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MTV awards: Music, schmusic

Sure, there were plenty of performances. But as usual, the VMAs were mostly about spectacle.

By SEAN DALY
Published August 29, 2005

MIAMI - First a big sloppy storm, then this.

As if this city by the sea didn't suffer enough wet and wild conditions last week, the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards raged into Miami Sunday, dumping several more inches of water - not to mention controversy surrounding a rap-related shooting - at the American Airlines Arena.

Of course, making waves is what the VMAs are all about. Style and spectacle have always trumped substance at this annual pop-culture raveup, which nonetheless has become almost as big a buzz producer as the Grammys. Remember Britney Spears snogging Madonna in 2003? Or, in an even more uncomfortable kiss, Michael Jackson lip-locking with Lisa Marie Presley in 1994? Give 'em something to talk about at the water cooler: That's the motto here.

The shiny silver awards themselves - those astronautical Moonmen - once again took a back seat to much more important matters, such as who looked naked (Desperate Housewives ' Eva Longoria), who looked spooky (will someone please get Hilary Duff a sandwich?) and who looked happy just to be working again ('90s rapper MC Hammer, back from bankruptcy and ready to boogie).

A year from now, no one will remember that former American Idol Kelly Clarkson won for best female video and best pop video (both for Since U Been Gone ) or that Alicia Keys took home best R&B video (for Karma). But you'd better believe everyone will still be oohing and ahhing about Latina popstress Shakira working her body like a Slinky going down stairs.

And how about R. Kelly's bizarre Trapped in the Closet hip-hopera, an utterly confusing story-song about infidelity and back-stabbing and ... some guy named Chuck?

A great deal of hubbub reverberated from the night before. Notorious hip-hop mogul Suge Knight, who has feuded with just about everyone in the rap universe, was shot in the leg Saturday in South Beach. Knight survived, and police were reportedly still searching for a suspect. Knight, former head of Death Row Records, is no stranger to violence: When Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996, Knight was riding in the car with the late rapper.

"I feel so safe tonight with all of this police protection courtesy of G-Unit," cracked plus-size presenter Fat Joe, in a not-so-sly reference to the security detail surrounding 50 Cent's posse of pals, some of whom have beefs with Knight and Fat Joe. 50 Cent would later talk trash right back at Fat Joe, dropping some heavily bleeped F-bombs at the end of an otherwise tame performance of Just a Lil Bit .

Reporters peppered the celebrities with Suge questions as they cruised the white carpet into the arena - red carpets are apparently sooo last year - but most of the so-pretty stars just wanted to talk about what they were wearing. The VMAs might be the only awards show where the preshow ceremony is more important than the show itself. Trophies were even given out to the best-dressed: rapper Snoop Dogg and pop hottie Gwen Stefani.

The 22nd annual edition of the VMAs were hosted by an utterly forgettable Diddy - that is, Sean "Puff Daddy/Puffy/P.Diddy" Combs, trying out yet another stage moniker and confusing everyone in the process. Diddy might be a fabulous party host, but he's a lackluster emcee. Heck, he even resorted to buying some crowd love, handing out a diamond-encrusted watch to a stranger in the audience.

Perhaps to make up for the host's utter lack of on-air charisma, producers designed a distracting five-stage set that looked like a cross between Dance Fever and Waterworld. Fountains spouted everywhere.

This year's VMAs featured more musical performances than ever, and there certainly were some potent ones. Pop-punkers Green Day opened the show with the poignant teen-wasteland travelogue Boulevard of Broken Dreams , which later won best rock video and video of the year. Atlanta rapper Ludacris and R&B cutie Bobby Valentino did some Pimpin' All Over the World , a crass-sounding tune injected with surprising class via an Afrobeat interlude. (Ludacris would later win best rap video for Number One Spot .)

Brit-poppers Coldplay, led by Chris "Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow" Martin, put in the most moving performance of the night with a tingly version of spacey hit Speed of Sound . New Wave revivalists the Killers rocked their hit Mr. Brightside - and then won an award for it (best new artist in a video). And Kanye West, arguably the hottest hip-hop star on the planet, backed up his award for best male video (for Jesus Walks ) with a thoroughly raucous performance of new song Gold Digger , which featured Jamie Foxx channeling Ray Charles one more time.

Once again, the VMAs were good for some odd-couple presenters: Teen rapper Bow Wow and saucy heiress Paris Hilton, waifish actor Lindsay Lohan and swaggering hip-hopper Nelly, and hot comedian Dane Cook and adjective defying Snoop Dogg. This year's most deliciously awkward duo was Entourage actor Jeremy Piven and rapper Lil' Kim, who is on her way to jail for a year and a day for lying to a grand jury about a gunfight among rappers in New York. Piven rambled on about the diminutive rapper "going to the big house" until an obviously uncomfortable Kim grabbed the mike. She should have her sentenced reduced just for shutting him up.

Another uncomfortably amusing set of presenters were the singing Simpson sisters - Jessica and Ashlee - who dumbed it up onstage with talk about being from the "dirty South." Of course, everyone will be talking about their VMA appearance, too. So maybe they're not that dumb after all.

Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or 727 893-8467. His blog is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/popmusic

Rap mogul shot at party

MIAMI BEACH - Suge Knight, the Death Row Records founder who has been at the center of some of hip-hop's most violent moments, was shot in the leg early Sunday morning at a party thrown by Kanye West and attended by stars including Jessica Alba, Eddie Murphy and Paris Hilton.

Knight, 40, was shot once in the upper right leg. Although his injuries were not life-threatening, the violence dampened the celebratory vibe of the event. MTV said the shooting would not affect the show.

"As with all of our events, MTV has a zero tolerance policy in regards to weapons and we take appropriate security precautions to ensure the safety of our guests," the network said in a statement. Media members were subjected to rigorous security measures, including bomb-sniffing dogs.

West threw two parties, and Saturday's event was perhaps the most coveted invite of the evening. A throng of people stood outside the entrance to the hotel; inside, revelers mingled in the courtyard while VIP guests were entertained in a special room. Guests were not searched when entering the Shore Club hotel. The shooting took place just before 1 a.m. Screaming guests fled the party, streaming outside or taking cover in other parts of the hotel.

[Last modified August 29, 2005, 05:02:42]