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Reality Update:
Making The Band 2...
THE LOWDOWN
I was originally going to write about "American Idol," but by the time that I actually finished writing this article, the Idol was chosen (big up to my homegrrl Fantasia!).
The latest reality show to have me glued to the tube is MTV's "Making the Band 2." Whoever came up with the concept of Puff Daddy searching for members to be a part of a hip hop band is a genius. Puffy started as an intern and worked his way up to be a triple threat mogul, so it is safe to assume that the man knows a bit about the music business. Forget sitting down and talking with Donald Trump, I would much rather have ten minutes with Diddy.
For those who are unaware of this MTV phenomenon (it airs on Much Music in Canada; to my dismay, we are a few episodes behind), the purpose of the show is to find the next hot hip-hop group (perhaps a Wu-Tang Clan for the millennium). At the end of the search, the group will be rewarded with a recording deal from Bad Boy, and of course, live the ghettofab life.
The original series debuted in 2000 and tapped into the trend of the moment - the boy band craze. The group O-Town was formed and cameras followed them as they tried to make it big in the music industry. I didn't watch that installment, but I am glad that in this series they flipped the script and gave the show a grittier, more urban setting.
In "Making the Band 2," Puffy (with the help of his production team) put hopefuls through grueling tasks and finally chose Freddrick (he looks and sounds like a miniature version of Ja Rule), Ness, Chopper a.k.a Young City, Dylan, Babs and Sara to be his protégés. All of which are rappers, except for Sara, who gives the group a sultry taste of R&B.
Puffy's goal is to prepare them for the industry so that they can create music indicative of the Bad Boy camp, and to a lesser extent, produce an "American Idol" for the hip-hop heads.
Well, I'm not too sure that they are going to take over the world with their skills. Individually, they are good, but as a group they are not that cohesive. Their styles are so different that when they perform together, they make more noise than they do music. Sometimes their egos get in the way, and you can actually see Puffy restraining himself from hitting them. Dylan (self-proclaimed dancehall supastar) is the worst offender. He loves the sound of his voice so much that he ain't tryin' to listen to anyone who has constructive criticism to impart.
It's not just their individual music styles that don't gel together. In most episodes there is a huge fight between the group members. They are always at each other's throats. True, it makes for fun, exciting television (the fights between Ness and Freddrick were classic!), but why must they always argue, fight and disagree about everything?
Like most reality shows, you can't help but watch each episode to see what happens next. With "Making the Band 2," each week I watch with bated breath to see how they will get one step closer to their goal. I plant myself on the couch and watch the group struggle to get along and to make music that would please Puffy. Honestly, I wasn't really feeling their music, but I hoped that they would make it.
But then a few days ago I read on a website that the group disbanded. Actually, it was more like they were dropped from the label. I can't say that I didn't predict it, but I felt so sorry for them.
Puffy kicked off Dylan first (not surprising - he had a history of missing shows and was way too arrogant), and then he told the rest of the group that it was over. Daaamnnn!!!!! Well, at least it's not over for Chopper, Ness and Babs. Chopper was signed to the Bad Boy South label, and Puffy is grooming Ness and Babs to be the "Bonnie and Clyde" of hip-hop.
Well, that's the show in a nutshell. Interested? Of course you are. If you are like me and are a sucker for reality shows, then I suggest that you check out the reruns. ¤ Michelle