Watch Questlove's Billboard Music Awards tribute to Prince

Prior to Madonna and Stevie Wonder's stunning homage to the late Prince at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, The Roots' Questlove took the stage to read a tribute to the iconic legend at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.

"All of us live in the land of music, and his departure from it was an earthquake," he said. "But we can follow the trails he blazed and his example. We can be fierce, uncompromising, experimental, and we can also listen to all the songs he left for us. He was very generous in that regard.

Watch Questlove's homage - including his squeaky attempt at a Prince yelp - below.

Earlier in the evening, The Weeknd paid homage to Prince while accepting the Top Hot 100 Artist award. "[During] his last TV appearance, he gave me an award," the Weeknd recalled of 2015's American Music Awards. "That was the greatest experience of my entire life. I didn't know him but he was close to me. He will always be an inspiration and help me push the envelope forever."

PHOTOS: Madonna and Prince pay tribute to Prince