Brow Beat

Inside Spike Lee and Questlove’s Emotional New York Tributes to Prince

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In the wake of Prince’s untimely passing, New Yorkers mourned through celebration of his music and life. 

Following a public invite on Twitter, crowds gathered outside Spike Lee’s production company headquarters in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn.

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Spike Lee hosted the gathering from a stoop, in Prince-approved colors.

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VH1 host Sway, until recently of MTV News, made his way through the crowd. 

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Spike Lee was emotional, asking the crowd to raise their phones in honor of Prince as his crew played the final song of the night, “Purple Rain.” 

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The entire street, lined with fans, obliged.

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At Spike Lee’s request, the New York Police Department extended the block party, allowing “Purple Rain” to play again one last time.

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It was a cool, clear night, but there is never a wrong time for a Prince umbrella.

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As the encore of “Purple Rain” reached its climax, many in the street were visibly weeping.
 

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A fan held her chest during the song’s final moments.

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A fan looked on before the crowd dispersed.  

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As midnight approached, Questlove began a Prince tribute DJ set across town at Brooklyn Bowl.  

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Revelers danced to Prince’s music under giant monitors playing Finding Nemo, a reference to a famous story Questlove told about Prince.

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As the crowd settled in, the music—and the dancing—were decidedly ‘80s.  

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The dancing, of course, went very late.

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Read more from Slate on Prince.

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