2008 BET Awards Review

The 2008 BET Awards show was an exhilarating show that featured several famous R&B and hip-hop artists. The show consisted of the newest trends including platinum chains, stylish clothes, crazy awards, and unforgettable thank you speeches.

The show’s opening performance was graced with R&B star Usher’s latest hit, “Love in the Club”. There was much hype about this well awaited performance, but there was some displeasure with the lack of enthusiasm that was delivered in this opening act. After all, viewers finally figured out the Usher lip sung his way through the performance. Wow, so much for this big event that showed that Usher may have to take the veteran seat due to his newer and stronger competitors.

Alicia Keys proved that she had a stronger more authentic performance with the execution of her beloved song “Teenage Love Affair”. Keys entertained the audience and viewers with a rather unusual performance that is not usually given by her. A key managed not to get glued at the piano and was able to show off her new choreographed dance moves. Along with incorporating dance moves, Keys added the performances of female artists En Vogue, TLC, and SWV to her act. With this performance, Keys proved that not only that she is a beautiful songstress, but a versatile one too. Later in the show, Keys took home the award for best female R&B artist which included thought provoking words for the beginning of her acceptance speech. The speech began by Keys saying “yall, everybody wants to be like us”. Is Keys statement relevant or is it somewhat self consumed? Would this explain why hip-hop and the once forbidden R&B music is consumed more and more abundantly by mainstream audiences?

Comedians DL Hughley and Niecy Nash entertained the audience with their spontaneous comical outbursts. Hughley served as the show’s host who made jokes about politics and artists. Nash shocked the audience when she came out on stage with her pretend adopted white kids to promote that black entertainers participate in adopting children. Nash rationale behind adoption was that Angelina Jolie and others were adopting black youth so why should black entertainers not adopt white youth. The message was conveyed in a comical and awkward manner, but contained an authentic message about an issue that is lurking in the black community. So, what does hip-hop culture/music and adoption have to do with one another? Well, if this music is consumed and enjoyed by so many why are more artists and entertainers doing a better job of discussing the problematic issues at hand. R&B and hip-hop are consumed by enough Blacks and other ethnic groups of people for the topic not to cause looks of awe when mentioned. Although Nash was amusingly promoting that black entertainers adopt white children, she wanted black entertainers to take the issue seriously. The black community is wealthy enough to take care of their community and should not wait on the initiative of white entertainers to address the issue. Look people, it’s time to use our gifts to invest back into the community and not in the rim shop.

On a softer note, Ne-Yo gave an outstanding performance with his new hit song, “Closer”, that is on his newest album “Year of the Gentleman”. On this new album, Ne-Yo veers off into a land that adds variety to his songwriting and performances while presenting him at his best with his new gentleman only appearance. Performance of the song “Closer” during the BET Awards show exemplified the fluidity in Ne-Yo’s new music style. The master of songwriting himself has bridged R&B and European pop together for a hit and new money maker. The concept that Ne-Yo has adopted for his new album shows how music evolves from other types of music. It represents the fluidity in music listeners and their identities. So often, people assume that certain people listen to certain kinds of music, and if they don’t consume a particular type they seem to be misplaced. Good job Ne-Yo, its official good music is good music and everyone has the right to choose what they want to listen to on their iPod.

The BET Awards show was an unforgettable night for any and all consumers of R&B and hip-hop music. All participants in the audience including the sophisticated Deborah Lee, owner of BET, had to sway her head and tap her feet to the rhythm of the ballads and even Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop”. The music consumption took its entertainers to a place of relaxation and reminded us all of what it felt like to be in love with good music.