Hip-Hop & Rnb Daily

Monday, 27 August 2012

12 Unforgettable Moments In VMA History: Live Snakes, Baby Bumps, Meat Dresses, Oh My!

Live snakes, 50 pounds of raw meat, and a pregnancy! No, I'm not talking about a class camping trip gone horribly awry. I'm talking about some of my all-time favorite moments in VMA history. The craziest, most over-the-top, most unexpected, only-on-MTV (because trust me, they'll let you do anything from hang yourself from the rafters of Radio City to make out with Madonna) moments. The VMAs are a night of more access to celebrities than a year's worth of gossip mags combined (except MUCH better music, and none of that who-wore-it-better stuff), where unforgettable live performances -- Eminem's army of bleached-blonde Marshall Mathers lookalikes storming Radio City at the 2000 VMAs -- and fleeting moments -- Beyonce's coy, joyous pat of her belly at the 2011 MTV VMAs -- instantly become the stuff of pop culture legend and lore.

Some of my all-time favorite VMA moments include Britney Spears' late arrival to home room -- which perfectly coincided with what would become the first of more than a decade's worth of VMA appearances -- during her 1999 VMA performance debut -- plus, well, a whole lot more Britney. Check out 12 of my favorite, most unforgettable moments in VMA history, vote for your favorite, and get ready for the VMAs by watching must-see moments from the 2011 VMAs.

1.) Madonna performs "Like A Virgin" at the first-ever VMAs in 1984: Neil Armstrong planted a flag in the ground to signify to the world that he'd landed on the moon. Madonna humped the stage at the first-ever VMAs in 1984 during her performance of "Like A Virgin" to signify to the world that she'd landed on the map. Decades later, the expectation of an appropriate level of inappropriateness during VMA performances still abides.

2.) Nirvana performs "Lithium" at the 1992 VMAs, chaos ensues: Back in the early '90s, when reality TV was basically just the nightly news and Snooki was just a 5-year-old figuring out how to perfect a pre-kindergarten hair poof, Nirvana gave one of their most unforgettable live performances (and perhaps the greatest rock performance in VMA history, despite an amp malfunction), Punking MTV execs by playing the first few lines of "Rape Me" (an anti-establishment hat tip), capped off by a perfect ending: Kurt Cobain smashing the band's instruments, Krist Novoselic accidentally smashing his face with a bass, and Dave Grohl bating Axl Rose, who'd allegedly challenged Kurt to a fight backstage before the show. The fun didn't stop there, though. Nirvana also sent a Michael Jackson impersonator to the stage to accept their Best Alternative Video VMA for "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

3.) Michael Jackson performs a 15-minute medley of hits at the 1995 VMAs: As the king of pop and the unofficial but undisputed king of MTV (sorry, Carson), Michael Jackson enjoyed an eminent and celebrated VMA career. In 1995, a year after he and then-wife Lisa Marie Presley shocked VMA viewers with their on-stage PDA (ahhhh, newlyweds), he opened the VMAs with a 15-minute medley of hits like "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" and "Black or White," backed by Slash on guitar, followed by Basically, the VMAs turned into a mini Michael Jackson concert. That same night, Michael and Janet Jackson shared the VMA stage when "Scream" picked up VMAs for Best Dance Video, Best Art Direction and Best Choreography.

4.) Courtney Love interrupts Madonna's interview the 1995 VMA Pre-Show: Oh, how I love a good, cold cat fight. Especially when it involves flying beauty products. And Madonna. And Courtney Love. No stranger to controversy (or to NGAF), Courtney Love crashed Madonna's interview with Kurt Loder at the VMA Pre-Show by throwing her compact onto the platform. A clearly annoyed Madonna, to her credit, stayed patient and detached until she eventually just shut. it. down. Oh, Courtney. There's a time and place for everything. And this wasn't it. Until it was.
+ WATCH COURTNEY LOVE INTERRUPTS MADONNA'S INTERVIEW AT THE 1995 VMAs.

5.) Fiona Apple wins Best New Artist at the 1997 VMAs, DNGAF: Fiona Apple won Best New Artist at the 1997 VMAs, and instead of thanking her label, management, and/or God, she used her time in front of the mic to remind viewers that "this world is bull****." Because it was the '90s! And no one was happy!

6.) Britney Spears makes her VMA debut with "Baby One More Time" at the 1999 VMAs: Although she was essentially their opening act, Britney Spears kicked off *NSYNC's "Tearin' Up My Heart" VMA performance (and essentially managed to upstage them) with her own "Baby One More Time." NSYNC fans may remember the guys' sleveelessness and white-boy dreads and their dancers' now-hilarious skin-tight mock turtlenecks and lamé pants, but Britney Stans and pop culture obsessives will never forget the moment Britney stepped onto the VMA stage for the very first time.

Check out more unforgettable moments in VMA history, and vote for your favorite after the jump.

7.) Eminem performs "The Real Slim Shady/The Way I Am" with an Eminem army at the 2000 VMAs: Before he took over Radio City Music Hall, Eminem took to the streets of New York, leading a posse of hundreds of Emimen clones dressed in his then-signature style -- highlighter yellow buzz cut, oversized white tees, baggy jeans -- into the 2000 VMAs for his performance of "The Real Slim Shady" and "The Way I Am." The result was a mesmerizing moiré of Marshal Mathers, and even when the real Slim Shady himself stood up, it was hard to correctly ID him. Eminem won the Best Male Video (in addition to Best Rap Video and Video Of The Year) that year for "The Real Slim Shady," and forebodingly, when he reached into his pocket to pull out his acceptance speech, he accidentally dumped out a handful of pills onto the stage. But after his legendary "The Real Slim Shady" performance -- perhaps one of best rap performances of the show's history -- Eminem dropped a classic zinger on stage by referring to the VMAs as "the one night where you can fit all these people I don't like into one room." Burn notice!

8.) Britney Spears performs "I'm A Slave 4 U" WITH A LIVE SNAKE at the 2001 VMAs: All it took to become an instant VMA legend and own one of the most unforgettable live performances in pop music was Britney Spears (in peak form), and a seven-foot albino python named Banana. Just say the words "Britney Spears" and "snake," and anyone who saw her iconic 2001 VMA performance (and surely you have if you're reading this) will immediately conjure the chill-inducing iconic image of Britney -- arrestingly sexy in a green bikini top and abs you could bounce a basketball off of -- fearlessly gyrating across the dangerously pyro-rigged stage, with a wild reptile draped over her shoulders like NBD.
+ WATCH BRITNEY SPEARS' "I'M A SLAVE 4 U" PERFORMANCE AT THE 2011 VMAs.

9.) Rihanna performs "Disturbia" atop a wooden volcano on wheels at the 2008 VMAs: Am I the only one who still goes hard for Rihanna's 2008 VMA performance of "Disturbia"? Staging a televised production of "scary" could easy veer off into campy "It's A Small World After All" territory (nothing's scarier than scary-gone-cheesy) but Rihanna nailed both suspenseful and sexy and managed to throw in nods to the White Stripes and steampunk. Why are we not still talking about that? I am.

10.) Janet Jackson performs a dance tribute in honor and memory of Michael Jackson at the 2009 VMAs: With Michael Jackson's untimely passing less than three months prior, the 2009 VMAs could not go on without a fitting tribute to the King of Pop. After a sobering eulogy by Madonna, Janet Jackson, along with some of the best dancers and dancers and choreographers in the game, let loose a mind-bending pop spectacle of theatrics, special effects, and superhuman dance. Through her post-modern performance of "Scream," in lockstep with the visual of her brother on the screen behind her -- she allowed Michael to live -- and dance -- again, before blowing a kiss to her brother above, leaving the astonished audience at Radio City -- and watching on TV -- transcended and gutted.

11.) Lady Gaga eschews couture in favor of a meat dress at the 2010 VMAs: The VMA invite

pretty much comes with a mandate to dress COMPLETELY NUTS. And apparently Lady Gaga misread "completely nuts" as "completely meat," because she wore 50 pounds of it to the VMAs. Ring a bell? Meat dress! You remember now, right?

12.) Beyonce reveals her baby bump at the 2011 VMAs: Ohey, remember when Beyonce let the ENTIRE WORLD in on a little secret? Here's a refresher: after NAILING her debut performance of "Love On Top" (when you're Beyonce, all you really need is a sparkly blazer, a leotard and that smile), Beyonce opened her jacket and patted her belly to reveal that an itty, bitty baby Blue Ivy was burgeoning inside of her. IN CASE YOU FORGOT. Oh, and then Twitter basically broke.

Snoop Dogg: Hip-Hop Can Finally Accept A Gay Rapper

MiO Adds Flavor To The Univision Radio's H2O Music Festival

Times are changing and veterans like Snoop Dogg are rolling with it. The West Coast native is confident that the hip-hop community is ready to embrace an openly gay rapper, something he admits would've been near impossible during his early years in the game.

In an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune via HipHopDx, Snoop shared his thoughts on homosexuality in hip-hop. "People are learning how to live and get along more, and accept people for who they are and not bash them or hurt them because they’re different," he said.

The Doggfather (now known as Snoop Lion, FYI) referenced Frank Ocean's recent and brave decision to open up about his sexuality, adding, "When I was growing up, you could never do that and announce that. There would be so much scrutiny and hate and negativity, and no one would step (forward) to support you because that’s what we were brainwashed and trained to know."

Rappers like T.I. and Jay-Z have expressed their support for Obama's pro stance on gay marriage, with T.I. telling Sway Calloway on a recent episode of "RapFix Live" that he saw no reason to fight the progression. "I think that if a matter doesn't affect your daily life, you shouldn't take a hard stand on it," he said. "If it's not something that directly affects you, if it doesn't affect you, what difference does it make to you what other people are doing with their lives?"

Friday, 24 August 2012

Katy Perry, John Mayer call it quits

Jason Merritt/Getty Images;Jason Redmond/Reuters

Katy Perry and John Mayer have split up after a few months of dating, according to reports.

The pair originally sparked rumours of their relationship when they were spotted around Los Angeles together in June, including at the Chateau Marmont and Soho House in West Hollywood.

“I don’t think either of them are trying for anything serious right now. She’s not talking like he’s ‘The One,’ ” one of Perry’s friends told People magazine back when the rumours began to swirl. Another source relayed to the magazine after the split that it was an amicable end and they’ll likely remain friends.

LL Cool J burglary suspect still in hospital after fight with star

A transient who allegedly broke into the home of LL Cool J is still in the hospital recovering from injuries he received during a fight with the star, L.A. prosecutors said.

Jonathan Kirby, 56, was charged with residential burglary with a person present, which in combination with his criminal history could result in significant prison time -- perhaps as much as 38 years in state prison.

He suffered a broken nose and jaw at the hands of the action star Wednesday morning. But law enforcement sources say detectives believe the actor acted in self-defense.

LL Cool J, who rose to fame with the hit song "Mama Said Knock You Out" and portrays a special agent on the CBS drama "NCIS Los Angeles," proved life imitates art and nabbed the alleged burglar inside his expansive Studio City house.

When Los Angeles police arrived at the Blairwood Drive home around 1 a.m. Wednesday, LL Cool J had detained the battered and bruised suspect. The man was later identified as Kirby, a transient with a lengthy arrest record for thefts, fights and drugs, officials said.

Kirby was arrested on suspicion of burglary and may face a battery charge.

LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith, told police he was upstairs in his home when he heard a noise coming from the kitchen area. When he went to investigate, a man came at him, leading to the fight, police said.

During what several sources described as a brawl, Kirby suffered a broken nose, jaw and ribs. The actor, who was not injured, later told authorities that he acted out of concern for his family.

A Texas native, Kirby has a record of thefts, disorderly conduct and other criminal activity across Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Court and prison records indicate Kirby was sentenced to five years in prison for burglary in the 1990s and three years in prison for petty theft in 2005. He also has another theft conviction for which he served jail time, records show. He was discharged from prison on Feb. 1.

Investigators suspect Kirby may be responsible for other break-ins in the Studio City area in recent weeks.

Thursday, 23 August 2012

Courageous Rihanna Went Public With Chris Brown Love Despite Huge Risks

Rihanna dared facing the wrath of fans, media and other critics to be bravely honest in her new Oprah interview. Chris Brown owes her a big thank you.

Rihanna -- you love, love, love Chris Brown. You said it and you have now demonstrated it in multiple ways. First of all, you made what had to be a wrenching decision to give Oprah an interview on Aug. 19, on her OWN network, knowing that she would ask you about your relationship with Chris Brown before and after the assault.

You knew that and you wanted to go ahead with it anyway. In fact, I believe you did this interview on purpose, specifically to reveal your truth about Chris Brown. You must have felt that it was time -- that you were ready to discuss Chris honestly. After all, you've been asked multiple, multiple times about your feelings toward him since the assault and until recently you've given just vague or angry answers. Only in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar did you admit that you had been "really, really in love" before the awful incident, but you didn't actually call Chris out by name.

Rihanna, you must have been sick of the secrecy surrounding your renewed relationship. You must have felt despite the rumored disapproval of your management team and the potential backlash from your fans, that you were carrying around a burden, that you were holding too many secrets inside. After all, secrets can eat away at a person and clearly you've had a multitude of secrets that you've had to keep inside your young self.

You're just 24 and we learned in your Oprah interview that not only did you have to cope with losing "my best friend" and "the love of my life" after the assault, but you also were damaged by growing up in a family where your father was abusive toward your mother.

No wonder you felt such a connection to Chris when you were a couple. He had a stepfather who violently abused his mother -- you two no doubt had bonded, among other things, over being able to talk about your traumatized childhoods.

It also explains why you admitted in your Oprah interview that you felt "protective" toward Chris after he assaulted you and that you were concerned that people would see him only as a "monster" when he really needed "help." They didn't know "the source" of his anger and problems, you said, like you did.

So Rihanna, you have protected Chris by alluding to his sad childhood, by telling the world that you've forgiven him and that you and he are "working on our friendship again. We're very close friends."

When you let the world know that you and Chris have "built a trust again," what you're really telling fans and other people is that they can also trust Chris again.

When you said that you are ready to move on and that you can love him again, you're also telling the world to move on and let Chris be at peace.

"I truly love him. The main thing for me is that he's at peace. I'm not at peace if he's a little unhappy or still lonely. I care. It actually matters that he finds peace," you told Oprah in your extraordinary TV interview.

Chris, Rihanna's confessions were truly astounding.

Rihanna, you outed yourself as a woman who is still deeply in love with Chris, a man who now has another girlfriend. How many women, who are not officially with a man, would ever confess to that except to their closest friends.

Rihanna, you admitted to the world that when you see Chris you basically have to pretend in front of other people that you don't care. "It's awkward. I still love him. My stomach drops. I have to maintain this poker face and not let it get to the other part of me," you explained.

You even acknowledged respectfully the fact that Chris is in another relationship, while you clearly aren't ready to be with anyone else -- sorry, Drake, but you aren't anywhere close to being in this picture.

Finally, Rihanna, you pretty much told your critics to butt out of the situation. You're tired of being seen as a victim, you realize that people will criticize you for forgiving Chris and they're entitled to feel that way, but since the assault happened to you, you're also entitled to make your own decisions about your relationship with Chris.

"It happened to me," you insisted. "And it happened to me in front of the world. No one could feel the hurt more than me."

Bow Wow's Twitter Account Hacked By Rapper, Demands $10,000

Hip-hop star Bow Wow has been targeted by an aspirant rapper who hacked into his account on Twitter.com, demanded $10,000, and ordered fans to download his music.

The mystery cyber-crook broke into the Like You hit-maker's page on the site on Tuesday and bombarded the star's 2.3 million followers with more than a dozen messages.

He ordered them to download his mix tape and insisted he would only stop the hack attack once he had reached a download limit and was given $10,000.

Bosses at Bow Wow's record label Universal Republic even contacted the hacker directly via Twitter's message system to try to stop the attack, but the mystery man vowed to continue on Wednesday.

In a series of tweets, he writes, "I got Bow Twitter on smash follow me... I'm the haaacker this n**ga got b**ches in his DMs (direct messages). Bow u want pg (your page) back I want 10k... All I want from Bow Wow is 10k and a follow and ill stop this."

He later added, "Man I'm getting dms (direct messages) from Universal. Look I'm sorry Bow Wow man ima (I'm a) fan I know you can read your timeline I just want to be heard can you help... People are either hating on me or just taking me for a joke. I want 10k and a follow Bow Wow please. This is my dream. I'll be back in the am."

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Rihanna, Evelyn Lozada, K.Michelle,; Domestic Violence and Celebrity Priority.

(ThyBlackMan.com) Last night marked the end of the first season of Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta. I’m sure many Black women, young and old, tuned in to watch the final episode of the ratchet fest whether they truly wanted to or not. The episode was promoted to be a big bombshell with K.Michelle once again expressing her pain and rage over being beaten by music industry insider and husband to Toya Carter; Memphitz.\

The timing of K.Michelle’s “final” words on the subject comes at a time where domestic abuse captures headlines and makes for ratings bumps. Oprah’s heart to heart with Bajan bombshell Rihanna Sunday night has had tongues wagging since news of the interview became public. Everyone knew Oprah would ask about “the incident” and unlike in other interviews it was highly likely Rihanna wasn’t going to be too quick to reveal her explosive temper; which she didn’t.

But K.Michelle and Rihanna are not alone in their struggles with overcoming domestic violence. New to the club no woman should ever be apart of is Basketball Wives’ reigning bad girl Evelyn Lozada. The fiery tempered Latina was inducted into the female society of shame after getting into an argument with her new husband Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. A head butt later and Ochocinco is minus endorsements, a spin off, and a wife while Evelyn Lozada must contend with the head butt and how to handle it in her personal and celeb-reality life.

These stories of abuse have raised comments far and wide as to what really happened in every scenario. No one will know what happened between Rihanna and Chris Brown Grammy Night 2009. But we saw her battered face. No one will know what happened between K.Michelle and Memphitz but we saw her all dolled up in a wedding dress with makeup recreating wounds from her abuser as she spoke through clenched teeth and tears about becoming her lover’s punching bag. No one will know what happened between Evelyn Lozada and Ocho but the released 911 call from a neighbor implies at the very least a dispute occurred.

The only people who will know what happened in these instances are the people involved. Yet speculation abounds over how the actions of these well known celebrities affects those inclined to live their life by the celebrity playbook. In an hour long interview the best soundbyte gotten from Rihanna after appearing on Oprah’s Next Chapter is she still loves Chris Brown. The clip has been played on every morning show, entertainment news show, cable news entertainment segment, and embedded in blogs and websites. It would seem as if Oprah asked one question, Rihanna gave one answer and the interview was over.

Similarly with K.Michelle, her story arc on Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta focused more on the abuse she endured from year’s ago then her struggle to break into the music industry as a viable R&B artist. The girl can sing. Her talent was showcased on the show but it was the opening act for the main event; constant pain and rage and defending the truth of what happened to her.

As for Evelyn Lozada, she’s made a career out of snatching wigs, throwing bottles and jumping off tables. Now the table’s are somewhat turned and she finds herself a victim of some of the same verbal and physical brutality she’s bestowed on others.

Each incident these women have gone through will now forever follow them and their careers. It is the infamy they will forever be associated no matter what they do in the future to leave their past behind.

We don’t think of Tina without Ike and “Eat the cake Anna-Mae.” We won’t think of Rihanna and not remember her hospital photograph. We won’t think of K.Michelle without hearing her ranting and raving about her painful past. We won’t think of Evelyn without maliciously thinking she finally got what she deserved? Yet while we’re all caught up in thinking about the abuses these celebrities endured we don’t think about the abuse not publicized.