Janelle Monáe and Anthony Anderson Shimmy Their Bare Butt Cheeks in Honor of Prince at 2016 BET Awards

The host and songstress paid homage to the late legend with his iconic pair of cut-out pants

By Samantha Schnurr Jun 27, 2016 12:20 PMTags
Anthony Anderson, Janelle Monae, Butts, BET AwardsKevin Winter/BET/Getty Images for BET, Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

Viewers certainly got a fleshy eyeful in honor of Prince

When BET promised an adequate tribute (albeit with a side of shade) to the late legend at this year's awards, fans could have never expected the star-studded lineup of performances scheduled for Sunday night.

Between Maxwell's soulful rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U," Jennifer Hudson's tear-worthy "Purple Rain," and Sheila E.'s roof-raising finale among several more acts, there were memories of Prince fit for every kind of fan. 

For longtime followers of the star, Janelle Monáe managed to squeeze in a not-so-subtle flash of skin on national television. 25 years ago, Prince graced the 1991 MTV Video Awards in a pair of yellow pants with cutouts highlighting his bare bum. The songstress channeled the look during her energetic homage to the "Kiss" singer, turning with her back to the audience and shimmying her derrière in a white lace ruffled suit during the final moments of her "Kiss" segment. 

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Just when the audience thought the nudity had ended, host Anthony Anderson stepped out on the stage to perform his next bit, also donning a similar white ruffled suit with—you guessed it—cheek cut-outs and he wasn't shy about showing them off. 

Just like Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie," the Blackish star swiveled his hips for the world to see. However, to be fair, he did warn us. 

"I just want to tell you people right now, I may have my ass out on the show," he told E! News just days before the annual ceremony. Co-host and co-star Tracee Ellis Ross had her pal's best intentions in mind as they prepped for the big night. 

"Anthony mentioned that he might do this and I was like well, we can't have you with ashy or dry butt cheeks, so I was like I'm going to research what is the most appropriate way to make sure you are hydrated," she said. "You want to keep it, you know, spicy and fresh."

It certainly added some spice to an already eventful evening. 

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