Jaleel White Recalls Prince Booting Him Out Of His Table At A Keyshia Cole Concert

BY Erika Marie 59.0K Views
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Jaleel White
The music icon had a waitress do his dirty work.

The name Jaleel White may not ring memories for a younger generation, but there are millions of people who tuned in every week once upon a time to watch him portray his iconic character of Steve Urkel. The world's favorite 1990s nerd became a cultural phenomenon during those Family Matters days, but now the child actor is a grown man with a family of his own.

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Jaleel recently sat down with Fox Soul for their series One on One with Keyshia Cole, and during their chat, Jaleel shared a few memories he had with his longtime friend. While complimenting Keyshia on her "street-savvy" and knowing how to read a person's character better than others, Jaleel recounted a story of when Prince "punked" him for his V.I.P. table at one of Keyshia's concerts.

"Keyshia performed at the House of Blues and I came to see her and I was a guest at her table," Jaleel said. "This was... House of Blues doesn't even exist no more, right? This was the second level, that was the V.I.P. level and it was dead center and you know the artist can see you. This woman came and tapped me on my shoulder and was just like, 'Um, yes, um, can I have a favor out of you, um, Prince would like your table."

Jaleel was confused because there was "plenty of space at our table" so the actor didn't know why he had to move. He asked where he would have to relocate to and it was the next table over just a foot away. When Jaleel asked if Prince could sit at that table, he was told Prince "has a preference for your table." Eventually, Jaleel decided to give up his seat and let the Purple Rain icon "punk" him out of his section because he didn't want to disrupt a potential opportunity for Keyshia.

It didn't go unnoticed because as soon as Jaleel saw her backstage she said, "Ay, Prince was up there? What he want?" Check out his full episode below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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