The Hottest Cars and Parties Belonged To Lincoln At Essence Music Festival

By admin
Jul 08, 2009
2:01 pm

The 2009 Essence Music Festival was, in a word … dope. From the mesmerizing performances of today’s biggest stars, to the overall sense of community shared by all who attended, the annual celebration offered a little something for everyone to enjoy. One of the biggest surprises came however from the auto manufacturer Ford, as they replaced General Motors as the events major auto sponsor. Everywhere you turned, Ford vehicles — from the Navigator to the Expedition — were leading regal processions and shuttling VIPs from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to the Louisiana Superdome, and all points in between.

When they weren’t providing an impressive car show in the streets of New Orleans, the automaker was taking ownership of the festival’s evening events as well. The Lincoln brand in particular would throw what can only be classified as the hottest party of the Essence weekend — hands down. The Contemporary Arts Center was the place to be on Independence Day night for the Lincoln After Dark party which was hosted by comedian Steve Harvey.

Let me set the scene for you.

As I approached the venue, supermodel-turned-actress Eva Marcille was standing on the red carpet flashing a captivating smile to a gallery of photographers. Once she saw me, she said, “I didn’t know you were partying tonight.”

“Oh you know it,” I responded. “Everyone’s been talking about this party all weekend.” Once inside, I took in the sight of a room full of Lincolns, which ranged from the Navigator to the MKT to the Mark LT — all of which added an increased sense of prestige to an already impressive decor. On the stage, directly in front of me was Grammy-nominated singer Brian McKnight who set the mood with a rousing performance of his hit song, “Back At One.” The beautiful women in attendance raised their glasses and swayed in a show of appreciation for McKnight’s velvety vocals.

After ending his set, the singer acquiesced to the crowd’s pleas for an encore by delivering a stirring rendition of “Never Felt This Way.” After McKnight took his final bow and exited the stage, DJ Shogun pumped up the volume, scratched his turntables, and get the crowd invested in the party with Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It on the Alcohol.” But he wasn’t alone.

Fellow DJ, actor and partner-in-crime Idris Elba came to the stage and joined Shogun as the pair hosted for the rest of the evening, masterfully weaving between today’s hits to old jams which culminated with a memorable MJ tribute.

“Ok Lincoln, we’ve seen the cars and they look great … I think we can all agree on that,” Elba said, “But now it’s time to turn down the lights and get the party started.”

They did, and we did. This was by far the best party of the 2009 Essence Music Festival weekend.