The MTV Awards the other night basically made me reminisce over “The I Want My MTV ” era that I grew up with. I actually remember a time before MTV- LOL! MTV made me remember the time(s) & perhaps made a move to the passing of the baton to the new generation of what the originators started. The original MTV revolution evolving in a modern day form. The revolution of Aerosmith & Run DMC, Head Banger’s Ball, Yo! MTV Raps, Club MTV & House of Style. The MTV Era where music had no boundaries in collaboration or likability by the exclusive or the masses, the era when the coupling of fashion & music found its evolution in the revolutions of New York, London & global street cultures thru music. An era that brought the unification of supermodels & rock stars, celebrity coupling & took us from the real world to a not so real surreal world of outrageous cribs (some owned & some rented) just for the purpose of flaunting wealth in place of evolvement & growth. Showcasing an old/new game with a focus on materialism & excess without foresight for saving for the future, which eventually becomes our ultimate downfall each & every time change enters our lives, due to our own lack of focus & being unprepared as producers & consumers. The return to the past & the new future claim the same excess experience of the 80’s & 90’s which spiraled the ” I Want My MTV” generation into many triumphs, downfalls & losses of/to this thing we call music, fashion, pop culture, our life’s work, & our contribution to a global culture.

In the “I Want my MTV era, Roberto Cavalli would never be passed over with just a wave hello by Kurt Louder during the MTV awards red carpert during New York Fashion week- waaahhhtt, blasphemous! That was exactly wha the young, unknowing, unfamiliar with fashion legends, new English/Indian or Sri Lankan VJ on MTV did ( don’t know his name just like he has no clue who Roberto Cavalli is -just a matter of a different generation & lifestyle) ) as he passed by Cavalli to give away tickets to the show to 2 people in the outdoor crowd- LMAO! Cavalli’s face was priceless as he recognized the slight & perhaps realized this is no longer the Era of “I Want My MTV” & Cavalli! This is a new era when the young wealthy elite millionaires & billionaires that you have to cater to are younger than some of your own children. Long gone are the days when MTV threw the ultimate party for the marriage of Fashion & Music, where the red carpet & backstage was filled with the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Blondie, Fab 5 Freddy, Tina Turner, Halston, Versace, Tears for fears, Thompson Twins, Madonna, Iman, David Bowie, Naomi Campbell, Versace, Cindy Crawford, Fiona Apple, Wham!, Neneh Cherry, REM, Culture Club,TLC, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers,Terrence Trent Darby, Salt N Pepa, Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper, ACDC, Queen, Whitney Houston, Guns N Roses, Nirvana, Grand Master Flash, NWA, Nas, Tupac, B.I.G, Sting, Lauryn Hill, Madonna, Warren Beatty, Robert Deniro, Toukie Smith, Cher , Bob Mackie, Grace Jones, John Paul Gualtier, De La Soul, Karl Kani, Maya Angelou, Martha Stewart, Busta Rhymes, Janet Jackson & Michael Jackson!

The tribute for Michael Jackson with Janet coming out & performing their legendary “Scream”- made me just wanna scream! A Priceless -yes maybe obvious, but brilliant moment that handed the checkmate to the youngins’ who copy/mimic Janet & Michael’s style of dance & true showmanship as entertainers. Janet danced her way into letting the youngins know that although one of the originators may be gone in the flesh, one of the originators is still here! Janet was there to pay homag to her brother while getting her just due respect- Janet “Miss Jackson if your nasty” ! Hope the message was heard loud & clear & I can’t wait for the follow up Ms. Jackson because the preview was Nasty!

Madonna perhaps got her ultimate glory moment in her Michael Jackson speech /homage. As an elder, she powerfully told & showed the youngins that yes, her & her crew/entourage created this phenomenon while chanting “I Want My MTV”. Now that we have our MTV & many more means for self expression & sharing one’s craft on a local & global level, we must recognize the gifts & who they came from & not abandon them only to sing their praises when they die.

Lady Gaga only left out bringing Madonna on stage & paying homage in her performance because she gave us “Like a Virgin” & “Like A Prayer” all in one- tulled white dress, pearls, blood & all . Lady Gaga rocked a Jon Paul Gaultier creation, the same designer who made Madonna infamous with the cone bra/bustier & made Grace Jones legendary with even more haute looks, who is now dressing the new jacks- Say Word! hmmmm!!

Madonna like a virgin VMA’S 1984

I’ve seen Grace in my Face culminating into a comeback re-evolution of the other Island Girl turned pop star, hoping to be an icon in the making, who goes by one name, Rihanna. I’ve seen the channeling of Lady Di of Mahogany & the ever glamorous Lena Horne on red carpets , while channeling her alter ego of Tina Turner in performance, where we are taken from “Beyond the Thunderdome”, to “Proud Mary”, to a “Private Dancer”, culminating into the one called Beyonce AKA Sasha Fierce. I do not see any calling out of the names of these legends verbally or phyically calling them out on stage to give them their just due homage! Mimicry can never be paying homage until you recognize the creators who evolutionarized the gift! I feel like MTV was on a mission to make us who criticize the network & others for what we now see as incomprehensible evolution with the times by making us think back to the revolution that created MTV. Hmm -maybe we need to wake up & smell the coffee by reminiscing about the days/times that created the “I Want My MTV” era & what that consisted of. We are battling a new era of a lot of ignorant mimicry, while others show a genuine love, respect & knowledge of the craft & its intricate history.

Beyonce was the epitome of class & for the very first time in a long time, I felt her entire gesture & words were real & from the heart, nothing scripted or advised by her advisers to do. I found a new respect for you Ms. B! Smart move to get the hell away from Kanye’s mess + you know that the Taylor Swift’s reach is long & you don’t want to mess with that since you see she is coming for you, red dress to red dress- LMAO! Ahhh Who wore it best?!! Sometimes a real friend is someone who directly lets you know you are wrong & if you keep having to apologize for a friend, then maybe it’s time to let go of the extra baggage weighing you down. Your front row often determines the level & class of your brand –the branding of U- so choose your front row wisely!

Beyonce’s gesture & words was a nice way to return to , take back & to move forward the revolution of the “I Want My MTV” era who found out the hard way that the lack of checks & balances of the excess of experiences in the 80’s 90’s can spiral into the many downfalls & losses of this thing we call music, pop culture, our life’s work & contribution to one global culture.
From Rihanna ‘s “SOS” sample from Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love”, to Flo Rida’s “Right Round” sample of Dead or Alive’s “You spin me right Round (like a record)”, to Asher Roth as all 3 beasties & Sugar Ray in his videos. We are returning to the “I Want My MTV” era. It is a new MTV generation taking us back down memory lane in their own rendition of our collective evolution of the revolution thru remakes of styles & sounds ,while looking for something that will inclusively & exclusively define their generation. As elders & keeper’s of the dream, the mantra, the call & cause for the revolution, we must be willing to be available as role models to teach, learn, & evolve the revolution into less mimicry & more of a genuine homage that celebrates the gifts of our past into the gifts of the future. One can never know where they are going unless they know where they came from!
The Evolution of The Revolution Will Be Televised ! What will Inclusively & Exclusively define this generation?

Madonna –Vogue –MTV Awards 1990 –Now is Laday Gaga really that innovative & unheard of?

Madonna Then-Like A Prayer-

Madonna Now-like A Prayer- Now that’s what Legends are made of – Come for it Children!! This is Your Evolution!

Grace has been turning out the children for ever –then & now never skipped a beat

“All the children say…we don’t need another hero …we don’t need to know the way home …all we want is life beyond the thunder dome” – hmm-profound testament to now! Rihanna, Tina & Grace want to know who run this this town tonight?

Proud Mary- Beyonce ,Tina says I know you like my style-LOL!