Spike Lee Did The Right Thing With Prince Block Party

Last night, Fort Greene partied like it was 1999, but under the most 2016 of circumstances.

Thursday afternoon, Spike Lee sent out word via his Instagram that he was going to host a block party at his studio, 40 Acres And A Mule (75 S. Elliot Place, just off Fulton) in honor of the pop icon Prince– born Prince Rogers Nelson– and within mere hours, thousands had gathered.

“This is really different from David Bowie, that was much more somber but that was a day later,” said Gaby Wilson, currently a correspondent at MTV News and formerly a resident of Park Slope.

The purple-bedecked Lee led the festivities from the stoop of his studio, with a dj playing by the garage. Mourners, packed shoulder to shoulder between Fulton and DeKalb, sang along and rhythmically waved their phone flashlights the way fans would have waved lighters during Prince’s heyday. The night ended with “Purple Rain” on repeat.

Corner Media’s Tina Paul captured this video of mourners singing along with “When Doves Cry.”

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Sean, a consultant living in “one of those big, new buildings” in Fort Greene, had come to pay his respects and see the party.

He expressed sorrow that “people can’t seem to have a random block party just for a warm day.”