snuck on.
07:14He's like, he rocked it out and then he snuck on.
07:16He snuck on, he rocked it out.
07:18And then he kind of just disappeared out of nowhere, out of thin air.
07:20Yeah, yeah.
07:21You know, it's like, oh, there's Prince.
07:22Mm-hmm.
07:23And then he would be gone, just evaporate, just like that.
07:25Yeah.
07:26Mm-hmm.
07:27So he seemed like, you know, otherworldly, you know, which is why we think he was immortal.
07:30Right.
07:31But sadly, you know, we all have to go.
07:33Yeah, he did that too at, um, his first Essence Festival performance.
07:37He came out, I remember in this red jumpsuit situation.
07:40Like only Prince can.
07:41And he had these thick red shoes that had, uh, uh, roller wheels on them.
07:46They were roller, they were roller skating shoes.
07:48And, um, Sheila E.
07:50Uh-huh.
07:51Was doing the drumming.
07:52And he, like, literally skated on stage playing a guitar.
07:56And we were like, oh, snap, that's Prince.
07:58You know, so, anyway.
07:59Yeah.
08:00I would have fell from there before I even got on the stage.
08:02What's your favorite Prince songs?
08:04Oh, wow.
08:05I'll tell you, we were, again, shout out to Tidal.
08:07Because I do have Prince on my own personal thing, but, um, A Door broke me today.
08:11A Door.
08:12We couldn't play Purple Rain, like, we, like, everybody was like, turn it off, we can't.
08:16But A Door broke me today.
08:17What about you, Chuck?
08:18Well, you know what?
08:19I won't pick a favorite, but I will say the one that I can't get out of my head right now
08:24is a song called Sometimes It Snows in April.
08:27Oh, my God.
08:28And, uh.
08:29Beautiful song.
08:30And I thought about that song a couple weeks ago.
08:31Mm-hmm.
08:32And it's about.
08:33How ironic.
08:34That he played in Under the Cherry Moon.
08:35Yeah.
08:36He died young.
08:37Mm-hmm.
08:38Oh, Chuck.
08:39And I couldn't stop thinking about that today.
08:41And, uh, you know, sadly, it's beautiful outside, but it's snowing.
08:45Yeah.
08:46It's snowing.
08:47Yeah.
08:48That's very profound.
08:49Right now, we are going to go to the phones and see what you have to say.
08:51Caller, what's your name?
08:52And what would you like to say about Prince?
08:55Hi.
08:56This is Erica, and I'm the former Frida director at Essence.
09:00Hi.
09:01I'm so glad to be able to participate in this conversation.
09:05Our Prince cover shoot and evening after was absolutely amazing.
09:11One of the most magical days of my life, or evenings, or almost, like, 24 hours.
09:17I just remember Prince as being such a playful spirit.
09:23Like, after we were shooting, and he came and tapped me on one shoulder, and spoke in
09:28one ear, and then drifted, and popped away in two seconds, and like, oh, he whispered,
09:33it's Versace.
09:34I'm like, oh, well, what's that?
09:36Well, who, what, what, what really happened?
09:38Um, and he was just very, his eyes, I remember that day, too, being really expressive, because
09:44during the shoot, he didn't really speak to me.
09:46He, um, we were, we had a moment at the, at the, um, monitor with the photographer,
09:52where she had this huge, um, um, what is it, um, sorry, uh, magnifying glass.
09:59And she was looking at the, at the monitor, and looking into the magnifying glass, like,
10:03she could really see something, as opposed to these days, you just blow the screen up.
10:07And so Prince picked it up and did the same thing, and I, he looked at me, and he gave
10:11it to me, and I looked at it, and I looked through it, and I was like, I thought to myself,
10:15I can't really see anything.
10:16And Prince looked at me, and I looked at him with those big expressive eyes, and he
10:19was like, he didn't see anything either.
10:21So we just both kind of chuckled, and from that point, it was a turning point in the
10:24shoot, it was like, okay, you get it, let's, let's move forward, let's, you know, go ahead,
10:28and we get the shoot done.
10:29And he smiled, and his eyes would just really light up as he smiled.
10:32He didn't really want to smile taking a picture, but, but he did, and it was, and it
10:36changed the energy on set.
10:40And then after that evening, when we went back to the Beverly Hills Hotel, and we walk
10:47in the room, and there's a huge grand, gold grand piano, and people are playing Marcia
10:53Ambrosia, and Liana Havis, and Dougie Fresh, and Dave Chappelle, I guess.
11:00Like, Dave Chappelle wasn't there at first, and you hear his voice come in, you're like,
11:03Dave Chappelle's here?
11:06So, you know, and it was just, it was just a magical night of people playing and singing,
11:10and they were there for him.
11:11Like, you know, everybody, it was his band, and they had performed, and everybody was
11:16exhausted, but I was sitting there talking to one of his backup singers, Saida, and,
11:21you know, she was, she and Marcia just went into song, and it was just really, really
11:27exciting.
11:28And he sat next to me at one point and noticed that I had changed my shoes, and again, didn't
11:32say anything, and he noticed my shoes, and I was like, well, I have to say something,
11:36but I didn't, I didn't want to call him Prince.
11:38Nobody really, you know, had called his name that night, so I was like, well, sir.
11:42I was like, well, thank you, sir.
11:43I was like, thank you for noticing, and at the end of the night, I just thanked him for
11:47such a, you know, amazing day, you know, for really sharing himself with, you know, with
11:52us, and, you know, taking a picture, because I know that's not really his thing.
11:55Right.
11:56And he was just excited, you know, about being an essence, and, you know, black women supporting
12:01black women, and being able to be a part of that, and, you know, Janelle Monae was there,
12:05standing, and he was speaking about Liv Warfield, and, you know, how she was the next to come
12:10up under his umbrella.
12:11So, it was really, really magical, and I'm thankful to have that moment, and to be able
12:16to be in his presence, and, you know, to be in the presence of a legend.
12:20So, it was quite amazing.
12:21And Erica.
12:22For one time, I was probably starstruck.
12:24And I can definitely understand that, and Erica, thank you so much for calling in and
12:29sharing that personal story and moment with us.
12:32And I think that speaks a lot to the magic of Prince, and the legend, and being able to
12:37shift the energy in the room, and just changing that spirit.
12:40We also have one more caller on the line.
12:43Caller, what's your name, and what would you like to say about Prince?
12:46My name is Denise Manning.
12:49What I would like to say about Prince is...
12:53Well, first, I have no words, obviously, for today.
12:56Like, I just can't wrap my head around this.
12:58Like, we lost a great one.
13:00But I think what made Prince so special is that he was so free.
13:04He was so, like, unapologetically himself that you couldn't look away.
13:08You know, you wanted to be as free as he was.
13:11Creatively, as a human, sexually, I just feel like Prince transcended what it was to be human.
13:17And I mean, I'm really grateful that we got to experience him in our lifetime.
13:23Thank you so very, very much for calling in.
13:25Well said.
13:26And that is very well said.
13:27Well said.
13:28It's that freedom.
13:29It's that freedom that's so magnetic.
13:30Right now, of course, social media is, there's an outpouring of love from everyone.
13:35And we have clearly some celebrities who are also affected who took their social media to share their love of Prince.
13:41Samuel L. Jackson said,
13:43I'm crushed.
13:44UK News reporting Prince is dead.
13:46For real.
13:47Massive loss for us all.
13:48What a genius.
13:49Speechless.
13:50And from Gabrielle Union,
13:52I'm gutted.
13:53Speechless.
13:54Heartbroken.
13:55Such a great, great, great kind man.
13:57Hashtag RIP Prince.
13:59And Whoopi Goldberg posted,
14:00This is what it sounds like when doves cry.
14:03Prince RIP.
14:04Condolences to his family and to us all.
14:06And we have one more from Wyclef Jean who wrote,
14:09RIP to the King Prince.
14:11Thank you for inspiring me to be a musician first and using this tool to heal people.
14:15I'm not really sure what else there is to say.
14:19We're all still in shock.
14:21But just kind of reiterating what you guys have said in our callers and the other celebrities who've worked with him.
14:27It's his spirit, his energy, that magnetism.
14:30And that's what makes him a legend on so many different levels.
14:33What are your final thoughts?
14:35It's funny.
14:36One of my former colleagues had Sharon Boone tweeted today something like,
14:40Prince is so timeless, like she never would have thought he died.
14:44So I replied and said, right.
14:46And I said, I hope that when it came, he just went poof.
14:50And there was a cloud of purple sparkly dust.
14:53You know what I mean?
14:54That he didn't, you know, he just went in the air.
14:58I, yeah.
14:59Yeah.
15:00Shocked.
15:01Yeah.
15:02You know, I mean, I'm hoping obviously he's going to live on.
15:05And so many of us and so many artists, his music, you know,
15:11there's so much of it that probably more than people even realize because he was crazy prolific.
15:17Like, you know, he even put out a three disc album, Emancipation.
15:21Right.
15:22You know, kind of got overlooked.
15:23But you're like, how could a Prince album get overlooked?
15:25But maybe we even took him a little for granted because we expected him to be a genius.
15:30Right.
15:31You know, so hopefully, you know, people will go back and appreciate all that music and he'll live on that way.
15:38Yeah.
15:39I understand.
15:40I understand.
15:41Thank you so very much for joining us, unfortunately, under such somber circumstances.
15:43But you're both, of course, always welcome back.
15:45Coming up, we'll take more of this week's biggest topics in Slate or Shade.
15:48But first, as we honor Prince, let's take a look back at Essence Festival 2014,
15:52when Prince was the headliner and we hit the streets of New Orleans to test his biggest fans on his lyrics.
15:57This is Yolanda Sanguini, entertainment editor at Essence.com.
16:04And we're here at Family Day trying to find out how much Essence readers know about 2014 Essence Festival headliner, Prince.
16:12So tell me, what's your favorite Prince song?
16:14I knew a girl named Nikki.
16:16I guess you could say she was a sex fit.
16:19Well, they call me Nikki.
16:20That's my nickname.
16:21I grew up on that Nikki all day.
16:23Because Nikki started to grind and I love to grind.
16:26Does anybody feel like singing Dove's Cry for me?
16:28Just a little bit.
16:29I'll sing it.
16:30Dig, if you will, the picture of you and I engaged in a kiss.
16:38The sweat of your body covers me.
16:42Alright, so where were you when Purple Rain came out?
16:45I was home.
16:46I was a little baby.
16:48I was in my mother's belly.
16:50I was little, little, yeah.
16:52Well, Nikki came out when I was in my teens.
16:54You know, I remember the Nikki song and all that.
16:57You understand what I'm saying?
16:58Yes, I do.
16:59Because I'm a dancer.
17:00You say you love Prince.
17:01I'm going to ask you a few things about Prince.
17:03What's his real name?
17:04Prince Rogers Nelson.
17:05Okay.
17:06Where was he born?
17:07You said when?
17:08Where was he born?
17:09Minnesota.
17:10I know the birth date.
17:11What's his birth date?
17:12June 7th.
17:13I'm going to guess.
17:141956?
17:15Very close.
17:16June 7th, 1958.
17:18Oh, okay.
17:19Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
17:21Alright.
17:22I'm going to read some lyrics to you.
17:23You can tell me whether you know what song it is.
17:25The first one, it goes, here we are looking for a reason.
17:29You to lay me down for a love like ours is never out of season.
17:35What song is that?
17:36Do Me Baby.
17:37Okay, cute.
17:38Alright.
17:39So it goes, honey, I know.
17:41I know.
17:42I know times are changing.
17:44It's time we all reach out for something new.
17:46Purple rain, purple rain.
17:50Oh, where's my lighter?
17:52Little red Corvette.
17:55Baby, you're much too fast.
17:58Yes, you are.
18:01The most great R&B songs are about love.
18:04And it's whether you lost it, you're getting it.
18:06We all essentially want love as humans.
18:08And that is at the core of R&B.
18:10R&B for me is soulful.
18:13It's soulful.
18:14It's positive.
18:15It's stimulating.
18:16It's sexy.
18:17It's cool.
18:18A beautiful expression of blackness.
18:19I fell in love to Cupid by 112.
18:21Love at first sight.
18:22R. Kelly.
18:25I was on a road trip visiting the woman who would become my wife.
18:29And she was playing the Beyonce 4 album.
18:31My life.
18:33That album was the first time I'd ever been in love.
18:36Like really in love or so I thought.
18:38And then he broke my heart and then that album healed me.
18:41It was so good.
18:42No Ordinary Love by Sade.
18:44And it just made me think that this is what love should be.
18:47Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey.
18:50Listening to that song made me feel like I could hold on to that special person forever.
18:55And it's Michael Jackson's Rock With You.
18:58Classic.
18:59Always in favor by Heat Wave.
19:01R&B is power.
19:02R&B is honest.
19:04It's vibing.
19:05It's a mood.
19:06It's spiritual.
19:07R&B is dope.
19:08Watching my parents.
19:09Listening to Luther and Marvin Gaye.
19:12Really watching their love blossom and grow.
19:14Tell Me Something Good by Rufus and Chaka Khan.
19:17R&B is sex.
19:18Gritty.
19:19It's seductive.
19:20Sexy.
19:21Sexy.
19:22And more sex.
19:23R&B is just that cool slow jam music.
19:25It was that kind you just wanted to hug up on somebody in the corner and just dance.
19:30I grew up back when you bought the CD.
19:32And you took the CD booklet out and you read the lyrics.
19:35You were reading it like poetry.
19:37In your bed.
19:38You know.
19:39Under the covers.
19:40Flashlight.
19:41Over and over again.
19:42And it was like reading a love letter on your feet.
19:44I will say that it was the OJ's love train.
19:47On Saturday nights my parents would put on that album.
19:49We'd all be in the living room like people are all over the world.
19:52Being a hip hop head first.
19:54I think really that bridge between the two genres between hip hop and R&B.
19:57Mary J. Blige was the one that really connected that dots for me.
20:00It really made that love for R&B.
20:02There was so much good R&B music in the 90s from TLC, Crazy, Sexy, Cool to Brandy, Never Say Never.
20:09It was just the best time for R&B music.
20:11R&B is relevant.
20:12Emotional.
20:13Heartbreak.
20:14Pain.
20:15Pain.
20:16Forgiveness.
20:17Joyful.
20:18It was very healing.
20:19The first R&B cassette tape that I purchased was Lionel Richie.
20:24All night long.
20:25Hello.
20:26Pebbles.
20:27Girlfriend.
20:28Superwoman.
20:29Oh, everybody knows.
20:31Look, she's moving her head.
20:32Come on.
20:33That's it.
20:34Aaliyah, if your girl only knew, and I actually stole it from my cousin.
20:39I actually stole it from my cousin,
20:40but she didn't know that until right now.
20:43Kung Fu Fighting.
20:54It is the soundtrack of our lives.
20:57It's our legacy, and we should definitely
20:59continue celebrating it.
21:00And I can't think of a better place to do that
21:02than at Essence Festival July 4th weekend in New Orleans.
21:06There's just nothing else like it.
21:09Hey, I'm Tyler James Williams from the show Replay
21:19on the Go90 platform.
21:20Best reason to watch Replay, I'm in it.
21:22It's really freakin' funny.
21:24Two, it's going right to your phone on the Go90 platform.
21:26I'm not even asking you to watch it on a specific day
21:28or night or anything like that.
21:29And it's kind of a modern day version of Groundhog's Day.
21:35I'm Tyler James Williams, and you're watching Essence Live.
21:39Welcome to Essence Live. I'm your host, Dana Blair.
21:43As you may know by now, the legendary and incomparable Prince
21:46has died at the age of 57.
21:48We'll continue to take your comments and thoughts via social media.
21:50Hit us up using the hashtag Essence Live via email
21:53and using Essence Live at Essence.com.
21:56Okay, so joining me now in studio, we have W. Kamal Bell,
21:59of CNN's new show, United Shades of America.
22:02Hello, hello, hello.
22:03Hello, hello, hello.
22:03Welcome to Essence Live.
22:05And returning, we have Ms. Julie Wilson,
22:06Essence.com fashion and beauty director.
22:09Hello, hello.
22:09Hello, hello.
22:10And new comedian Damian Lemon of True TV's Comedy Knockout.
22:14Welcome to the show.
22:16And before we get started with Slade or Shade,
22:19just your initial sentiments or thoughts on Prince.
22:22Kamal, I can start with you.
22:23I mean, obviously, he's a legend.
22:25He will never be replaced.
22:27We'll never see the likes of him again.
22:28My real question is, does President Obama go to the funeral?
22:31Oh.
22:33Where did he go?
22:34He didn't go to Nancy Reagan's funeral.
22:36That's a whole different situation coming out of here.
22:38Julie?
22:39I'm going to be a question first.
22:40Now it's heartbreaking.
22:41The tears.
22:43Just love him, but his influence will live on.
22:46We will celebrate him.
22:47We will dance to him.
22:48Yes.
22:49We will, you know, be inspired by his style
22:51and his music forever.
22:52So it's just sad to see him go at such a young age.
22:55Damian?
22:56This is tough.
22:57He's still processing it, you know?
22:59He's one of those people that you can't see life without.
23:02He seemed immortal, you know?
23:04And it's unfortunate, but he left a great legacy
23:07for people to embrace.
23:09Seems like we're all still in shock,
23:11but though it's a pretty tough transition,
23:13we are going to switch gears and do a little Slade or Shade
23:15with some other hot topics that are happening.
23:17Okay, so here's the first one.
23:19We say this with love, but what is going on with Erykah Badu?
23:22Now, Erykah Badu is my boo.
23:23But she first tweeted about how girls should wear
23:25long skirts to prevent boys and men from sexualizing them.
23:29And now in a cover story for Fader magazine
23:30that covered everything from her writing process
23:32to social media, she gave this doozy of a quote.
23:36We can organize like a mother when police beat us up,
23:39but can we organize to stop black on black crime
23:42or poor on poor crime?
23:44Because you know, poor is the new black.
23:45You don't have to be black now.
23:47Huh?
23:48What say you?
23:49Are we slaying or shading?
23:51And what would you be slaying or shading on the count of three?
23:53Let me see your panels.
23:54One, two, and three.
23:56Shade.
23:57Wait, are you on the fence?
23:58Oh, there's always one that says to slay.
24:00Here we go, here we go.
24:01And we got slayed and slayed.
24:03Okay, come on, talk to me.
24:04Why are you on the fence?
24:05Oh, we're slaying?
24:05Okay, I'll go with the group there.
24:06I mean, I'm kind of on the fence.
24:08Don't succumb to peer pressure.
24:09Don't succumb.
24:10You can still come back if you don't on group team.
24:11Okay.
24:13What are you slaying or sh...
24:14I mean, obviously, that's, you know,
24:16that's what rich black people and white people say.
24:19You know, that's not something you say when you're...
24:21What, about the poor on poor?
24:22Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:23So you feel like she's out of pocket with her comment, or...?
24:26I mean, she has a right to her opinion.
24:28She wrote Call Tyrone.
24:29I can't really hate her too much.
24:30Right.
24:30But, yeah, that's not my opinion.
24:33That's your opinion.
24:34Okay, fair enough.
24:35Julie, what are you slaying?
24:36I just think that I love how outspoken she is.
24:39I really love Erica for standing up for what she believes in.
24:43I, you know, I definitely am on the fence about this comment in particular,
24:47but I think that her just being, like, a voice of, you know,
24:52I don't know, like, a voice that's, like, pushing conversations
24:56and having people talking, I think, is important.
24:59And I don't think enough people in her position do it.
25:02Fair enough.
25:03Yeah.
25:03Damien, you look like you got a lot to say on the end over there.
25:05Were you a Slade or a Shade?
25:07I went with Slade.
25:08Okay.
25:09I went with Slade.
25:11I think Erica is, you know, she's a champion of the unpopular opinion sometimes.
25:16You know, we get caught up in groupthink and there's things that,
25:19but she has some points.
25:21You know, there's certain points to be made with what she's saying there.
25:25You know, I don't know about Poor is the New Black.
25:28That sounds like a show I wouldn't watch.
25:30I wouldn't watch any of that.
25:31Yeah, but, you know, I can understand some of the points that she's made.
25:35Kamala, you had something to say?
25:36I felt it.
25:37I felt it too.
25:38I felt it.
25:39You can't go and then be quiet on S.S.L.A.S.
25:41But black people are worried about black on black crime.
25:44That's the first thing we worry about.
25:45We just have to focus on police on black crime for a little, you know,
25:48like if the police weren't killing the black people,
25:50we could focus more on black on black crime.
25:52So I just think that it's like, yeah, no, I don't think that without,
25:56without black people worrying about that,
25:57we wouldn't have had the end of slavery, the civil rights movement.
26:00You know what I mean?
26:01Yeah.
26:01Reminds me like mother wit, you know?
26:03Like, you know how like when you, there's certain people that get a little older,
26:06like we're all going to get older and some of our opinions are going to phase out.
26:11They're not going to be as progressive.
26:12We're not going to update our operating system.
26:14We're going to have our values that we stick to so I can understand it.
26:18It feels like somebody that would be in my family that says, no,
26:21that you know what they need to be, you know?
26:23Right, right, right, right.
26:24And I'm not mad at stepping out there.
26:25Like to your point, step out there and own this different opinion.
26:29Fair enough.
26:30We're going to move on now to somebody that we all love to talk about, Breezy.
26:33Chris Brown is back at it with a new controversy.
26:36Breezy just released the trailer to his upcoming not so anticipated documentary,
26:41Welcome to My Life.
26:43According to what we've seen in the trailer, the film will follow the rise of the pop star
26:47to the top of the charts in his fall after his assault on Rihanna in 2009.
26:51And in his words, he went from being, quote,
26:53kind of like America's sweetheart to public enemy number one.
26:57Mmm.
26:57Chris, Chris, Chris.
26:59But what Chris is really interesting is that the straight out hate that he's getting on social media from everyone.
27:04Mainstream.
27:05New York Magazine called the documentary and Chris himself, quote, garbage.
27:09Mmm.
27:10Huffington Post accused the singer of just looking for sympathy.
27:12And Paper Mag called the film a, quote, documentary that no one asked for, honey.
27:17Panelists, what are you saying?
27:19Oh, oh, oh, hello, Julie.
27:20Tell us how you really feel.
27:21Slay the shade.
27:22You got shade, shade.
27:24You're on the fence, Julie.
27:25I have a little.
27:26You on the fence, David?
27:27Oh, OK, Julie, shade, you threw it up really fast.
27:30What are you shading?
27:32I'm just not here for Chris Brown.
27:33Like, I don't know.
27:34Like, that's not to say that I don't listen to his music here and there.
27:38But I'm just saying.
27:40No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, thank you.
27:43I don't have any of his music in my iTunes, so let's just put it there.
27:47But I do, I do agree with kind of like the popular hate train here,
27:52that it's just like, it's pandering for sympathy.
27:55It's like, sir, just take several seats, make your music, that sort of thing.
27:58I think he's still trying to be relevant and look for the, look, I'm a good guy.
28:04And it's like, I just don't want to be reminded of that night in 2009.
28:07Like, just do your music.
28:09Keep it moving.
28:10Like, let's not talk about it anymore.
28:13Or let's not rehash it in a way that makes you look good.
28:17Mm-hmm.
28:18Damien, talk to me.
28:19You had a sh...
28:20I had a shade, I'm confused with the Slay the Shade, I'm not, I'm not into it.
28:24I feel like, you know, that's a shade.
28:27That's a shade, that's a shade.
28:29That's a shade, Damien.
28:30I, yeah, look, I think Chris Brown is as troubled as he is talented, right?
28:35I was just, we were just taping, we were taping on Common Sense yesterday,
28:39and they were playing a new Chris Brown record, and I couldn't, I was just...
28:43He gets you!
28:44He gets you!
28:45He's a conversation starter because your body is gonna respond to what's going on,
28:50but then it's like, here we go again.
28:54You know, the thing that I just have a problem with is don't recast yourself as a victim of circumstance.
29:01You know what happened, you know what you did, you just gotta own it, take full responsibility,
29:07because that is part of your narrative until the end of your career, so...
29:11Or until you do something to change the narrative.
29:14Well, what can he do to change that narrative?
29:16Okay, okay.
29:16He can own up to the fact that he did it.
29:18That does a job now.
29:19I don't think he has to keep rehashing it over and over.
29:22Come on, I'm sorry, I almost took you down, I got so excited.
29:24But you got a Slade or a Shade, what you got?
29:26Uh, yeah, I'm Shade, I'm Shade.
29:28And you can...
29:29No, you guys got it.
29:30No, no, no, I want to hear...
29:31What's Shade?
29:32I'm just mad that of all the trailers to watch, we had to watch this one.
29:35Oh, cool.
29:36Magnificent Seven is out? Why couldn't we watch that trailer?
29:38That was very a Shade, I'm a Shade, I'm taking your paddle there.
29:43No, but you know, I think he can change the narrative.
29:45Yeah, yeah, but he has to change it.
29:47Okay, let me ask you a question, though.
29:48Does he have the right to tell his story, though?
29:50Absolutely, yeah.
29:51And people have the right to not listen to it.
29:53Y'all just don't want to see that story.
29:54And I also don't want to see it now.
29:56Like, why now, Chris?
29:57Like, wait for a further time down the road.
30:01Like, it just happened in 2009.
30:02He's seven.
30:03It's like...
30:04He's young.
30:05It's okay.
30:05I need to hear it right now.
30:06And our third story, I'm sure many of you heard the news about Michael Strahan's decision
30:10to leave live with Kelly and Michael for a permanent spot on Good Morning America starting
30:14this fall.
30:15According to some reports, Strahan broke the news to his live co-host Kelly Ripa and the
30:19show's executive producer at the same damn time that the announcement was being made to
30:24the public.
30:25And apparently, Kelly is not pleased.
30:27She's been MIA from the show since the announcement was made.
30:30Panelists, what say you?
30:31What are we slaying or shading here?
30:33Good move?
30:34Bad moves?
30:35And who made them?
30:36Slade, Slade, Slade.
30:37Okay.
30:38All right.
30:39Damien, I'll start with you this time.
30:40Black man getting a job.
30:41You know what I mean?
30:42Listen.
30:43He had a job.
30:44He had a great job.
30:45Like we just been talking about.
30:46He had three jobs.
30:47He got a promotion at one of the jobs.
30:48So he quit one of the jobs.
30:49Yeah.
30:50That's what every black person did.
30:51He has all of the greatest jobs.
30:53Yes.
30:54This is the thing.
30:55When you're about to switch jobs or career jobs, you keep it to your vet.
30:59You keep it quiet.
31:00Yeah.
31:01You don't tell everybody your moves.
31:02Right.
31:03This is the kind of...
31:04You don't tell Kelly Ripa.
31:05You may get some calls for my reference.
31:06I know, right?
31:07Right, exactly.
31:08And then looking at how she's reacting, I can understand why he was discreet about it.
31:13That's fair enough.
31:14This is ridiculous.
31:15Yeah, he probably knew this was coming.
31:16He probably did.
31:17What are you slaying, Julie?
31:18No, I'm slaying.
31:19I mean, I agree.
31:20You don't tell everyone, like, oh, I'm making this move in a week and preempt the whole
31:25thing.
31:26He had to do it that way.
31:27And honestly, it's an amazing opportunity for him.
31:30He's really forged a career in journalism that I never thought he would be able to.
31:34Shoot.
31:35Most athletes cannot do.
31:36What are you trying to say?
31:37Athletes.
31:38And that's shade.
31:39That's shade.
31:40Shade, Michael.
31:41I just did not think that journalism bug was in him.
31:44And he's done it.
31:45And he got a promotion.
31:46And you have to take that.
31:48He's living his best life.
31:49Let him live it.
31:50And Kamau, what's the final word from you?
31:51You're slaying?
31:52And who are you slaying?
31:53What are you slaying?
31:54Yeah, just the idea.
31:55Obviously, that job wasn't fun.
31:57And when you leave a job that wasn't fun, you don't tell him in advance.
32:01You just say, I'm out.
32:02And you walk out the door.
32:03And you throw your slate a shade card.
32:05See you later.
32:06You toss it.
32:07You really rock out the door.
32:08Well, who do y'all think will replace him?
32:09Any thoughts?
32:10Throw him out there.
32:11Who do you think you might want to see?
32:12I mean, he always comes on Marc Consuelos.
32:14Yeah.
32:15That could be kind of stressful, though.
32:16You know why he's not going to get the job?
32:17Home and at the job.
32:18I know, but he sits in a lot.
32:20But you know why he's not going to get the job?
32:21Why?
32:22Because you were like, what's his name?
32:23That's why he's not going to get the job.
32:24Oh, that was shade.
32:25Oh, that was shade.
32:26There you go.
32:26Somebody said, like, Anderson Cooper.
32:28But I'm like, he is way too qualified for that job.
32:30But not to say that.
32:31I mean, it's a popular show.
32:33But he doesn't want to be pandering to, like, oh, so you've got a movie coming out.
32:37Like, he's a journalist.
32:38And Kamal, before we head out, because we're running short on time, I would like you to
32:43share with the Essence Live audience where we can find you next, the projects that you're
32:45working on.
32:46It's Sunday, April 24th on CNN.
32:48I have a new show called The United Chains of America.
32:50Yes.
32:51All right.
32:52And Damien, your projects?
32:53What you got coming up?
32:54Tonight, Comedy Knockout on TruTV, 10.30 tonight.
32:57Are you funny?
32:58I hope so.
32:59That sounded like shade, mom.
33:03Well, thank you, all of you, for joining us.
33:06And, of course, all of our wonderful viewers at home who are streaming us live.
33:10Our thoughts and prayers go out to Prince's family, friends, and, of course, all of his
33:14fans.
33:15This is a loss that we are definitely mourning.
33:17I'm Dana Blair, and I'll see you next week.
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