Posted under mtv
By Jayson Rodriguez
Obviously, no one could have predict Michael Jackson’s untimely death would coincide with the 2009 BET Awards, but the tragic news of the King of Pop’s passing turned each event during the weekend on its side, making them all quasi tribute parties instead.
On Friday in Beverly Hills, Hennessey honored photographer Cheryl Fox for her exhibit, “Rock N Roll of Hip Hop.” The gathering featured a mix of classic black and white images of the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc.) along with contemporary photos and never-before-scene flicks of today’s rap stars like Jay-Z and Diddy. Kim Porter, Diddy’s former flame, hosted the festivities, while Lil Mama and Fonzworth Bentley made appearances.
Among the more appealing images in the collection, just to the right side of the DJ booth, was a Motown-era Michael Jackson picture, where the future icon was in full ‘fro with the teenage acne adorning both his cheeks.
The image served as the perfect backdrop for the evening. MJ tunes blasted throughout the art space as Diddy, and his sons Quincy and Christian felt the groove. Diddy shared his fondest memory of Jackson with MTV News the very next day.
“The first time I saw the ‘Thriller’ video, I was waiting for it. It was the premiere — they showed you the making of and all of that,” he said. “And it was something that everyone had their VHS tapes — I think it was Betamax tapes back then. You had to wait for it and you taped it.” Diddy called MJ’s talent “mind blowing.”