I think it was both Alicia and her manager who came up with the idea, and regardless, the person is still in her camp and it's Alicia who has to decide whether or not she wants share her performance with others, and on more than one occasion she's decided yes. Selfless indeed.
[Edited 6/27/08 12:22pm]

dragondayz said:

ok, Stan

I was just going by what she said herself after the awards with the girl that was jocking her

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I agree, and I think that eeriness had something to do with the removal of the video. Just think about it for a moment...A. Keys should not have stood in that middle spot. There was a sadness about that. IMO A. Keys should not have performed with TLC.

I have always loved Maxwell, but never knew he was that smooth. I saw a few Prince Moves in his performance. The man was on point, voice and all. I absolutely enjoyed his performance. Did anyone else see a little of Prince in that performance.

pennylover said:

Maxwell has always performed very Prince-like.

daPrettyman said:

Thanks 4 letting me know that prettyman. I never knew that, but I totally saw that in his performance 4 the first time. He reminded me of Prince in a lot of ways.

lastdecember said:

JUst jealous cause cassie doesn't even have half the "talent" rihanna has...

sorry but if cassie performed people would probably be snoring... I almost get a feeling she had sex with Diddy just for a second album..

anyways... you don't know what rih rih was feeling that night... and should never call a woman that.. because im pretty sure that you are VERY HIGHLY arrogant yourself...

BlaqueKnight said:

chris brown and ciara's performance was DISGUSTING.. i showed my mom and she couldn't even believe it...

how a simple award show performance can be so perverted
That routine between CB and Ciara was WEAK... ... COME ON... humping the floor, gesturing sexual moves... AND YOU wonder why kids are having sex at age 9, and AIDS/HIV and all kinds of diseases are on the rise... THEY should have never allowed that... THATS ALL THEY SEE ON TV.. and hear on the radio...

PEOPLE SHOULD BE GLAD IM NOT IN THE GOVERNMENT.. tv stations and radio stations would be burned down... Artist like CB would be scared to even grab his crotch...

TotalAlisa said:

Ok first Rihanna doesnt have the talent the people behind her are the ones pulling the strings, realize this already, im not going to debate this again, but if people think Rihanna is this brillant person calling the shots, you must also think your vote counts in an election.

Second, i use that word when its deserved, and yes she has had that look at EVERY show, and also LAUGHED at Britney while performing at the Mtv awards, i mean people in glass houses (we cant forget Riahnnas GOD AWFUL grammy performance with THE TIME). Personally if i didnt want to be at an awards show, just DONT GO, dont sit there and huff and puff like you are a diva, when you are about 30 years from even being considered relevant.

And talk about double standard, you object to the word Bitch, but basically call Cassie a whore and say she had Sex for an album, I will have to pass that on, since its not even close to truth, but im not even getting into that.

TotalAlisa said:

Rihanna has talent?
My ears were killing me from hearing her sing that night. She's pretty
just like cassie but saying one has more talent than the other is like
saying John McCain would make a better presidential candidate than george
bush.

phunkdaddy said:

just like a liberal, bringing that cheap shit into a music forum. Oh wait, this is the org...

superman said:

Sounds like i got under somebody's skin.
The term liberal is so old and dated like your great great grandfather
John McCain. I wasn't trying to endorse a candidate or voice my political views on the forum as much as i was trying to make an analogy slapnuts. Please go crawl back under whatever rock it is you sleep under.
[Edited 6/29/08 20:21pm]

I actually agree that Rihanna has talent.

Her voice is unique. She can sing live. And she has amazing body consciousness -- her movements are pure beauty and art.

She's really come into her own as a presence.

Hers was the only BET Awards performance I enjoyed and wanted to hear again.

And then Friday on MTV she performed the kick-ass 'If I Never See Your Face" again LIVE with Maroon 5 ... and it was so awesome and intense... I thought, I'm looking at the next break out star.

She's paid her dues, she's growing, she's got dozens of genuine pop hits to her name (way more catchy and memorable than Beyonce) (I'm listening to Breakin Dishes right now and it should be a single immediately).

I'm really impressed with her growth.
[Edited 6/29/08 21:05pm]

SynthiaRose said:

I totally agree with u. I have liked her from the very beginning. She does have a unique voice 2 go with her beautiful face. I always knew she would be a big success in the music world.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Daaaaam break me off a piece of that!!

SynthiaRose said:

Did you say Rihanna paid her dues??? after 3 years??? She didn't even have to work to get signed

Janfriend said:

It's not a question of time or how she got signed.

She put out songs and was not an immediate hit... there was question about whether her career would even survive. Even Jay Z at one point questioned why she was not blowing up as planned.

But there is something about Rihanna's personality and songs that are infectitious...she kept putting her creations out there, she stopped trying to be a Beyonce mirror and created her own style, she tried out a variety of interesting sounds, and she's pulled it off. She's now captivated people in her own way.

Not too many could deliver in the way she has live -- especially in the collab with Maroon 5. That really upped her game.

Laugh if you desire. She is the next big star. She has personality in spades and doesn't have to sell it over the top like Bey or your darling Janet.
[Edited 6/30/08 7:22am]

Gosh--I hear that the BET awards show had 5 million viewers.. BUT-- it was their worse rated show ever as far as viewership. I guess that show is used to having waaay waaay more viewres.

lastdecember said:

I never called cassie any name... If you sleep outside of marriage.. what does that make any person.... If you want to call cassie that label then you can.. i don't.. I just say that person is fornicating .

again you prove yourself to be highly arrogant.. and if you think someone else is... Like you think rihanna is.. then you call them out their name... as if its okay for you to think you "know it all"...


anyways.. you spend your life fixated on women whom you will never meet... YOU don't know what cassie or rihanna is doing...

lastly rihanna outshines cassie any day... her voice, stage presence, looks etc... and the sad thing is.. rihanna's "talent" isn't anything spectacular.. or special... and cassie isn't even on rih's level...

you keep saying rihanna is arrogant.. EVERY artist must have some kind of arrogance. just enough... Your precious mariah is the one of the most self-absorb celeb out here.. but will you call her a female dog????
[Edited 6/30/08 11:24am]

SynthiaRose said:

Excuse you, Janet has nothing to do with this conversation. God, I hate it when people get retarded like that and start throwing out names just because they know someone knows or likes them. There was no point to that except to be shitty

I don't know what Rihanna is delivering live except theatrics, but

That collab with Maroon 5 sucks ass. They fucked up one of the best songs on their album for what? To sell more albums. It definitely isn't because they respect her as a musician

I do NOT listen to the radio i really don't watch BET or MTV... so i can't tell you what the latest hit songs are on the radio... but i will say that i really enjoy Rihanna's music... and that she is making some of the best songs out here in 2008...

even though i do like rihanna... i know that she doesn't have the best stage presence or even performance... riahnna canNOT dance, her voice is okay... but its unique.. and thats what matter..

rihanna is gorgeous... and has a cute personality... plus she has a carribean accent, she has a different style, and the music people create for his is amazing....

But she is not on janet's level... and actually i don't know if rihanna could get THERE.. because she is not that great of an entertainer..

but she is great at selling herself and thats what matters... Everyone can't be a great dancer or singer...
[Edited 6/30/08 11:26am]

TotalAlisa said:

Rihanna is not an artist first of all, you can have arrogance when you work for it. She has no RIGHT to be arrogant since she isnt doing anything that any label can grab someone off the street for, if she was writing these songs or had a AMAZING VOICE or played an instrument than she could have a chance at arrogance, but just looking cute and singing someone elses songs, sorry dont cut it. Also "my precious" Mariah, isnt it you who always says "how can you be a fan when you put her down" i have put Mariah down countless times, for her shitty music over the last ten years to the way she acts, so check your facts.

And last but not least YOU HAVE NO CLUE who i know, so if you wanna call me on FACTS then next time you read Vibe magazine, look into it and find Sonya Askew, she was an editor and reviewer and her and I worked together in the business aspect of things, so look her up and write her and call her, and prove yourself wrong, and you think that these people are on some other planet where they cannot be met? I worked a year and a half for Diddy as an intern in his company, after i left the music retail end of the business, so i met everyone in his camp at least once, IF YOU MUST KNOW. So believe what you want, but there it is in Fact, so write it down, because im not going to repeat myself.

And last but not least saying Rihanna has the best music out there on radio, just goes to show how LAME radio is, and the mainstream, but thats a whole other subject.

And furthermore, your precious Janet Jackson was having sex long before any marriage. And also how do you know Cassie slept with Puffy? because they took a picture together? because he produced a track? Ok that means that Rihanna slept with The Dream for her track and every single female or male sleeps with whoever they work with or take a picture with? Real narrow mind.
[Edited 6/30/08 13:04pm]

Janfriend said:

Janfriend if you need to get worked up just avoid my postings. You addressed me.
I'm not being shitty. I entered the thread for positive reasons: to praise Rihanna and say I enjoyed her performance.

Of course mentioning Janet is glaringly necessary. How hypocritical to bash Rihanna, who actually has a great voice that is very unique, when you support the whispery Janet who is riding now on her family name and theatrics.

I don't want to start a discussion about Janet either. But you addressed me. So either take the heat for hyprocrisy or just move along.

lastdecember said:

janet is NOT precious to me.. ONLY MICHAEL JACKSON... the only posters i would put on the wall is Michael jackson...

How did cassie who has the most plainest voice, looks like she is scared on stage, no kind of style, NO personality... NOTHING.. just there... get a contract to sing.. when if you got on myspace there are thousands of girls who can sing and are very sweet....

I'm still laughing over the hypocrisy of a Janet fan accusing Rihanna of theatrics.


She is sultry and on the occasions I've witnessed her understated but still powerful.

At any rate ... to all...

I at first was not checking for Rihanna. I don't have any of her albums and when she came out I dismissed her as a dime a dozen chick.

I first paused when I heard Unfaithful. Her vocal delivery and interpretation of the emotion in that song made me love it instantly (props to Neyo too of course). And her performance in the video. Wow.

Then umbrella and that vocal delivery intrigued me.

Then came Take a Bow.

And Then the Maroon song, which is kickass and a new favorite that I have on rotate right now. I'm stunned by her video and live performance. No theatrics there. Just masterful sensuality.

And then Breakin Dishes. HEr voice is so one of kind and she really bring a lot of energy and fun to her songs.

This girl's hits don't stop. I think she makes perfect pop. Dismiss pop all one wants, but to make a string of infectitious works like these is pretty rare.

Beyonce actually doesn't have pop songs as great as Rihanna. If she did ... wow, she'd be even bigger.

SynthiaRose said:

YOU HAVE TWO EYES, TWO EARS.. can read and think...

now do you believe rihanna could ever in her life create a RHYTHM NATION, A VELVET ROPE TOUR... or even "IF"

she could NEVER.... janet is just an amazing entertainer.. and has the stage.. unlike rihanna, who is stiff and stands there.. might do a lil move.. but its NOTHING that will amaze you... and this is comming from someone who likes rihanna as well..

even if you don't like an artist.. you shouldn't try to take away the talent they have...

TotalAlisa said:

SynthiaRose said:

It's not hypocrisy when it is simply a difference of opinion. I think Rihanna is shit. I never brought up Janet, you did. It's irrelevant to the conversation. If I wasn't a Janet fan, who would you be mentioning in her place? You did it to be shitty. Plain and simple. There's no comparison between the two. They're not even the same type of artist. Rihanna has gotten by on looks only, which can't be said of Janet because she didn't always look the way she does now. It was shitty and ignorant to bring Janet into it. You did it on purpose to start shit
[Edited 6/30/08 18:49pm]

Of course *I* brought her up. WTF? LOL. And of course she was specific to you. That's already been addressed. There must be a black hole of intelligence in this thread.

Whatever Janfriend. You bore me.
Respond to someone else.

Next.

Total Alisa. No I don't think Rihanna could create Rhythm Nation and Velvet Rope tour, etc. Those are the products of someone with a socio-political voice. Rihanna, as I can see, is not seeking to carve that niche.

My praise for Rihanna is for her singing ability and presence. In the past, Janet was great, whispery weak voice aside. That's why I used the adverb *now* to suggest she's just coasting. I bought the album before last (so negligible the title escapes me) and threw it away. I didn't even seek to buy the last one.

She jumped the shark with the whole breast drama which she masterminded.

At any rate, she was brought up to address the hypocrisy of Janfriend. The point wasn't to suggest Janet had no merit, but to say how can someone who forgives Janet for her artistic shortcomings not have the presence of mind to see the unique redeeming qualities of a performer like Rihanna. If you can forgive one and not the other.. hypocrisy.

But so what. People have opinions. There's room for all. I don't like Janet as she stands now. I like Rihanna now.

I still trying to figure out how my posting positive about Rihanna is leading to all this.

IF someone addresses me I have to respond honestly. And so now we're here.

I'm moving on.
[Edited 6/30/08 17:18pm]

SynthiaRose said:

Your ignorance and immaturity bores me . It shows with your need to insert someone in a conversation who was not being commented on and who wasn't even on the show. Instead of defending who you like solely on whatever fabricated merits you think they have, you decide to add a stupid comment "your darling Janet" assuming you were speaking to a Janet fan . The attempts to insult and be an asshole is all on you. I'll respond to anyone who responds to me with a fucked up attitude

You can't even justify why you brought her up
[Edited 6/30/08 18:47pm]