-Karl-
Karl Lagerfeld was always very nice to me, which was not the case with some of the more hautyhaute-couture houses. We did a fashion shoot together for America magazine—which was a new“luxury urban” publication launched in the early 2000s, when the words “luxury” and “urban”
were not common neighbors. The magazine and Karl were willing to go to a newer, fresher visualplace with me. Karl produced and photographed the cover shoot. He captured me in both anintimate and a very glamorous1 light, giving you a little Marilyn-Monroe-by-Eve-Arnold vibe.
They are, to this day, some of my most cherished portraits. Karl also photographed my “V BelongTogether” V Magazine cover during the launch of The Emancipation3 of Mimi. The giant V logowas designed with the pattern from my Dior diamond bracelet4 — absolute perfection (LoveStephen Gan).
Once, Karl made me a very special couture dress for a big event. It was just beautiful—black satin with a deep V in the back. I wore it with my hair parted down the middle,slicked back (I very rarely wear it this way) and held with an ornament5. It was giving avery classic high-fashion look. Because the dress was made of silk satin, though, whichcan be reflective, it requires proper lighting7 (in my opinion, every situation really does). Ilooked heavier in most of the photos as I featured the details in the back. The flashes mademy ass6 look huge. Keep in mind, these were the days before ample booties—faux orauthentic—were accepted or celebrated8 in the mainstream9. Back then I wasn’t allowed tohave an ass.
The traditional press was very “Oh. My. God. Becky, look at her butt10!” It was beyondfrustrating. I was in this gorgeous dress, serving a classic couture look, and the press hadto criticize my butt and foil the moment. I wasn’t that far removed from the time when Icouldn’t afford actual food and so I had no curves to attack. Mercifully, my thenhairdresser Lou Obligini took the picture of me in the dress, sitting with my friend Rachel,and superimposed Marilyn Monroe on the other side of me, altering my original badfeelings about being photographed looking curvy—and illustrating11 how creativity andvision can change perceptions, people, and points of view. That little black dress had a bigimpact, as did Mr. Karl Lagerfeld himself, both one of a kind to me.
-Mandela-
When Oprah invites you to go to South Africa, you drop everything and go. (When Oprah invitesyou anywhere, you go, but this was super major.) It was something pretty extraordinary even forher—the opening of her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. It was a once-in-a-lifetimeprivilege to be among the few people she invited (including Tina Turner, Sidney Poitier, Mary J.
Blige, and Spike12 Lee), and then I was one of the even fewer people she selected to personallymeet the phenomenal transformational figure Nelson Mandela.
I was brought into a small, simple, elegant room where Mr. Mandela was sitting in alone gray wingback chair in one of his signature patterned shirts. He looked like a king.
He looked like a father. I was with him for just a moment, but what an incredible,powerful moment. I leaned down to hug him, and in that brief embrace I felt the energy ofancient ancestry13 and of the future, of struggles and sacrifice, of unshakable faith andvision—of revolutionary love. Mr. Mandela smiled at me, and in an instant I felt my veryconstitution change.
-Ali-
Muhammad Ali was turning sixty years old, and a CBS television special was being produced incelebration of his triumphant14 life. It was 2002, right after Will Smith portrayed15 him in the film Ali.
I was asked to close the show with the “Happy Birthday” song. I had admired Mr. Ali immenselysince childhood. He was one of the few people my entire disjoined family came together on. If hewas on TV, we would all gather around; all of us agreed Muhammad Ali was undeniably theGreatest. He was a big presence to me, like Michael-Jackson-status big.
Inspired by the Marilyn moment when she famously sang to President Kennedy, I dida little rearrangement of the classic and sang soft and breathy at the top: “Happy birthdayto you / Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday to the Greatest”—after which I movedinto a big, vocal16 gospel- choir- type rendition. Of course I was honored to have theopportunity. However, I did not realize my singing to an icon17, inspired by another icon,might have been a bit improper18. You see, I was dressed in a simple icy-pink-silk short slipdress, and I did a few kitschy winks19 and shimmies during my performance. I was thinking,of course, Everyone is in on the reference. What I didn’t take into consideration was thatMr. Ali was Muslim, as were his wife and daughters. I also didn’t know, at the time, thatMuslim women dress and act modestly.
Mr. Ali and his wife were seated in special chairs at the foot of the stage. As part ofthe performance, I was to walk down the stairs and sing right in front of him. I must haveappeared to literally20 be in my underwear to him and his wife. The camera was cutting tohim so the audience could see how animated21 he was, seemingly trying to get out of hischair with excitement—which at that stage in the progression of his Parkinson’s syndromewas not an easy task, but which also caused a delighted reaction from the audience (well,most of them). Thank God, during the performance I didn’t know I was beinginappropriate to his family; none of the producers brought this small but significantreligious-respect issue to my attention. You know, they could’ve just said, “Maybe tonedown the cute kitten moves and bring the hem22 down a little—perhaps some sleeves wouldbe nice?” I didn’t know. I truly hope the family forgave my youthful ignorance andinexperience.
Legends and heavy hitters like Angela Bassett and Diahann Carroll were there. At theend of my song, Will Smith was to stand on his other side, and he and I would help Mr.
Ali walk up to the stage for a finale. All the presenters23 and performers were gathered, andthere was a huge confetti drop, and I was on the arm of one of my absolute heroes. In allthe festive24 mayhem, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You’re dangerous.” Mindyou, he wasn’t talking very much at that point, but I heard him loud and clear. We bothhad a private laugh about it.
The man—the people’s champion, who knocked out some of the toughest men in theworld and knocked down some of the toughest racial barriers—used his precious breath tojoke with me that I was dangerous. After that experience, proclaiming a momentlegendary elevated it to a whole new weight class.
-Stevie-
“What color are the lights on the Christmas tree? What do they look like?” I overheard StevieWonder ask his brother as he led him through the MGM Grand. We were both there for theBillboard Music Awards. He had come to present me with the Artist of the Decade award. Of allthe musicians and all the music I’ve been inspired by, Stevie Wonder would have to be myfavorite. As a writer and composer he is a deep diver. He goes all the way to the floor of his souland brings back treasures so vivid, so full of emotion, they sonically shift your composition. Andas a singer, he delivers with complete honesty and heart. He is truly my diamond standard.
I have had the privilege to work with him a few times. Once, he even played me somenew material he was working on and asked my opinion. One of the greatest songwritersever casually25 let me listen to his work and was genuinely interested in my feedback—as amusician. A musical moment I will always treasure was an ad-lib he did on my song“Make It Look Good” on Me. I am Mariah?… The Elusive26 Chanteuse. Right at the verybeginning, he says or plays, “I love you, Mariah” through his harmonica! And then laughshis sweet, brilliant, healing laugh, and then the song begins. It was like a little blessingbefore the meal. He played his distinctive27 harmonica throughout the whole thing, as onlyStevie Wonder can.
I often think about that moment when he asked about the Christmas lights on the tree.
This man who has brought so much pure joy to people all around the globe, spanninggenerations, through the power of his incredible musical contribution—a man who has litup the world with his presence and his songs, a man who has done so much for humanity—was asking to have a twinkle described to him. In that moment, “Mr. Wonder-full”
showed me how not to take the simple things for granted and confirmed a Christmas treecan bring happiness, seen and unseen, as long as it is made from love.
When I received the Billboard’s Artist of the Decade award, I declared, “Now I can bewho I really am,” because I had just finished the Rainbow album and was on my road toemancipation. Receiving that recognition was a huge accomplishment28, yet what I receivedfrom Stevie Wonder transcends29 statues, accolades30, and all decades.
-Prince-
Prince gave me a Bible, bound in deep-brown leather, with gold embossed letters. I still have thatholy book, sent to me from a brilliant being, a brother angel, who came to my aid in difficult timesmore than once. Prince defended me as an artist. Around the time of Butterfly, a couple of labelexecutives who shall remain nameless (because I don’t really know them) were questioning mymusical direction in conversation with him. By that time he had reached guru status as a musician(which didn’t stop labels from trying to screw him as a recording31 artist—when it comes to moneyand power, nothing and no one is sacred, not even music royalty).
They asked him: “Why is she trying to be so urban?” and “What is she doing?”
“I think that’s just her shit. That’s what she really likes,” was his transcendent answer.
Exactly right!
It’s just her shit. Namaste, suckahs.
When I first met Prince, he told me he loved “Honey.” Oh! My! God!
Prince knows my song! I shouted in my head. I was over the moon—the maestro ofmodern music knew my song! We went on to talk about songwriting and the treachery of“the industry” in subsequent casual meetings at parties or a club (Prince was notorious forrandomly, mystically appearing at a nightclub); he was always very giving of his timewith me.
One night he, JD, and I stayed up all night talking about the State of the Industry andhow, as new leaders, we could gain more independence, agency, and ownership over ourwork. Then, one day, I got the invitation to Paisley Park. I had frequently fantasized aboutwriting with him, like Wendy and Lisa, or Sheila E.—all incredible, undercelebratedmusicians. (I really, really wanted to write and record a “Purple Rain”-esque ballad32 duet. Imean, who didn’t, but I know it would’ve been pretty perfect.) I remember when I arrivedat the Paisley Park compound, from the outside it looked like an unremarkable series ofbig white structures, almost like a big car dealership33. But then I went inside and saw themagnificent purple motorcycle from Purple Rain. I knew I had entered a whole ’nothaworld.
I brought Prince sketches34 of a song I had been playing around with. My process withwriting partners is to come in with some concepts—lyrical or melodic35 sketches—then goback and forth36 with ideas. We did a lot of talking. I think it was a bit of a test; you see,Prince was a real writer and composer—a lot of people claim they are, but we know. Ithink he wanted to see where my head and my writing chops were. I was already thinkingabout songs for Silk (the girl band I had in Glitter, who I loosely modeled after Vanity 6).
I talked to him about how I wanted to use “Nasty Girl,” the song he wrote for Vanity 6, asa sample for a film I was working on (similarly to the way ended I up using “I Didn’tMean to Turn You On”). Prince challenged me.
“That’s Vanity’s song,” he said.
He asked me why I couldn’t be “inspired” by it, as Puff37 and Biggie were with “Younasty, boy / You nasty.” I let him know rather than just the catchy38 words, I loved thestructure and the beat of the song—the feeling. Prince wasn’t at all being shady; he wasbeing protective. He was being instructive. He told me to finish the song I had begun, andwe would work on another new one. I never finished the song, and we never made oursong together. I really wish we had (remaking “The Beautiful Ones” would be the closest Iwould get). Protect your ideas, protect your music, was the message I got from that trip toPaisley Park.
When the Glitter debacle was in full swing, Prince reached out to me. He called meoften, and what he said to me then I always will cherish inside. He was deeply private, andI will keep the details to myself. But I will say his wise words soothed39 me. He gave meencouragement, like the big brother I never had. I listened to Prince’s music nearly daily(and to this day—Roc and Roe2 can identify all his G-rated songs!). I don’t know if hecould ever know what his connecting with me in that storm meant to me. It gave me hopein a desolate40 time.
Prince had his own singular and wondrous41 relationship with God. He composed hisown concept of spirituality and sexuality, and it was as special and unique as he was. Butin the end, when my soul was in need, Prince sent me the sacred scriptures42, the belovedbooks, the Word of God bound together. Prince helped save me on a soul level, when Ineeded it the most, and through his music he continues to save the day, every day.
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glamorous
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| adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的 | |
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roe
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| n.鱼卵；獐鹿 | |
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emancipation
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| n.（从束缚、支配下）解放 | |
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bracelet
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| n.手镯，臂镯 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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mainstream
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| n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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illustrating
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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spike
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| n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效 | |
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ancestry
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| n.祖先，家世 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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portrayed
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| v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画 | |
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vocal
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| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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icon
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| n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像 | |
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improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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winks
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| v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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hem
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| n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制 | |
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presenters
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| n.节目主持人，演播员( presenter的名词复数 ) | |
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festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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elusive
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| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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transcends
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的第三人称单数 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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accolades
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| n.（连结几行谱表的）连谱号( accolade的名词复数 )；嘉奖；（窗、门上方的）桃尖拱形线脚；册封爵士的仪式（用剑面在肩上轻拍一下） | |
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recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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ballad
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| n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲 | |
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dealership
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| n.商品特许经销处 | |
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sketches
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| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
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melodic
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| adj.有旋律的，调子美妙的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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catchy
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| adj.易记住的，诡诈的，易使人上当的 | |
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soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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scriptures
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| 经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典 | |
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