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Questlove, Madonna, and Stevie Wonder paid tribute to Prince tonight at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Questlove gave a passionate speech about the late singer, while Stevie Wonder and Madonna performed a stirring rendition of "Purple Rain." Rihanna hit a very solemn dab during the performance. BET announced shortly after the ending of the BBMAs that they will be hosting a Prince tribute at the BET Awards on June 26. Watch clips of the speech and performance below.
Watch: Stevie Wonder and @Madonna pay tribute to Prince at the #BBMAs https://t.co/VIlBnzZkWp https://t.co/S1wHpqvmw9
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 23, 2016
Update (May 23, 12:29 a.m.): Questlove addressed criticisms of the performance on Twitter:
because of P's well known love for the *poof* vanishing act. A lot of us are left feeling incomplete in the act of saying goodbye.
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
For starters it's hard to accept him no longer being here. & in the upcoming award season for '17 there will be a gang of tributes
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
Naturally there will be folded arms & shade thrown because the Purple Standard is hard boots to fill & a lot of us don't wanna come 2 grips
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
---w the fact that Prince--(an on the surface) face of health & invincible agelessness subcomb to something so....friggin basic
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
So w mourning will come sadness & anger. 1st week I cried. 2nd week I tried to atone for his sins w gettin 8-10 hrs of sleep he didn't get
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
Now anger is in the air w who (in our eyes) is allowed to mourn & how they are allowed to mourn.---none of us were prepared for his death
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
So I know there is gonna be ALOT of "feel a certain ways" about who you want to see do his music justice---but you gotta put that aside yall
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
Every Prince rendition will not be a life changing orgasmic xperience. Just to SING his work is brave enough. Again feeling are on high
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
And EVERYBODY wants and deserves a chance to say goodbye in their own way. But remember: there will be AMAs, SoulTrain, NAACP, mtv, GRAMMYS
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
And a gazillion other tributes. But the point is let's not get ugly w playing the "Prince would and wouldn't approve" game.
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
A representative for Questlove was not immediately available for comment.
