80s R&B Superstars Reaction King Holiday (WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD THIS?!?) | Empress Reacts

[@texvor6949]

You were lit up with all the faces you recognized in the video, Empress. Great reaction.

[@EmpressReacts]

😊 thank you

[@804reezy]

I remember this song and video.Rap was fairly new and most didnt like rap music( the elders).lol...WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.80s Baby✌🏾

[@texvor6949]

The list of artists in the video are El DeBarge Whitney Houston Stacy Lattisaw Lisa Lisa Full Force Teena Marie Menudo with , Ricky Martin Stephanie Mills New Edition James "J.T." Taylor Kurtis Blow The Fat Boys Grandmaster Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Run-D.M.C. Whodini

[@thatone7902]

The way you lit up when you saw Whitney was priceless! Like a child on Christmas morning...I love it!!! Great reaction!

[@EmpressReacts]

🤩

[@TheRealKymiPoo]

🧡🔥🔥 Not too surprised that you were able to recognize so many. The guy that you thought was Kurtis Blow is Jalil from Whodini. Gandmaster Melle Mel was on the tip of your tongue. 😀 The Latino guys were Menudo, the 2nd one they showed was little Ricky Martin. I think you got everybody else right. TFS!

[@EmpressReacts]

Oh wow! Little Ricky 😂

[@TheRealKymiPoo]

@@EmpressReacts 🤣🤣

[@beelowg]

Bring’s back so many memories. Whitney looks like an angel in the video. ❤

[@EmpressReacts]

💯💯💯🔥

[@darrellthomas884]

I kinda remember Dexter king wanted folks under 30 pretty much on the record, and some of them were still new to most of the country.

[@EmpressReacts]

Understandable he wanted the record to be cool

[@texvor6949]

Probably because this record didn't have big stars in it that appealed to the majority. Most of the stars in this were big in black america and latino communities. Also having MJ and Stevie Wonder with a major cause that everyone was into in the states and internationally also helps which is why We Are The World is remembered. Technically they both black records as MJ quincy jones and stevie wonder produced and organized and wrote the song and record. Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Melle Mel, and Dexter Scott King produced the record and wrote the song. Dexter Scott King the man at the beginning of the video, organized the whole thing as a tribute to his father.Unfortunatly he passed away last year.

[@JamesJohnson-mw6zq]

This is why I enjoy your reaction videos. I can see and hear you react the same way I did to these timeless songs. This is definitely a Classic but it didn’t get the mainstream push it deserved. ✌🏾

[@EmpressReacts]

I appreciate that

[@alvinyoungblood408]

There are several people from this video who have passed away. They are; Buffy aka The Human Beatbox, and Prince Markie D of the Fat Boys, Ecstasy of Whodini, Jam Master J of RUN DMC, Teena Marie, and Whitney Houston. Also, this project was financed by Prince. Rest In Peace to these legends. Another video to check out that is similar to this one is "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by Terri Lynn Carrington, Melba Moore and various legendary R&B artists. You will definitely like this one.

[@EmpressReacts]

Dang 😭so cool of Prince tho

[@IceManLikeGervin]

Much respect for this reaction!!! I didn't get this notification 😥. King Holiday was released on January 13, 1986, by the King Dream Chorus And Holiday Crew. King Holiday was produced by Phillip Jones & Kurtis Blow. It was composed by Phillip Jones, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Melle Mel & Bill Adler. King Holiday was released in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day which was first celebrated as a national holiday in the United States on January 20, 1986. The single peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. The music video was shot at the Martin Luther King Jr Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta. All proceeds from the single were donated to the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Also, the project was spearheaded by Martin Luther King Jr's youngest son, Dexter Scott King, who is credited as the song's executive producer. When the project was having an issue raising funds Prince stepped up and paid for everything without any recognition as that was the way he wanted it. King Dream Chorus (Singers in order of appearance): New Edition (Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell, Ron DeVoe, Mike Bivins) Menudo (Charlie Masso, Roy Rossello, Robi Rosa, Ray Acevedo, Ricky Martin) Stacy Lattisaw Teena Marie El DeBarge Whitney Houston Full Force with Lisa Lisa James 'JT' Taylor (Kool & The Gang lead singer) Stephanie Mills Holiday Crew (Rappers in order of appearance): Whodini Kurtis Blow Grandmaster Melle Mel (from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5) The Fat Boys Run-DMC

[@EmpressReacts]

KZbin trippin! And thanks for the commentary

[@Jordanlopezmusic]

I remember this one!! Aloha from Hawaii

[@RBS_]

***RBS IS WORKING SO I CAN'T GIVE TRIVIA, BUT I'M ALSO IN SHOCK THAT I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THIS TRACK, WHICH I ONLY SAW ONCE....BUT, LAUGHED AT, THAT WHITNEY COULDN'T SHOW UP FOR....TRIVIA TIME!*** (3:56) ....ha-HAA!

[@EmpressReacts]

My girl said let me still send yall a lil clip

[@RBS_]

@@EmpressReacts ....😆😆😆😆....

[@darnell49]

Very rare to have so many rap, hip hop and r&b and pop artists on one track. Cool song and message not heard in today’s music.

[@EmpressReacts]

💯💯💯

[@wakeupstopsleeping6300]

The song was written by Philip Jones, Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel of grandmaster flash, Bill Adler I think they made cameo in the video with Kurtis blow. Kurtis Blow wanted do this project and get fellow aritist’s to participated. This recorded in 1986 three years after Martin Luther King Jr bill signed and passed White House in congress to make MLK birthday a holiday in 1983. Stevie Wonder had a major hand of pushing to getting that accomplished to recognized MLK had made his life to be sacrificed for civil rights. And there wasn’t enough money to get this done so Prince the man himself funded $90,000 to make this happen. Prince was always silent philanthropist giving to fellow musicians artists. Serious causes to Boys Choir of Harlem homelessness hunger…etc but yes I agreed it would been nice to see how this was orchestrated like we are the world. But I guess it wasn’t too much mainstream appeal like we are the world. But this was just as iconic and important to acknowledge Martin Luther King jr. Especially in 2025 more now than ever because now they want black history to be null void

[@youarehere4902]

I remember when this came out I had the tape god I'm old.

[@EmpressReacts]

😂

[@thepurpleladder]

The video was filmed at Paisley Park....Prince actually paid for this video... he didn't want the credit.

[@EmpressReacts]

Oh wow!

[@wakeupstopsleeping6300]

Oh yea I forgot to mention the song “Happy Birthday” that Stevie wonder recorded that made infamous his own version that we all had sing personally to even people we know. Well Stevie wanted reflect MLK birthday back in 1983 😁

[@EmpressReacts]

Oh wow!

[@daniellaplume3840]

❤

[@lAPPROVETHISMESSAGE]

Kurtis Blow, who produced the record, couldn't raise the money to make a music video. Prince gave Kurtis $90,000 to make it happen. There's a VladTV video with Kurtis talking about it. The song peaked at #30 on what was then called the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart.

[@EmpressReacts]

Oh wow‼️‼️‼️

[@user-dp9en7ir1y]

Was this before or after We Are the World? That would be crazy if this collaboration inspired USA For AFrica.

[@EmpressReacts]

After I believe. This came out 86 and we are the world 85 I believe

[@PrinceofPain-wv1lo]

Pure Rubbish

[@MightMouse2174]

🤡

[@imnojoke1945]

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