RollnSmokeRecords Covers The 2009 BET Awards

Live from The Shrine Auditorium in sunny Los Angeles, California, is another imperfect Annual BET Awards that kicks off with (one of many) clip(s) of Michael Jackson, whose father, Joe Jackson, is frequently panned and present in the front row, seated next to the Rev. Al Sharpton. Then, a mediocre-sounding Jackson Five Medley is followed by the official announcement of the evening’s phat line-up.
The night’s host is talented singer-actor Jamie Foxx who shows up on stage, dressed like Michael Jackson in a shiny, red leather jacket and wearing the signature white glove, movin’ his groove to “Beat It.” You’ve got to hand it to Foxx – in spite of his semi-failed moonwalk -- he’s a very quick-study of serious last-minute material and choreography. “[Michael Jackson] belongs to us,” Foxx declares, reverent, respectful. “And we shared him with everybody else.” Self-effacing, Fox brings everyone out of the closet from the get-go, admitting his own adolescent obsession with Michael Jackson. “Gangstas had the glove too,” he insists “Even Lil Wayne had the glove. He might have had a gun, but he had the glove. Holdin’ a little weed in that glove too.”
Tyra Banks kicks off by presenting the award for Best Athlete to LeBron James (who dances big time all through the evening), and he immediately sets precedent by acknowledging The Jackson Family. Then Tyra hands off the award for Best Hip-Hop to Lil Wayne – a little fella with a monster grill – who also offers a nod to Michael. Keri Hilson (Best New Artist) puts on a performance that’s self-conscious and nothing special, but Ne-Yo (Best Male R&B Artist) kicks-ass with his outstanding soul-voice-with-organ version of [Michael Jackson’s] “Lady of My Life.”
Jamie Foxx and T-Pain (with his BIG ASS CHAIN bling) sing “Blame it on the Alcohol” (winning Best Collaboration, which is when T-Pain thanks all “the Haters”). Plenty of crotch-grabbing. All the while in the audience the super-big-ass stars aren’t too cool to groove – they’re onboard -- and then there’s Snoop Dogg, randomly up on stage, dancin’ in his calf-length leather jacket. After Foxx vilifies the media for generating bad speculation around Michael’s death, there’s a weird, seemingly previously-taped segment of Soulja Boy performing in stereotypically ridiculous-looking low-riding jeans.
Beautiful Beyonce (Best Female R&B Artist) belts out her distinctly non-R&B version of “Ave Maria” in a hooped, angel-wedding dress followed by MaryMary who get their soulful God-on with a guest appearance by Queen Latifah. More live Jamie Foxx with Ne-Yo & Fabolous performing “She Got Her Own.” Then several old school performances, including Bel Biv Devoe’s doing a pretty lame job of their one-hit-winder “Poison.” Smattered in among the clips of Michael Jackson are numerous men – doctors, mayors -- introduced during the evening that are distinguished as successful role models in the black community. Jay-Z lays an “RIP, to The King” onto the end of his live performance of “D.O.A.”
After a rambling introduction, The 2009 BET Lifetime Achievement Award goes to the soul trio The O’Jays, who are dressed in spankin’ all-white suits and who perform a medley of hits including “Money, Money, Money, Money, Money” and “Used to Be My Girl” with snazzy choreography. Wyclef Jean (yelehaiti Foundation) and Alicia Keyes (keepachildalive AIDS awareness campaign) receive Humanitarian Awards in recognition for their charitable work. “I come from a hut,” Wyclef reminds the audience. “From there I went to the projects. From there I went to a mansion. So – all of you out there—you have no excuse.”
The crescendo builds with the BET Viewer’s Choice Award for best song “Live Your Life” by T.I. featuring Rihanna. However, neither is present because T.I. is in prison, and Rihanna is still laying low from her beating by Chris Brown the night before the Grammy’s. And then there’s the 2009 BET Viewer’s Choice Award for Best Video which goes to Beyonce for “Single Ladies.”