Essence Music Festival 2010 is a good time for your soul. There’s no Drama, just fun. Essence Music Festival was rightfully placed in New Orleans, Louisiana. It couldn’t have been in a better place. It’s like Big Mama’s Sweet Tea or Country Lemonade. It’s listening to old 33 albums while hanging clothes on the clothes line. The Essence Music Festival is in some ways nostalgic and it was my very first time attending. Seeing Earth, Wind, and Fire on that stage reminded me of all the days my Father used to play their albums. I can see that eye in the middle of the pyramid like it was yesterday. Essence Music Festival is the perfect family reunion. It’s a time when family and friends come together for a weekend of great food, great music, and even better company. Elan Extreme was honored to attend and capture the weekend.

Now of course! We’re going to keep it real with you, our readers (family of readers). So here is our story, and we sticking to it…

The Highs, The Lows, and The So So

The Essence Music Festival brought a lot of high points for me. I hope that I mention them all and not leave anything out. One of the things that impressed me the most was TV-One. Yes, TV-One. I give credit where credit is due, and TV-One’s use of The Essence Music Festival was both a strategic win, and marketing win. Additionally, they were very welcoming to media, and gave us an all-access pass into their booth (where many of their TV Show personalities met with hoards of fans), and in their green room that was stocked with some of the best food I had during the weekend. They served its guests and talent Catfish, Gumbo, Jambalaya, Beef Patties, Macaroni and Cheese, and so much more. It was far better than the pretzels and veggie platter served by Essence in the Press Room; one of my lows, I will address that in a minute. Back to TV-One, if you didn’t know much about the Network before, you surely knew their name afterward. Boris Kodjoe and Kenya Moore sat and signed autographs for 2 hours to help promote their Movie “The Confidant”, produced by Kenya Moore herself. At one point Boris addressed the crowd and assured fans that they would not move until their hands fell off. K-Ci and JoJo were on hand promoting “Come Clean” a new reality show where the ex Jodeci members give us a no holds barred look into their road to recovery. The TV-One PR Staff gave media the green light to ask any question of the guys. That was surreal. I expected a muzzle to be placed on the duo, but no. It was so different that I neglected to ask K-Ci (and JoJo) if there was anyone that they have come clean to, and if not, is there anyone that they would like to come clean to. Of course, I would have been looking for a Mary J Blige conversation to ensue, but that is my low moment that I missed that opportunity. We also interviewed LisaRaye and Omarosa. I found both of these outspoken women to be a joy, and actually were two very high points of the weekend. In all, @TVOnetv left a great impression on me and I am eager to tune in to their new programming.

The Tide Booth and Ford Lincoln Booth were also on my high list. I was wondering how Tide could get people excited about washing clothes especially when you have all these other vendors with soundstages, and free giveaways. Moreover, Tide was across from the My Black Is Beautiful Booth that had free makeovers, massages, manicures, etc. But once again, I learned to never judge a book by its cover. Tide had a fashion and block party all day long. People got on their catwalk and strutted their stuff, Danced to their favorite Michael Jackson Song(s), and Tide entertained the crowd as DJ Beverly Bond, Idris Elba, Lamman Rucker, and other celebrities stopped by.

Ford Lincoln teamed up with Sirius Radio and that was a great move for Ford. The two companies used this Booth Merger to help promote Ford’s sync feature that includes Sirius Satellite Radio. Ford also used its vehicles to shuttle celebrities back and forth between their Hotel and their Soundstage. Maybe T.I. will buy a Ford/Lincoln? In any case, we test drove the MKS and I was impressed. The Automobile Company has come a long way, and being granted access to T.I., Melanie Fiona, Mary J Blige, Keri Hilson, and others was cool. Although, none would interview.

My biggest highlight from the events at the Convention Center was with Soap Opera Diva, Victoria Rowell. VR, got up on stage a broke out in a rap. WHO KNEW? She is no longer going by Victoria Rowell Soap Opera Diva, but Vicki R. Victoria Rowell’s rap was pretty cool to. The DJ actually had a hip hop version of the Young and The Restless playing, and suddenly, someone came up on stage and started to Beat Box. WOW!

The Superdome produced many highs. Nothing can be higher than Janet Jackson. Janet gave a performance of a lifetime. She is queen where Michael is King. Janet had us singing, dancing, and in the case of one brotha’ standing in front of me, slamming our chairs (because he obviously wanted to be the lucky guy in bondage as Janet Jackson grinded on him). Janet cleverly sang all of her hits in mini compilations. Thus, no matter your favorite Janet Song, she sang it. Janet had many outfit changes that did take a little long at times, but when she returned, automatically everyone’s jaw just dropped. When she came out with her S&M set and wore this nude body suit. OMG! Other performances we enjoyed were Charlie Wilson, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Trey Songz, Jill Scott, Arrested Development, De La Soul, and Mary J Blige. I had never seen Mary in concert and I went in it with my doubts. I don’t like artists that just sing, and don’t move and I never thought of Mary as being a dancer. Now don’t get me wrong, Mary still can’t dance, but she just come with that New York swagger. When Mary starts throwing her hand up in the air and waving it with that New York State of Mind, instantly you get hype. That Bronx runs deep in her blood. No doubt the biggest highlight of the weekend was kicking it with Terry and Rebecca Crews. The couple are obviously so in love. So much so that they practically glow. More than that, the two are warm, inviting, and really funny. Kudos!

How Low Can You GO!

Mary J Blige was a high, but unfortunately she also was a low. Let me say, that for real Mary, it may not be your fault, but you are a reflection of your people. Thus, it ultimately falls back on you. Okay, so Mary J Blige made an appearance at the Carol’s Daughter Booth. We all know Mary has her new fragrance My Life about to drop real soon. So the marketing minds thought it would be good for Mary to make an appearance and do pre-sales of the perfume. Scores of fans lined up and purchased the perfume to see Mary. Now I’m sure most people stood in that long a$$ line just because they like the fragrance sooo much (yeah right). They did it so see Mary (who was on the 2nd floor of the booth at least 15 feet in the sky so no one could see her unless you bought the fragrance and walked up the stairs. The pr staff said they canceled interviews with the media. Okay, fine, what else is new; but when they told our photographer that no one could go up with cameras, not even the fans. Hold up! NOT EVEN THE FANS!?!? So, after standing in the ungodly long line, fans can’t take a picture with the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. Isn’t that why they are even in line to begin with? That scored a season low for me.

Mary J Blige however was not the lowest. Ginuwine, when do you get over your self? Let’s see, Estelle, De La Soul, Chrisette Michelle, even the Underdogs performed in the super lounges at the Essence Music Festival. You performed at the McDonalds Booth. How do you even think you can play Hollywood? Saddest part about it is that, we didn’t even want to interview you. We were getting b-roll of the McDonald’s Booth, and your people want to jump up and try and block our cameras as you take pictures with the McCafe volunteers. You should be ashamed.

“Mr. Security Man. There something wrong with that line. When we asked Jada a question, you didn’t have to pull her at that time” (singing in my new edition cadence). Jada Pinkett Smith gave a great session during the seminar, and that was really a high. I even thought it was gonna’ get higher when I yelled to her, “Jada lets talk about the Wil and Jada Family Foundation”, and she looked. For 10 seconds, Jada was stuck. She wanted to come over and answer and talk to us about Hawthorne, The Foundation, Baltimore (us being from D.C. #DMV), and more. However, wouldn’t you have it some less than brown (translation white) security guard grabs her and says she has to go. UGGH! I was waiting for Jada to get Matrix on him and slide on over to us. Dammit!

The Press Room in all was great. Essence was accommodating, and we even had a spot on TV Row. So I was really pleased. I do have two lows though. Sorry, got to keep it real. Pretzels and Celery…Really Playa. Really? I’m not asking for a four course meal. But we can do better than pretzels and broccoli can’t we? I had to go up to the McDonalds’ Super Lounge (no Ginuwine wasn’t there) to get some better food than that. Next, then there was Tyler Perry in the Press Room. TP, I know you were heading to the bathroom and took a wrong turn like the movie, and ended up in the Pressroom. But, if you’re going to stop and interview with two TV crews, and even say that you have to stop and interview with Channel 11 News, wouldn’t it be cool to give two questions to the only TV crew you didn’t interview with. #ImJustSayin, there is three TV crews on TV row, and you interview with two of them.

Uh Okay, It’s Cool, but I am not impressed

There is Great, Bad, and then the kitchen sink (that’s everyone else in the middle). I Love Keri Hilson. I think she is a good artist. She has some sexiness, and lately she has been flashing her boobs/cleavage at us (see Million Dollar Girl Video with Trina). Unfortunately, she just hadn’t made it over the hump. She made it to the Main Stage which is huge, but something is missing. By my account, El DeBarge came on stage to save her. The Older crowd has yet to know who she is, and the younger crowd is still stuck in Beyonce mode. I think Keri would have done herself better justice by having dancers with her for more than just the one song. “Keri you gotta sweat girl.” Get Dirty South Funky! Also on the so so tip was Alicia Keys. I know Alicia is preggers, and so I didn’t expect her to do the Running Man, but she hopped on that piano to the surprise of Prince and the rest of us, and I at least expected that in the 1st 5 songs, she would sing her hits. It was like songs I never heard of. The 1st song was not familiar, the 2nd song Fallen (okay, I’m good there), the 3rd, 4th, 5th, what songs are these? The Essence Music Festival is not the place to try and promote your new album. We are here to sing to the hits!

Congratulations! You just one the Best of the Lowest

The New Orleans Taxi Service had to be the lowest part of the Essence Music Festival. Two of the three nights, I had to walk to my hotel with all of my equipment. Now, I spoke to one cabby, and he explained that the Essence Music Festival is not a huge money maker for them, and that most taxi services, or cabbies rather not work. As it was explained to me, people don’t want to pay the proper fair, argue with the cabs, and just give the taxi drivers a hard time. So I don’t know if the low should go to the taxi drivers or the patrons attending the Festival. Here is what I do know; most of the cab drivers were foreigners. So I can imagine them getting a hard time. Black people…it’s time to stop being so ignorant. Moreover, don’t you just out grow certain ish? Let the taxi drivers make their money. If you look on the windows of the cab, it clearly marked all the different pricing from Hotel to Airport, special events, meter rate, etc. If you gonna’ be cheap, then take a gypsy cab (like I did from the airport. $15.00 bucks suckas! Thanks Steve). Secondly, taxi drivers stop assuming because it’s a predominately African American Event that there is going to be drama. Money is green, and has no race or ethnicity, however, if we are going to spend our money with you, we expect some respect. Nonetheless, New Orleans Taxi Service(s), YOU #FAIL!

Touch My Shaft, Soul Sista’

Talk about transformation! We mentioned that Jill Scott’s performance was definitely a highlight at Essence Music Festival 2010, but it wasn’t until we saw these two shots of Ms. Scott (and I am calling her Ms. Scott because ‘Ima’ ‘bout to get Nasty), that got my attention (not to mention Jill’s performance on stage where she brought some guy on the stage for a lil’ tease session). As Jill told one reporter backstage, “We were freakin’…this is Essence, and that’s what Grown Folks do…” referring to her and the dude on stage. Well come over here and freak me too. Oscar Award winner Monique would be proud Ms. Scott. Jill came into the Belvy Lounge very modest with her shades rocking the short hairdo. She had that very motherly, somewhat reserved, comfortable demeanor, but when she hit the stage, she arrived in a form fitting leather outfit with the teased up for ‘afro that had all the mens’ fists (and other parts) risen up in the air. Granted, only Elan Extreme and a few others were privy to seeing the transformation (until we placed these pictures in this blog), and maybe that is partly why I am so excited. Jill Scott with that soft, innocent manner, warm smile, and shy laugh off stage gave us her “I AM WOMAN; HEAR ME ROAR!” performance on stage. ”Oooh and I Like It” (to quote El DeBarge who also performed at the Essence Music Festival). If it weren’t for me being the ultimate professional and for the big a$$ bodyguards with tasers and Billy clubs, I may have had to take Ms. Scott right there in the Press Room and become TMZ famous, lol, Just Kiddin’, maybe. Either way, Jill Scott you definitely received @Elanextreme ‘s “You Can Get It” for Essence Music Festival 2010.

How Do I End This Recap?

I could have ended this recap with my new love and affection for Jill Scott, but I felt I should do it with a summary and some thank you’s (I know just like the Black Man to give shout outs).

Essence Music Festival 2010 was a great time. We asked many Celebs to describe the word Essence and what comes to mind. Everyone’s answer was great and refreshing to hear. It made me think about how no matter how often I have felt that Black Unity is diminishing; there are some things that will forever unite us. The word Essence is one of them. I heard Beauty, Class, Black, Sisterhood, Black Women, Grace, and Timeless. Yeah! That is Essence. I even heard the magazine in the bathroom. Heck, that’s Essence too. For the last 16 years, The Essence Music Festival has successfully done one thing (if nothing else). It has become a reason for Family, Friends, and Black People to reunite and reconnect. Celebrities become fans, fans become friends, and friends become family. That’s Essence!

To see or purchase images from The Essence Music Festival 2010, logon to www.redcarpetimages.com