The ultimate kings of R&B went head to head during Thursday night’s Keith Sweat vs. Brown Verzuz as part of ESSENCE Festival of Culture. But not only was it a friendly battle, it was also a family affair.
Bobby Brown had support from his wife, Alicia Etheredge-Brown and son Cassius as he took the stage. She coordinated with Bobby for his first outfit of the night (the silver beaded ensemble) and was seen singing and dancing along to her husband’s hits in the audience.
But no moment proved to be sweeter than when Cassius broke out his best dance moves, like his father, to jam out to Bobby’s classic “On Our Own.” For that moment, he took the spotlight in the center of the dance floor as the legends hyped him up on stage (see below at the 2:25 mark).
Cassius is his first child with Alicia, who has been his manager for years. The couple, married in 2012, also have two daughters in Bodhi and Hendrix. He also has eldest son Landon, daughter La’Princia, Bobby Brown Jr. and Bobbi Kristina.
The good vibes of the night and genuine fun Bobby was having as he and Keith’s music was celebrated was something fans were happy to see. As many noted in the ESSENCE Live and Verzuz comment section, he’s been through a lot. It’s been an especially rough time over the last 10 years with the losses of his parents within a year of each other, Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina, and his son, his namesake, last November. And yet, there he was on stage dancing and singing (including to some of Keith’s songs) with encouragement from his family. No matter whose songs you were partial to, he certainly started and ended the night a winner.