Thoughts on Jay-Z and Lil Mama (and of course Kanye) at the VMAs
- story Peter Macia
Thanks to the wondrous internet, those of us who didn’t watch the MTV VMAs live last night were able to catch up on its most ridiculous and embarrassing moments today, after doing a bunch of other stuff and getting some lunch and listening to some music and staring out the window for a while. Kanye ran up on whats-her-name, ruining her “moment,” but in all truth, he created a moment for her that will last much longer than any she could have created with her thank you speech. You’re welcome. But the coup de grace was former FADER feature subject and Harlem pocket rocket, Lil Mama, bumrushing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ closeout performance of “Empire State of Mind.” As you’ll see in the video, the performance was carefully scripted and scheduled to have Jay come out of his limo on the street an onto the stage just as his verse was set to begin. And he did. And he and Alicia did a nice rendition of the song, which has recently become the only thing people who own cars will play in said cars while driving through NY streets. New Yorkers are hyped on this shit—it’s kinda crazy. It’s even made some of us transplants reconsider our feelings about this city, and maybe that’s why that girl jumped on that stage. She’s probably listened to the song a hundred times and rapped and sang every word, daydreaming about being on that level. And then that level was, like, three feet away from her, so she stepped up. You can’t really blame her either. It’s like if Jay-Z had a Twitter, we’d all be @’ing that dude like we knew him. He would be our Facebook friend if he was on that too. She was just love RT’ing Hov’s performance, that’s all. She probably also thought a bunch of fools would follow her up there on some Girl Talk shit, which would’ve actually been kind of awesome, but it didn’t happen. So there she is. And without her, we wouldn’t have Jay’s incredible gasface. Plus, if anyone thinks she ruined a classic moment for dude, it was the MTV VMAs. Jay’s classic moment was on Friday night.
Oh, and by the way, FADER Label’s very own Matt & Kim snatched a moon man for Best Breakthrough Artist video. Congrats dudes!
(video and pick via Nah Right)
Video: Lil Mama f. Chris Brown & T-Pain, “Shawty Get Loose”
- story THE FADER
Few things seemed more implausible when we first met Lil Mama than the idea of her remaking “Scream” with Chris Brown and T-Pain. But if that’s what it takes to get her album, now three singles deep, put out, then so be it.
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posted on Jan 31, 2008 in MUSIC VIDEO
FADER 48: Lil Mama Feature
- story THE FADER
We might still be waiting for Lil Mama to release her debut album, but we talked to her right as “Lip Gloss” attained the crazy status of totally out of left field spring jam 2007, we’re still waiting, dudes!
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posted on Oct 23, 2007 in FEATURES
