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Terrible. This basically sums up 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. I was already sceptical about the show considering the so-so line-up of performers, but it was a complete mess.

Setting the tone for the night was opener Britney Spears. With all that’s gone on, I was hoping she’d silence the naysayers, but this was a complete and utter and trainwreck. A combination of poor lipsyching, stiff choreography and an outfit that revealed her out of shape body, Britney’s performance will no doubt have many saying her career is over. It will be if she doesn’t find a way to redeem herself from that mess.

Most of the night’s other performers offered little of interest. Although I must give Rihanna props for doing her thing during Chris Brown’s so-so performance and later on during ‘Shut Up & Drive’.

The show wasn’t all bad, though. Alicia Keys’ performance was a standout. She nailed ‘No One’, making me like the song all the more. I wasn’t initially all that hyped for her performance, but she was definitely the highlight of what was a mediocre night (at best).

MTV really need to step it up and the show has been on a downward spiral for years. I was thinking it was all award shows, but the BET Awards this year really showed out – beating this mess hands down. SMH…

What do you think of the performances?

Beyonce and her mother, Tina Knowles, appear in the first of a number of print ads for American Express. The ‘Deja Vu’ singer was announced as the spokesperson for the company and will feature in both print and TV ads for the ‘AMEX’ campaign. Airbrushed or whatever, she’s looking flawless.

What do you think of the pics?

Speaking to Blender, Houston rapper Slim Thug – who has been pretty successful in the real estate market – explains his concept of ‘Flippin Houses’. Here’s what he had to say:

Do Research
“I hire a researcher to find me property, but you can look on the Internet or go to auctions. Then have an appraiser inspect the house. Hopefully you can find somebody who’s about to be in foreclosure and be like, ‘Can you sell me your house rather than having these people just take everything from you?’”

Do More Research
“With auctions, research the list that they publish in advance. Once I said, ‘Fuck it,’ and spent $7,000 for a house without seeing it. Turns out, there wasn’t even a house on the land! Also, run comps (comparable sales) on the Internet — a house is worth what the last house that was sold nearby it is worth.”

Fix Things Up
“After buying the house, redo the restroom, the kitchen, the wood floors — simple shit that makes the house look better. If it’s worth $100,000 and you bought it for $60,000, spend no more than $20,000. Hire a manager; he’ll oversee a crew.In Texas there are Mexicans on the corner who are ready to work.”

Close the Sale
“To sell the house, you can get a realtor or, preferably, just put a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign on your front lawn to avoid fees. When you’ve got a buyer, run a credit check on him. Then, as long as the bank can make the loan go through, it’s good. When you have the money, then you go and flip another one!”

Finally! It’s great to see one of our rappers being smart and investing their wealth – something not enough of them do. Though Slim may not neccessarily be riding high on the charts, he will have made alot more than your average ‘Rims Flaunting’ rapper.

Your thoughts?

As reported, the Fashion Rocks 2007 concert took place in New York City this week. A host artists performed at the star-studded event including Usher, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson. Check out some of the performances below:

For the first time in the longest, I felt everyone did great. One of the standouts, for me, was Usher & Mary’s performance. With the way Usher was nailing the James Brown choreography I was left thinking ‘Justin who?’. Jennifer Hudson was also a standout; it was good seeing her sing something different. She really has a great stage presence too. I was pleasantly surprised with J. Lo’s performance – she is far from a great vocalist, but her live singing has improved a lot.

What do you think of the performances?

After a lengthy wait, the video for Mya’s latest single ‘Ridin’ premiered on Yahoo Launch yesterday. Though the track itself is great, the same cannot be said for the video. Her label must be counting the pennies because the vid is extra cheap looking; and though not that bad, she’s been in the industry too long to be putting out cheapness like this. Still, with all the set-backs her ‘Liberation’ project has gone through, it’s just good too see that she is pressing forward with it. I’m hoping she does ok with this album, as it may just be curtains for her career if otherwise.

What do you think of the video?

R&B singer Keyshia Cole performed the US national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, at the NFL Opening Kickoff yesterday (September 6th). Though a bit ‘off’ in places, Keyshia gave a decent rendition. Not sure the choir was needed though (listens again…yes they were lol).

What do you think of Keyshia’s performance?

Stars from both the fashion and music industries were out in full force yesterday for the 2007 Fashion Rocks concert. The event, which took place in New York City, saw performances from Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Usher and Jennifer Lopez. Visitors from the US can catch the show when it airs, tonight at 9pm ET/PT on CBS.

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