Although the 2025 Oscars had it’s fair proportion of excessive moments, one of many lows was sadly the highly-anticipated Quincy Jones tribute led by Queen Latifah. And people on social media aren’t mincing phrases about it!
Allow us to first begin by saying that our beef with this tribute has much less to do with Queen herself than it does the truth that out of all of the notable and extra in style songs—they picked “Ease On Down the Highway” from “The Wiz” to honor Jones.
Like, critically?
Given the gargantuan of a determine that he’s and the numerous motion pictures Jones scored on and/or contributed musically to, the Academy choosing a music from a film we know 99.9% of white individuals weren’t acquainted and by no means watched felt like a deliberate miss. And certain, they might get factors for bringing the well-known rapper and actor again onstage to reprise a task she took on again in 2015. However that connection wasn’t sufficient to actually justify her presence there. And that’s no shade, simply details.
One other issue that made this tribute so lackluster was the truth that it was additionally restricted to at least one music that was lower than 5 minutes lengthy whereas the random AF James Bond tribute lasted a grand whole of eight minutes and a few change and featured not one, not two however three singers. For a well-known producer and composer who had primary information from the 60s-80s, Jones on the very least may have been given the identical quantity of performers.
What’s extra is that this “tribute” is the second since his demise again in November 2024 that failed to actually seize the magnitude of his musical and cinematic affect. Although the 2025 Grammys tribute hit some excessive notes with Will Smith’s touching phrases and Cynthia Erivo’s gorgeous efficiency of “Fly Me to the Moon,” Janelle Monae’s rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Cease Until You Get Sufficient” failed to stay the touchdown and left extra of a bitter style in individuals’s mouths than anticipated. How is it that enormous establishments just like the Recording Academy and the Academy of Movement Photos preserve dropping the ball and dropping it this badly?
And as if so as to add much more insult to damage, Jones was left off of the “In Memoriam” phase, presumably as a result of they had been taking the time to honor him individually. However for what we acquired, they actually would have been higher off simply placing his face in with the remainder of the late Hollywood of us. (And let’s not discuss how they left “Candyman’s” Tony Todd and not too long ago deceased Michelle Trachtenberg off if it too, however we digress.)
However even when, in spite of everything we simply instructed you, you suppose we’re being too onerous on the tribute—allow us to be the primary to inform you that we’re being a helluva lot extra gracious than the parents on social media.
“Quincy Jones might be the simplest layup for a tribute. idk how these award exhibits preserve f**king up,” wrote one consumer on X/Twitter.
“It’s unimaginable to correctly tribute Quincy Jones and I respect the hassle however omgggg one other miss. Please HAVE US @BETAwards. Name in each favor,” stated one other.
“Between the Grammys and the Oscars, we’d have to placed on a live performance to offer Quincy Jones the tribute he deserves,” one different consumer wrote.
Added one other, “The best way Quincy Jones been getting these fast tributes is making me mad. After all it’s onerous to attempt to cram his 70 12 months lengthy profession in a 5-8 minute tribute however rattling! The person actually touched each nook of the business, we’d like extra.”
“The period of time devoted to that 007 tribute may have gone to the Quincy Jones tribute,” one consumer famous.
Stated one other, “I really like Queen Latifah, However we may’ve had a greater vocalist pay tribute to King Quincy Jones.”
Please, for the love of all that’s Black and wonderful—BET Awards, please do proper by Q. It’s what he deserves.