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MOBO Aftermath

If you read this expecting a UK Funky Live review mach II, you'll be disappointed. Still good but erase that from your mind now, then proceed to read!

MOBO's took place last night in Glasgow's SECC. Usually produces many talking points. We all cuss the awards but watch it every year. I compared the MOBO's to watching Mike Tyson hoping he'll be that ferocious fighter again. Then I realised it was more like Audley Harrison and hoping they just get their act together for once. We all saw it, so this is just my take on the event.
Keri Hilson looked banging!!! Did she present well? Hardly remember her presenting. Didn't embarrass herself at all.

Reggie Yates? Hmm... not sure I take him seriously. He's like the corny established guy at work who mainly goes around with the managers but thinks he cool 'cos he knows a couple slang terms (and 'cos he has melanin he can be around the urban crew). Sorry mate, I see your facade. Didn't do badly, just reminds me of Nick Cannon - the type of guy you want to bass in his chest and tell him "FIX UP!"

Awards

(bold + italic = who I predicted http://marvinsparks.blogspot.com/2009/08/mobo-nominations-full-list.html )

Best UK Act
Alesha Dixon
Bashy
Beverly Knight
Chipmunk
Dizzee Rascal
DJ Ironik
Donae'o
Mr. Hudson
N-Dubz (Winner)
Tinchy Stryder

Best UK Newcomer
Alexandra Burke
Jade Ewen
JLS (Winner)
Laura Izibor
Master Shortie

Best R&B/Soul Act - missed this by accident. Knowing Keri was there meant this was hers
Beverley Knight
Ciara
Jeremih
Keri Hilson (Winner)
Lemar

Best Hip Hop Act
Chipmunk (Winner)
Dizzee Rascal
Drake
Eminem
Kanye West

Best Reggae Act
Movado
Sean Paul (Winner)
Serani
Tarrus Riley
Vybz Kartel

Best Video
'Bonkers' - Dizzee Rascal
'Boy Does Nothing' - Alesha Dixon
'Diamond Rings' - Chipmunk ft. Emeli Sande
'Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)' - Beyonce (Winner)
'Supernova' - Mr. Hudson ft. Kanye West

Best International Act - missed this one
Akon
Beyonce (WInner)
Ciara
Drake
Eminem
Jay Z
Kanye West
Keri Hilson
Lady Gaga
Mariah Carey

Best Song
'Beat Again' - JLS (Winner)
'Diamond Rings' - Chipmunk ft. Emeli Sande
'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' - K.I.G. Family
'Number One' - Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz
'Strong Again' - N-Dubz

Best Album
'808s and Heartbreaks' - Kanye West
'Catch 22' - Tinchy Stryder
'Catch Me If You Can' - Bashy
'I Am... Sasha Fierce' - Beyonce
'Uncle B' - N-Dubz (Winner)

Best DJ
Manny Norte
Masterstepz
MistaJam
Ras Kwame
Rickie & Melvin
Sarah Love
Semtex
Shortee Blitz
Steve Sutherland
DJ Target
Tim Westwood
Trevor Nelson (Winner)

Best Jazz Act
Diana Krall
Herbie Hancock
Madeleine Peyroux
Melody Gardot
Yolanda Brown (Winner)

Best African Act
Eidee
Mujava
Nneka (Winner)
Oumou Sangare
Salif Kelta

Best Gospel Act
Desire to Worship God
Kiki Sheard
Mary Mary
New Direction
Victizzle (Winner)

Congrats to all the UK winners. JLS deserved at least one, so did N-Dubz and Chippy so bless up all dem man. Would have been good to see Bashy get one same with Mista Jam but ah so it go. *rinsed joke alert* Now JLS I'mma let you finish but Tinchy had the best song of all year! That doesn't really catch does it? 'All year' I'm talking about. Dizzee won't be bothered, never been bothered, doesn't make anything remotely MOBO anyway so he's good, but Tinchy? Let's be honest now, non-industry urban folk didn't care about Dizzee after Boy In Da Corner prior to Dance With Me. The previous 2 album were panned "on da roads" This is the same guy who people were calling for his head after he was deemed to immature and embarrassing for Newsnight around the time Barack was elected. Do non-industry urban people care about him now?

Ok, maybe Tinchy's music isn't totally MOBO but he is establishing himself in the market so we'll bly him. He's the biggest selling male in the UK, made the effort to go there, open and help close the show and not even a Best Dressed award like you gave Lil' Kim? All-black-everything with-stunners-indoors award (nominated with Chipmunk and Ironik)?

Scotland isn't just round the M25 either, it's way up high. Past Nort Wheezy, Watford and them places. They don't even speak English like us in London so you could call that foreign (I love Scottish accent so don't crucify me). Barbados have similar accents to them, not us LDN'ers. And you make the man go so far to perform and sell your show? Disrespect. Rig it if it had to be done, we would bly you this one time. I'm sure some of them were done by a panel not solely fans votes.

Tinchy went to popular thinking out loud site Twitter to air his frustrations, @tinchystryder: So I didnt win a mobo after havin da highest selling urban single of the year and sellin over 1million singles this year, cool. F the MOBOs

Carrying on with the theme of MOBO doing foolishness, people complain about the DJ award being controversial but the Reggae award runs that close. Ok it may not have any rumours of corruption with the award, that doesn't hide the fact they always take the piss. Considering outside of commercial music with big budgers, homegrown UK music, Reggae is the most popular genre in clubs and on radio, they treat it with such disrespect.

The 3rd year in-a-row without a Reggae performance (may be down to labels but still) - during which time we've had to endure BS like Anthony Hamilton nominated and that overweight one-hit wonder Yank with the funny twang who reps Jamaica on his chain and his surname (Kinsgton) win one, you are fully on this taking the piss ting. Now you give this to Sean Paul? Been inactive for 3 years (same length since we had a Reggae artist peform), released one dead song (which didn't sound Reggae to me but still), 'bout to release another dry song, yet you bless him with a MOBO? Is that how cheap a MOBO award is? Based on previous glory. Well we know that from Lemar & Beverly Knight were nominated, but you never gave them an award!

That was Serani's award. Can't we go back to when you helped buss songs to the mainstream? Without MOBO I doubt Beenie Man's Who Am I, Mr Vegas' Heads High or Sean Paul's Gimme Di Light would have charted so high (Beenie top 10, think other 2 were top 20), Serani deserved that award. Don't get me wrong, I rate Sean Paul as an artist, person, his music, but he hasn't done enough to deserve this - this year anyway.

Performances

Tinchy's performance was good but the lighting (them lazer things) took it somewhere else. Fantastic start to the show. I've never seen a performance look so stunning at the MOBO's ever!
Inclusion of funky - very good to see. I mentioned they neglected it award wise in my previous post (click link by awards) but someone other thank Kanya King had some influence and gave them a little time to shine. I'm not in funky's good books for whatever but I ain't afraid to still correct. Did Gracious K really have his boxers on my screen? Anyway, chose the correct artists (Donae'o, Egypt, Gracious K) so big up for that!

JLS - I rate dem man dere highly. They can't sing, can't really dance, very corny but that's pop for you and that's what I appreciate them for. Their performance? Nothing special. Dancing was more on-point than in the video which is a bit strange in my opinion. Mimed, but they can't sing anyway so we weren't missing anything.

Keri Hilson - I thought she did ok. Vocals weren't nothing spesh. Her vocals aren't ever anything spesh so no surprises there. Taio for NeYo was the perfect match. Taio is the UK's NeYo, and people say a lot of similar things about the two SNM (say no more).

N-Dubz - Erm, comme-ci comme-ca. Not too hot on the new single, the little one sofa the were all shoob'd around and party like it's VIP didn't quite work for me. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA @ my dargy (yes begfriend) Dappy's stage-dive though. Divided the crowd like Moses did the red sea. You gotta love Dappy; to me he's the ubran scene's first urban rock star since the baddest man to touch mic, Mr Mark "Ring off the Mac... sorry Return of the Mac" Morrisson. Even when he spoke Greek with Peter Andre he sounded like a mobster from Sicily. Ledge!

Kelly "This hair is mine - honest (£5.99)" Rowland & David "skank behind the decks but I didn't even press play" Guetta - We know she loves the UK and helped raise the profile on paper, but the song isn't MOBO in anyway possible. Maybe her black face got her a pass. Stumbled at the beginning but she hit back with this via Twitter

@KELLY__ROWLAND OK. So, I'm at the MoBo's and getting ready to have a GREAT show with David and the MoBo's F'd my sound up!!!!! PISSED!!!!!


@KELLY__ROWLAND HONESTLY, that just makes me work harder! But, what I will say is the MoBo's owe me an apology!!!! I was LIVID after the show!

@KELLY__ROWLAND I wanted you guys to be the 1st to hear it from me! rehearsals. were fine. soundcheck. was fine. performance, wad a struggle at 1st

@KELLY__ROWLAND But, I got through it!!!!!!!! So-----It happens! The next show will be Better!--------TRUST!!!!!!!!!

Chipmunk & Ironik - Was good. Nice to see not only UK music reppin with Flawless as backing dancers

Mr Hudson - Why? Signed by a black man = MOBO pass?

Michael Jackson tribute - Didn't think the Shangoolie breh was as good today. Thought Diversity ripped it as a dance routine, many will argue whether it was fitting for an MJ tribute but I see what you were doing by involving them. Was glad they didn't try to replicate what Wade Robson & chums did at MTV VMAs (did you see my post where I said they should do that?), that would have been an almighty fail. Jermaine Jackson didn't do anything for me. Seen it before at the memorial during times when I hadn't gotten over MJ's death. Today, if I'm honest, it was just a dead song. Yeah I said it.

Young Soul Rebel - ...

For once, MOBO finally put on a show to be proud of. Despite what Kanya King said, the Glasweigens appreciation only played a small part in the success of the show. In saying that, she took away from all those who put the show together.


Despite the couple downers (oh and yes the boo's were audible for Trevor Nelson, Beyonce, not sure about Sean Paul not turning up), there isn't anything I can say in the way of bad. Here's where I think Kanya King talking about Glasgow downplayed the people who worked on putting the show together:

  • Visually it was a spectacle; use of pyro's, lazer thingys and that were big!
  • You finally realised you need the real fans to be near the stage not the stoosh indursty heads more interested in cussin your awards with pals whilst sippin' big champs
  • Most importantly, the industry is in a much healthier place than it has been since the garage era

Clap yourselves for actually putting a show together! End of the day you aren't here to solely rep the endz, but you did better than the usual shambles. Whether that means it was actually good, I'm not sure right now, wasn't the most memorable but it wasn't embarrassing. The commercial heads will appreciate it, the roads will complain. That's life. I wouldn't say there is cause to RIP MOBO personally.

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