TV REVIEW
On April 11, MTV premiered its new weekly series “Hip Hop POV” that serves as a revamped version of “Yo! MTV Raps” as it focuses on ever-changing news and trends in the culture through artist interviews and live performances.
The cast consists of a roundtable of music industry tastemakers including DJ Amanda Seales , Bu Thiam, VP of A&R at Def Jam, NY’s Power 105.1 “The Breakfast Club” radio personality Charlamagne Tha God, Devi Dev, co-host of Sirius XM’s “Sway in the Morning” and journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy. The first episode featured an interview with Lil Wayne in Miami, a behind-the-scenes look at Akon’s new video with French Montana, and a visit and performance from 2 Chainz. In between each segment were heated debates on Nicki Minaj’s latest album “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” and Mary J. Blige’s controversial Burger King commercial.
LOVE IT: The in-depth interviews and behind-the-scenes footage are very insightful. The fact that there is not a specific host or leader makes the show feel like a weekly debate with friends on the politics of the game. If one person opens a topic, the others will chime in to present their side and provide background on why their opinion should be considered a fact. Charlamagne is by far the star of the show because of his comedic timing and his no-holds-barred persona. He has no problem arguing with the crew over what’s hot and what’s not in hip-hop and their animated exchange is very entertaining. The more they disagree, the better the outcome. In a recent episode Bu stated, “I don’t think 50 Cent evolved with his music. I feel like he is doing the same thing he did six years ago.” While you love Bu’s honesty as a record executive who also happens to be Akon’s brother, he may need to hire a security team after his rant against the leader of G-Unit. The studio audience plays a significant role in the show as their laughter, applause, and facial expressions provide immediate feedback on whether the topics are resonating with them. The live performance at the end of the show draws it to a great conclusion.
HATE IT: The show airs every Wednesday at midnight and does not repeat on the network. If you miss an episode you will have to go to MTV.com to see it. Viewers will also feel cheated because each episode is only 30 minutes long and feels as if it is rushed. There are times when a cast member is speaking on a subject and is cut off in midsentence by a quick edit that makes you feel that you missed something important. When watching the show you will never hear about the surprising relationship between 2 Chainz and LeBron James or the reason why Lil Wayne says that his “I Can’t Feel My Face” project with Juelz Santana will never see the light of day. For answers to those questions you will have to once again go to MTV.com to see the outtakes that never aired.