Recapping VH1 award shows on Blogger.com may not be hip hop, but there's not a building tall enough around Lakeview Drive on which to spray this entry. The Honorees were hip hop though, and the "You ain't hip hop" skit served Tracy Morgan well as host.

I can't quite figure out though why award shows keep inviting performers who struggle in a live setting. The opening tribute to Honoree Missy Elliott was littered with them - Tweet, Keisha Cole, even Nelly Furtado was weak. T-Pain was awful, Lupe Fiasco forgot a few lines and Busta Rhymes was insane (although entertaining I must admit).

The show picked up from there. As usual, the old men in the room proved to hold the mic with supreme authority. The likes of Whodini, Teddy Riley, Busy Bee, KRS-One, Phife Dawg and Q-Tip delivered the old school goods to be expected at a Hip Hop Honors show.

The highlight for me was Kool Moe Dee's "How Ya Like Me Now" verse during the New Jack Swing tribute. Moe was a few pounds to the good physically compared to when he dropped the title track to solo album #2 back in '87, but he was pretty close vocally. He also seemingly buried the hatchet with LL (who appeared as a presenter) with a lyric swap out. Moe, or at least the Treacherous Three, has to be in line for an '08 Honor, right?

Here’s your Hip Hop Honors ’07/Blah, Blah, Blog Official Mix (and I do mean) Tape:

Side A

1. Award Tour - A Tribe Called Quest
2. Five Minutes of Funk - Whodini
   
3. Gossip Folks - Missy Elliott
   
4. Groove Me - Guy (New Jack Swing)
   

Side B

1. What's My Name? - Snoop Doggy Dogg
2. Fantastic Freaks at the Dixie - Fantastic Freaks (Wild Style)
   
3. We Got Our Own Thang - Heavy D and the Boyz (New Jack Swing)
   
4. I Left My Wallet In El Segundo - A Tribe Called Quest
   

Labels: music, tv