Making the Band 4, Season 3 Premiere – The Tour

Ohhhhhh shit, I just went ahead and played that “Exclusive,” versions fast and slow, back to back to back to back to back like it was MTB4 Season 1 again.  Oh yeah, I’m amp’d up and ready for some good solid MTB4.  Let’s get it. So I’m watching the show and Diddy comes on talking his standard shit.  Hey, I appreciate it, because quite frankly, the last time I saw Diddy, it was like this:

Correct, even he couldn’t believe the level of Bitchassness that was occurring on “I Want To Work For Diddy.”  And if Sean John is anything like me, he was pretty much looking like this after Episode 1 of that show.

I mean, I was SHOOK!  Still am really.  That shit was like a really bad non-musical video for Danity Kane’s Damaged.  And just like the song says, shit was “damaged, damaged, damaged (soooo) damaged and Diddy should be the one to know, now please fix it, fix it fix it..” ok?

Now that we handed that little bit of mini beef/house keeping, we can move onto one of my favorite shows.

Issue 1: The Evolution of Dawn

So I tuned in and the first thing I see is certified thickum, D. Woods, sashaying herself across that rehearsal floor.  Oh wait, that aint no D. Woods, that’s DAWN. Oh my word!!!

She is looking rizzight.  Goodbye shy girl, hello Q is definitely banging that out.  All in touch with that sensual side all of a sudden, huh?

Respect.  Hey, I saw it coming.  If memory serves, she had a bit of ahem “growth” in that regard last season.  Let me dig in my archives, ah yes:

Oh yes.  You gotta like someone who keeps raising the bar season to season.  Which of course is the exact opposite of what Aubrey is doing, but we’ll get there later.  Anyway, every man loves the day when he first peeps that layer of thick laid up on top of strong woman.  Her day might be here.  I’ll have to keep an eye on it for all of us.

Issue 2:  The Return of Laurie Anne

Hilarious.  And I appreciate how when Laurie Ann presents herself, MTV immediately goes to one of the finest moments in Reality TV history.  Yep, that “Baby girl, I’m not taking NO interjections” speech and prompt dismissal-ass tappities Puff put on ole girl in Season 1.

So good.  Then of course she starts messing with everybody.  Talking shit, getting under cat’s skin.  Standard issue stuff for this babe.   And just as an aside, funny to see that Medium Mike is back to being “Big Mike.”  Can’t wait to hear what Diddy has to say about that.  Anyway, so Diddy rolls up and talks to Laurie Ann one on one.  Based on the silly little grin she’s got on her face, there’s a strong likelihood that they haven’t talked since the last time Puff hit errr since the blow up where she got canned for insubordination and super-bitchassness.

Just listening to her talk to him…it just terrible dude.  I mean, first off, Puff is at a loss for words.  Then you’ve got Laurie Ahnt over here devolving into baby talk with goo goo and gah gah eyes.  Just terrible.  I mean, if nothing else, this little exchange makes me 100% certain that Puff has been tagging that since around 1993 to present.  Then Puff hit her with the “All I did was put you on” rhetoric.  Which is iron-clad.  I mean, honestly, would ANYONE outside of the choreographers even know about her ass but for Mr. Combs?  Sheeeit, Lake Arlington had more cache than this chick prior to Making the Band.  She needs to pay homage or get to steppin’.  But then Puff came with that “So did you miss me when you was away from me?”

lol, the proverbial knock out punch/dick in a box.  I love it.  Puff is back in my good graces with this display of utter pimpery.  I like it.  It almost makes me forget these Tranny antics over on his other show.

Almost.  Glad to have this show back.  It rarely fails to entertain.  Oh and fellas, yeah, yall over there at Bad Boy, less of Aubrey is good for MTB4, remember that.

– Lake

MTB4, Season 2, Episodes 5: Aubrey gets pimped

Ok, so I know all our loyal readers were pissed at me last week when I failed to deliver the goods on that Episode 5 of Making the Band 4, Season 2. Hey, what can I say, I should have come through and didn’t. Even perfection takes a day off from time to time. Anyway, though I should be writing a book about lasts week’s show because it was that good, I’ll just give it minor love and keep the thang moving with Episode 6 dropping in about 8 hours or so.

Clearly last week’s show was all about that damn Den Mother nonsense. It was pretty funny how Puff hit him with those critical questions:

“Do you know Danity Kane?”

“Does your gaydar tell you Q is gay or is not gay?”

“Hmm, well you know who I am though, right?”….. LOL. The only thing that would have made it better would be if he hit him with that “Of course, you starred in Ray, you’re Will Smith.”

But he didn’t. What can you do? I liked what Big Mike showed me in reaction to that whole thing.

“This guy is A MAN, and he wants to be called Den Mother…I don’t git dat..ut uh.”

See, that was believable. Now the other cats talking all loud about how “he has to go” and showing out in the van ride that one time, I ooown know. To be honest, they kind of pushed me the other way on it. It’s always that semi suspect cat who is talking the most shit about an innocuous gay cat who just happens to be in his presence.

I can’t lie though, that pool trick they pulled was pretty much what the Dr. ordered.

Mike played it masterfully, it’s just too bad homey was in a shallow pool… I wanted to see him ass submerged and flailing like the cat he is…but what can you do?

Meanwhile, we got that little flashback from the ladies and their “Den Mother” incident… Now I watched Making the Band 3 and I don’t remember that Her-cu-les level clown causing a ruckus, banging out pots and pans and such. What I did make note of, however, was how hot Aubrey looked in those flashback pictures..

Yes, I know that’s airbrushed, but this one aint:

Dammit, now that’s what I’m talking about. I loved that young, fresh Aubrey… Many cocaine bumps and far too many weaves later, I feel like I don’t even know this Aubrey.

Baby girl, take those ridiculous headbands off, cut out that weave (you don’t need it), get some easy breezy cover girl natural looking face paint and get off them carbs!

You were looking less than tight during that run. I mean, what’s Aubrey without the smooth stomach? That’s her trademark. Just because you’ve got the Roger Clemens enhanced rack that doesn’t mean you need to go with the Rocket inspired enhanced stomach to boot. Appearance matters in your business, tighten it up.

Then of course, we had this week in “What the fuck is Aubrey talking about?”

This time it was her crazy rhetoric about how the songs they got weren’t right. I did love how that cat was hitting her with that low music industry level rhetoric as he reclined on that wild pool chair and basically gave her no burn.

Please note the bullshit sunglasses rocked at night. Ha. I really appreciate a solid dick move and this guy has it down. I liked that “do you know how many artists have made this mistake?” rhetoric he came with later. “You went platinum, you can’t complain about nothing”…..sure. They did go plat, but where’s the guap my man? On your wrist because it sure as hell aint going to Aubrey’s weave fund.

Dammit can that wig piece get any more ridiculous looking? Anybody ever wonder what happens to the women who actually grow these weaves out? Anyway…

Then Aubrey came with the classic, “I feel like this is a pimp and hoe relationship, I’m the hoe and I feel like I just got pimped.” Well, that will tend to happen when you project this:

I know, I know, this is empowering. It’s not about men, it was for YOU… your sexuality and embracing who you really are on the inside…uh huh.. If I call Playboy up will you move the hands?

Dude, the best thing about her “I’m a hoe” epiphany is that Aubrey unlocked the basic premise for all these fledgling groups. Puff is a pimp and no question, all yall cats are his hoes. You think you’re getting over when he puts you up in that Miami mansion, gets that studio time and flies in all those producers, only he’s not paying for that shit ultimately, YOU ARE….HOE. I’m just glad yall finally got around to figuring that shit out. I mean when the cat rolls up to you and says, “let’s get this money,” he’s talking about YOU getting HIS money, not him putting you in a position to make your own. Don’t believe me, go ask the Lox, Mary J., 112 and Ma$e…

– Lake

MTB4 – Episode 4, Aubrey v. Donnie

We didn’t do a post on Episode 3 because it was basically garbage and Lake don’t have the time for substandard programming, ok MTV? Nuff said.

I don’t know, I guess after that great Bitchassness Episode, anything would have been a letdown. So I watched the show, everything is going well…yeah yeah, the guys aren’t singing well, etc. Then they launch into this Donnie and Aubrey showmance, which is cool with me as long as the writers errrr two young love birds handle it right.

My first thought watching the whole thing was that Donnie really just needs more game. I know he’s young, but homey needs to learn how to set the agenda with these babes rather than even allow a low chick like Aubrey to create any semblance of expectations on “how she will be treated.” With most chicks this kind of analysis wouldn’t be necessary, but after watching this episode, it’s pretty clear that Aubrey is both crazy and delusional.

Now, delusional we can handle, it just means some name calling and badmouthing from her after he’s done hitting and quitting dat ass. But the crazy is a whole different thing all together. Anyway, on to the episode:

Topic 1 – Someone remind me if these cats can actually sing

Honestly, the hot thing about these guys when they started was that you just knew they were crazy talented with plenty of juice and charisma to carry the day. Now I’m sitting here scratching my head wondering what’s wrong with these dudes? I mean, I was on my way to taking Q off the “Might be Gay” watch list and I’m still committed to do that after he meets some necessary benchmarks and walks to Cooney Island to get me a Chocolate Elair, but it seems like as much as he progresses with Dawn, everything else about this group is just getting more and more random with each episode.

Just as a side bar, is Big Mike going to show an interest in a woman during the balance of this decade? I’m just wondering. Jeez. What happened to this cat? Back before he was a main cog in the show, now he’s basically just in the diary room running commentary like Lakey the Kang. Mike, get involved son! It’s one thing for these cats to be a bit odd, holler at basically no chicks and show little to no flavor, but what’s the deal with the actual music? If I hear one more Ahnk Ra inspired rendition of “Exclusive” I’m going to kill myself.

I mean, the least they could do is give us a remix with Dylan from Da Band/Rikers lacing an intro verse.

“Who da 5 baddest rappar evar alive? Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan and Dylan.”

I don’t care if they perform that shit is Fast, Slow and Medium it’s just beyond stale and completely played at this point and I like that song. First it was that never ending loop of “End of the Road” in season 1 and now this. Even Puff doesn’t get that shit.

And no, I don’t really get the differences Ankh Ra and Puff are talking about with this “you need to sing with emotion,” ok? That shit pretty much sounds the same to me. Just because a cat makes a crazy face or lifts up his hand in the air, that doesn’t make the song sound better.

Incidentally, Brian A. has the worst facial expressions in the entire Entertainment biz. Jeez. I’m really starting to not get that cat. And that wild blow up he had at Qwanell with that bitchy “all I know is you aren’t touching me” haaaaa, that was fucking awful, both for how unnecessary Brian’s reaction was given the nature of the conflict and how bitching Q was being. Ha. Now let’s get one thing straight here: when Q said Brian wasn’t going to touch him, it wasn’t because Q was going to actually do something, it was more about those 30 camera and crew members that were standing in the room with them. LOL.

Man, I don’t know. I like him and all, but this was not a good episode for Q. I mean, just look at this cat’s gear. Lord Jesus, Rochester stand up? Argg!

Topic 2 – Bros before hoes

Bitchassness was in the air when they taped that show for last night. First these cats sell Robert out to Diddy back in the day, now this. Look at how they handled the Donnie/Aubrey date situation. That whole, “Did yall kiss” and “Dude we kissed” exchange just shows how sensitive these creative types are. I mean, why are dudes sitting around with each other, blushing like some women, asking about what outfit he wore and whether he felt butterflies?! BE MEN!!!

If Brock came in after hanging out with Aubrey I’d ask him one question, “Did you hit?” and if the answer was no, I’d be asking “How long do you think it will take?” I’d ask that because 1. I’d already know Aubrey is NOT wife material, so that would cut off all discussion of respect and appropriate timing and 2. I’d know, given that she slums it with Kim Kardashian and Jenna Jameson, that she’s a hizzoe and definitely would give up the arse after a salad, bottle of Absolut and three lines of the coke, so what’s taking him so long?

Can you tell Jenna Jameson and Aubrey apart? To co-opt from Bossip, now I must ask, “Who’s done more bangin’?”

Anyway, I wasn’t pleased when I saw Q’s exercise in immaturity and hateration when he called Dawn and Aubrey down there to see Donnie with ole girl. What the hell was that? Definitely Bitchassness and completely unacceptable.

Q may not be gay, but he’s acting like a young ass kid who isn’t ready. Pretty terrible no matter how you slice it. Sorry Q, but you’re back on the Gay Watch List, with a threat level of Orange.

Topic 3 – Donnie on the Rise

Now I must say, despite his Bitchassness and tomfoolery back at the crib with “the boys,” which sadly is becoming more than just a cute nickname, young Donald started earning back his Lakey Bucks after he double booked the chicks that night.

Shouts to Dede (left), holla at me baby..

Just a side note about Double Booking. Come on people, everybody double books. It happens. If you’re a dude, it’s a necessary institution. You’ve got the chick you’re interested in for a more legitimate relationship (this should not be Aubrey, but I’ll humor Donnie) that you take to dinner and the chick you feel like you can hit that night that you may or may not be willing to get a towel for after you murked it. Nothing wrong with the double book, in fact, I regularly enjoy it myself.

Anyway, Donnie showed me a little something with that hot double booking move, but obviously the execution was all wrong. How are you going to be that reckless? Yes, Q screwed you, but so did the tv cameras. The point is you should have never been in that situation to begin with. Donnie is finally showing me something but we’ll need more. If he can fully rebound, knock off Aubrey and then get caught with another woman, his Jedi training will be complete.

Topic 4 – Aubrey v. Donnie

Meanwhile, again in this week in: What the Fuck is Aubrey Talking about?, In the aftermath of this alleged Donnie double date thing, Aubrey starts in about how Donnie isn’t her man (Ding) but that he just got off a date with her and is now on a date with a new babe and that he’s “Playing himself.”

(Oh, he’s from that part of Long Island.)

No, actually, if anyone is getting played here it would be YOU babygirl. You think Donnie just sits around in NYC without any tail?

Just because he’s shy and a bit corny doesn’t mean he’s not cutting something up. And by the way, while I agree Aubrey is fairly old for Donnie, why did that “other chick” sitting in the booth look all of 17 years old? Donnie, the younger the better, but keep ’em legal my man (and yes I know 17 is the age of consent in NY….don’t ax why).

Then they moved to Miami and of course the House is hot. Aubrey unsuccessfully tried to square Donnie up. Ahhhh this is where Donald really showed me something.

I truly appreciated how he went with that patented Lake Arlington reversal move and stood tall on that “I apologize for the way YOU took it” and then refused to legitimately apologize for whatever he did to her.

Just go ahead and put that “Donnie, if you want to play games like that, you should go and do that with regular girls” talk into Aubrey’s WhatDaFuckIzYouTalkinBout” pile.

Regular girls? “Chick” pleez. You mean unpretentious, cool women who don’t have the enhanced canz, fake hair, easy bake oven cooked-on face piece and plastic personality? Besides, Donnie is holding the high trump card and Aubrey is hardly dating gold. These “regular girls” in NYC and Miami are better looking, more looted and probably don’t have these silly delusions of grandeur Aubrey rolls with.

Is it just me or does that shirt look dirty? Come on now. This chick just has no concept for how eligible Donnie is versus how played she’ll be inside of 18 months. Overall, I gotta give Donnie credit for how he handled Aubrey, who clearly was looking for the cat to come crawling back to her. That didn’t happen. Good shit Donnie on that offer to be friends given her crazy and unnecessary roll up on your and ole girl in the restaurant. You can’t give a chick incentive to get aggressive on you, especially when it’s not your lady. And no, that silly line about Aubrey’s “friendship taking time” doesn’t change a thing. When Donnie said “I just want to be friends” what he meant was, “I don’t want to fuck with you beyond friendship because you’re literally not worth the trouble, you’re fired!” LOL. These chicks are hilarious. Aubrey, Donnie aint gonna be chasing you, not for tail, not as a lady and certainly not for your “friendship” unless that “friendship” includes microphone checks in that second floor pool overlooking the Miami skyline.

I must say though, that Aubrey song where she walked toward Donnie on that whole “Why was I such a fool to believe in you and now you’ve lost me” was pretty good. HA.. She finally got him on that one. Score one for the ladies.. nice.

– Lake

MTB4: Do you have ‘bitchassness’ in you?

WOW, again Diddy delivers a solid episode replete with highs and lows on the music tip and staged eerrrr real life human drama between the different Bands. Oh and he coined a new term: Bitchassness, but we’ll get to that later.

Incidentally, can we get a name for the guy’s band? I’m tired of saying Willie ‘n Dem. Oh hell, someone just hit me up saying the name of the group is “Day26.” Umm, I don’t get or like it, but whatever.

Now before we get into the episode, we’ll have a part of this post I’ll call, What the fuck is Aubrey talking about?

Last week it was that ridiculous talk about “do you understand who you’re riding with, this is Danity Fucking Kane” and “I got out with my friends and they take pictures of my boobs”… Come on player. Anyway, this week in “what the fuck is Aubrey talking about” is in regard to her assessment of Robert:

“Like, I think he’s so talented and all but his ego is like his problem. I saw that he was out of control and like, he just doesn’t know who he is yet.”

Now, of course, everything she said was true, but we don’t need that from her. Again, baby, you’re not hot. You’re an entertainment geriatric at 25 years of age with plastic lips and large balloons stapled to your chest piece.

You shouldn’t be talking about ANYBODY. Though she does not look bad there. Ha.. I can’t lie.

Anyway, I found the rest of the show to be pretty entertaining:

1. Puff calls out Robert’s Bitchassness:

Look anybody who has watched the show for a while understands that Robert is crazy talented. I’d say that homey has the best voice even. But best voice doesn’t necessarily mean you get all the shine or that all the songs will be right for you to take the lead. Homey just needs to play his position and be cool. Now, we know MTV can hit you with the ill editing to make it look like you’re fucking up in the booth while talking hella shit, but that’s exactly what we saw.

Robert failing to come through, then turning around and talking like a disgruntled woman. I don’t want to hear that shit. Just be cool, sing the songs, fall back when necessary and start actually coming through with the goods in the booth.

But that’s not what homey was doing and eventually, the fellow band mates essentially caused a mutiny. What was hilarious about it was that the cat who acted like he didn’t want to say anything, Brian, is the exact cat who went ahead and dimed Robert out to Puff. I mean, they just did Robert wrong. Showed him no respect at all:

Diddy: Why do yall sound so bad? Is there a problem within the group?

Brian: Yeah, I’ve got a problem with Robert, we all do.

Robert: Why didn’t yall come to me with this?

Willie: Every time I deal with you dog, you be on some real ego trip shit.

Robert: Dog, my feelings are just hurt (mistake).

Puff: Robert, you not the leader of the fucking group

Rob: Blink blink, sob sob

Puff: You aint the lead singer of the fuckin group!

Dude, that was ill. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for Robert or any more embarrassing, then Puff got the rock, pushed the muthafucka out on the break and dunked on Robert before he could establish position.

Dude, it was ill:

Diddy: There’s a very contagious disease that’s in our community of Bitchassness.

Robert: (still reeling and downright speechless at the disloyalty from the fellas)

Diddy: Do you have some bitchassness in you?

Robert: (No response, but this picture gave all the response that was necessary)

Puff: No real talk. DO YOU?! (and he really squared him up on that uncle who is allowed to lay hands on you level)

Rob: Nah

Diddy: Because I saw some bitchassness in you by the way you handled shit with your girl. (Argh, that shit reminded me of that “don’t be pussy whipped, whip that pussy, bang, bang, bang” speech Dude’s Pops gave Eddie Murphy in Boomerang..et tu Puff-ay?)

Diddy: There will be no bitchassness at Bad Boy!

Then Diddy walked out as he was literally laughing and so was I.

Lordy.. I mean, where do I begin. Oh yeah, isn’t this the same shit I said back in the day with regard to his girl June? I mean, for real. This cat just let ole girl speak any ole way to him while homey was stepping out of the group and just generally acting bitchy. I told homey then to lose that chick as she was nothing but trouble. Then I went into Lakey PI mode and unearthed some pictures of her to try and understand why in the hizzell he’d ever let a chick punk him like that on national tv.

Uh huh…

Ok, I see it a lil bit. Baby girl is ok, especially for a middle tier ’round the way girl, but he had to know that her rhetoric was punishable by death as far as that relationship goes. I mean, you’re about to be a star and you’re letting ole girl pop off like dat?

Hells no. Diddy saw it, Lakey saw it…hell, you know the bandmates saw it. It’s like ole boy told Eddie Kane, Jr. when Baby Doll rushed in on them, “Eddie, you aint got your woman in check?” Rob, the cat is out of the bag and unfortunately, the cat is YOU. Get your mind right homey and “make that change.”

Seriously, go watch “The Mack” or check out how Ike Turner used to run things. Something, anything, but you gonna have to do better, son.

And that little run-in you had with “D. Woods” (Why?) wasn’t much better, either.

I mean, damn kid. If you and June weren’t together anymore and the myspace wasn’t a big deal, don’t get mad, just play it cool. Instead you tried to lash out and really live up to those “you’re just a drama king” words that June hit you with during season one. Anyway, you went from possibly getting with D. Woods to her throwing you the now outlawed NFL slasher sign also known as the international symbol for “loser, say no more.”

Damn, ugly. Don’t argue with them, just placate, pimpulate like John Brown from the White Rapper Show and make em wait like my man Richie McDay says in the BK, alright?

2. Qwanell continues to earn masculinity points

Hey, I must say, Q showed me some more progress tonight and I’m happy to report it. I don’t know, there’s just something new about this cat.

I guess what we’re really seeing is a young cat who is finally growing up. Dude just has a different swagger all together. I’m not sure if it was staged or not, but homey was laying his game down quite flat with Dawn. I mean, homey had her on the ropes. I especially liked how he told her that “women love my look” and “yes, I’d say I’m a ladies man.” Then he promptly followed that up with an appropriate compliment for Dawn. Very nice.

I guess those lessons at the Lake School of Pimpology up there in Rochester paid off, huh? Anyway, he’s not out of the “might be gay woods yet,” for that he’d have to knock off Dawn, leave her and then re-up with a badder chick, but it’s a step in the right direction. Q, I’m definitely feeling you right now (no homo). Keep at it, son.

3. The Church foolishness at the end

After all kinds of wildness throughout the episode, the Bands needed to go to Church to wash those sins away. Aubrey had her hand in the air like she was a 43 year old black woman from Macon, GA givin’ praise, only she had her “earthly flesh” dutifully exposed and a sarcastic grin upon her enhanced grill piece. Donnie played the roll of the white dude who had never been to a holy rollin’ black Church. Standard rhetoric from him, “It just had so much energy and it was good to be a part of ‘that’.” Let me translate that for you guys, “What the fuck was that?” Come on now, you know Donnie is Catholic and you know he has never seen anything like that, least of all that damn funky chicken dance Q did when he “caught the spirit.” Yeah, that dance was like if you took the Alpha train and the A-Town Stomp smashed them together in a most unholy union and then just pushed double fast forward on your dvr. It was wild.

Let me ask yall spirit catchers a question, why is it that the spirit gets caught in some churches and not others? What about speaking in tongues? Why is that only limited to a few spots? I can’t figure it out. I know, I know, I just need to come to know Him like Q, Robert, Aubrey and Big Mike. One day.

– Lake