Making the Band 4: Diddy makes the band in the Live Finale

CHECK OUT OUT NEW COVERAGE OF MAKING THE BAND 4, Season 2, Episode 1 right HERE.

Alright folks, so he made the damn thing. First let’s run down who actually made the band.

1. Robert

No shocker here. Robert is crazy talented and brings plenty to the table. Nobody with a shred of common sense has him out of the band, except perhaps his lady, June, who was conspicuously absent from the crowd during the show. I guess he took my advice and dropped her after seeing how crazy she made him look on the show.

2. Willie

Again, pro forma, you just had to have Willie in this band. He’s got the talent, he’s a cool cat, he’s got the ladies love factor and he’s older (26 I believe), so he brings a level of maturity and professionalism that you need. I think this cat was a plant from jump since he’s written songs for Joe and other artists, but I’m good with it. You gotta like Willie.

3. Big Mike

Ok, for all you Big Mike haters, especially those from the hoods of Boston, the people have spoken and Large Miguel is officially in the building. The funny thing is just how much juice this cat Mike has picked up from the show. He was clearly the most popular contestant tonight at the Live Finale. I also enjoyed how he addressed that chick who asked him about his weight loss. “Either way, large or small, Imma still be sexy baby”. Go ‘head Big Mike. I look forward to seeing you on part two of the MTB4.

4. Qwanell

Ok, now we’re getting down to the meat of this whole thing. I can’t lie, I didn’t foresee Q Making this band. Sure there were references to him being the best dancer in the house. He was clearly a cool cat and no question he could sing. But I just didn’t think he represented that bad boy cat. Didn’t think he had enough base in that voice…. ya know, enough strength in those steps. Interestingly, though, when they showed some of the show outtakes, Q looked a little bit like one of the guys. Then when they did that slow version of “Exclusive” he really ripped his part, so I was thinking, “where was this Q all show long?” Well, clearly Diddy saw the ability in this cat. Anyway, he’s in the band and all of Rochester, NY is happy for him. Good sh*t.

5. Brian A.

Ok, I was dead up surprised at this selection. I said in the past that the only way Brian A. could make that band was if they had 5 members. There’s no question that he was helped out when Puff announced that he was going take 5 guys. At any rate, D’Angelo has got to be pissed right about now. Brian A. dead up took his spot and honestly, I don’t really get it. Again, I think it’s a professional call. This cat Brian A. is older, married with a kid and really a level-headed, cool cat. If this band will have longevity, he’ll be a integral part of it. I’m good with this selection, but you got to wonder if D’Angelo or even Jeremy has more talent than Brian.

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Live Blog

Anyway, anyone who watched the Live Finale knows how random the show was. It’s kind of hard to blog about it because it was just all kind of jumbled together. Almost like they had never done this before, but I guess that’s what happens when things are live. I was doing a running tally of what was going on below. These comments were what was going through my head during the telecast:

10:18 PM: My lady asks me to turn on MTB4 Live Finale. She asked me as if I wasn’t aware it was coming on tonight. Doesn’t she know I keep at least a 30 minute tivo delay on all events so I can fast forward through the commercials? Women.

10:22 PM: Oh, lord! Sway, the biggest clown ever to grab an MTV microphone (yes, he’s worse than both Downtown Julie Brown AND Paulie Shore) is the host of this show. Jeez.. Now I must prepare myself for that ridiculous hat, his asinine commentary, gratuitous dack riding (even though you can tell Sway hates everyone he interviews) and terrible, corn-ball slang words and phrases. “Real talk” comes to mind. Sway is canned and terrible. Did I say I hate his hat?

10:25 PM: Ok, dudes in tuxes, Puff gets introduced and then they introduced the “Dream Team”. Ok, Mike Bivins, B. Cox, Ankh Ra in a mock turtle neck, snap collar blazer piece, Slam and “the lovely choreographer Jamaica” are introduced.. Jamaica? Terrible, some of yall chicks need to know you can’t rock that high waist. Where is Laurie Ann?

(this is literally a picture of LA at a party in NYC last month. Crazy)

And more importantly, who in the hell is Jamaica and why are they introducing a chick who literally never did a damn thing on the show? Maybe she’s Puff’s latest bangout. Moving on…

10:29 PM: Puff says he’s going to break them up into two groups for the “challenge”. I’m beginning to realize this format is not good TV. Maybe they should have hired the Flavor of Love producers to make this thing run smoothly. A Challenge? We here to figure out “who in the door” for Making the Band 4… this aint Survivor China (which quietly I’m hyped for). They’re going to have them both do the same song, GREAT. You mean the one song song you had? No, they’re signing a New Edition song…

10:35 PM: Ok, the first group is out there. Robert, Qwanell, Dyshon, Donnie and D’Angelo. Ok, this is cool. Donnie and Q sound better than I remember. Damn, Dyshon is off key, trying to steal juice like he did with that white jacket. Sorry bro, it aint gonna get you in this band… You got about as much of a chance making this band as I do and right now I’m sitting left couch, hand on my remote.

10:40 PM: The second group comes out to sing the same song – we’ve got Brian A., Jeremy, Brian H., Willie, and Big Mike. My impression is that Jeremy can sing.. but that first high note was a bit tart.. “then whyyyyy-EYE?” OK, he’s back on track. Fellas, it’s a good song, what’s with all the runs? Oh, Brian H was off key… LOL, What a cat. Willie was good a expected. Big Mike was hot, crowd loves him.

10:45 PM: Oh, time for a cut and damn. Yeah, let’s get out the damn hatchet. I don’t like the format of the show. Diddy cuts – Dyshon and says that he’s a better as a solo artist. “You’re going to see him, so don’t say awww..” Uh, no you will NOT be seeing Dyshon in the muisc buiness unless he’s boxing CDs in the stock room at Circuit City, ok? Sorry. Seems like a cool enough guy, but he wasn’t built for the band. Next.

10:48 PM: Back from commercial -oh, Dyshon’s parents are there for support. His pops looks like Twista, moms looks surprisingly decent for a mom-dukes.. Damn, all I can think is that she must have had him young because she looks like she’s 35 years old and Dyshon looks what, 30 errr 23?

10:50 PM: Awww, I’m all caught up on my tivo. Not that ballad version of “Exclusive” and why didn’t Puff know the name of the song?… My first thought is that this will be terrible. We’ll see. Music comes in and then the corn ball rhetoric starts. “Dis is for all da special ladies” … Ut ohhh Donnie on the piano.. Nice. Qwanell is actually selling it to me (no homo), this cat is looking like a star. Where was all this juice during the show? Robert never disappoints. No question this cat is hype. Nice to see Robert’s P fro as finally grown in right. Willie, solid as ever. Brian H honestly sounds solid, but I don’t like him, so I don’t want to hear that shit… Jeremey is predictably hot with the slow song. Has the great pure voice with the tone. He best belt it out, because it’s the last song he’ll ever sing on anyone’s tv is what I’m thinking… great talent, but he’s got the personality of bargain basement mannequin. As expected, Brian A. almost pops his vein in his forhead trying to sing too hard… Thank you young lady in the crowd for grabbing his hand and smoothing him out. Big Mike gets love…. Ok, now they’re all just singing too loud.. Where is the NYPD when you need them? Oh, here comes another cut.

10:40 PM: Diddy cuts – “Brian from Tallahassee, I mean from Jacksonville” everyone is thinking what I’m thinking, which one is that? Then the camera pans onto the terrible bean pole with his hand over his head like the woman he is.

Perfect. Oh, yeah, Young Joc is going to be performing, What, “It’s going down again?” Oh hail naw, it’s some song off his new album.

10:45 PM: Ok, that was an easy cut. Diddy drops that same ole line, “we bought to make history” oh , here comes Danity Kane. Hmm… Shannon looking mighty cute in the shawt shorts as she walks by the camera. We may have to issue that thick white woman APB on her. “Don’t they look beautiful?” Diddy asks. Answer, yes.

10:53 PM: Dawn talks about the process. Ok, she’s too serious with that Kanye what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger rhetoric. Thank goodness Brian H is gone. Oh, Aubrey says it “I don’t know how many times I had to change my hair color for this man..” OK, that’s not going to have settle down those rumors that you were getting cut up by Puff love. I know you don’t care, those rumors make you relevant.

10:55 PM: D Woods looks like someone’s mom and now is talking like one. So much for her magazine spreads and video shoots, I guess the airbrush can make anyone look tight.

She said “don’t hold anything back..” hmmm, I Don’t like this. Oh young Joc’s album is in store on Tuesday, I’ll be certain NOT to buy. Sorry, but you gotta earn my free download, so you know a cat has to get the Lakey Lifetime Achievement Award in order for me to actually buy their disc.

11:00 PM: Live tv sucks.. My lady wants to watch the “Slowsky” commercial, you know those turtles who want their internet to run slower?

Ok, that’s only funny if you have Comcast.. alright, it’s not funny even if you do. I’m just pissed that I’m about to be live, I thought this was an hour long show. Young Joc is worthless to me. “Coffee shop” -the beat is actually decent. I always just wonder who that dude is in the back who does nothing but say “shop” “uhn”… “heeeey”… I’m not really feeling this. Oh look, another middle aged cat, he must be talented because he sure doesn’t have “the look”..Oh ok, it’s Gorrilla Zoe. You gotta have talent to get on stage looking like that.

11:06 PM: Oh, that’s funny, I’ve got closed captioning on and it just said “when we come back, Diddy will be “pimping the band””.. who are these people they get to closed caption and haven’t the members of our deaf community suffered enough already? I keep closed captioning on a lot, these people are horrible at actually doing their job.

11:10 PM: Diddy gets ready to pick the band. Sway, the one trick pony, again tells Diddy that he doesn’t envy him, even though he does but just for other reasons. Terrible. Sway is a necessary evil I guess. If I never saw him, that head, that hair or those wraps/hats again, I think I’d be just about satisfied with how my life turned out.

11:13 PM: Ok, now what in the hell is Puff doing with this nonsense of step up and step back. This is horrible. Now all of yall step back…. AAAAHNNT.

11:16 PM: Diddy announces he’s going to make a 5 man group. Just remember I told yall so.

11:18 PM: Oh, here comes another cut – oh no.. Robert is told that he made the band. How much better does he look with his haircut?

11:19 PM: Willie makes the band. My lady approves.

11:20 PM: Q makes the band!!! WOW. That’s a bit of a surprise, but I like it. Not looking so good for Donnie with Big Mike still out there in a guaranteed slot.

11:24 PM: Oh DAMN!!! Brian made it. I’m happy for the dude and I’m sure his kid is clapping, but damn. He’s not a top 5 talent in my estimation.

11:25 PM: Ok, that means Big Mike… oh yes, there’s the Big Mike nod. Oh, and Donnie got a solo deal. Man, I feel bad for Jeremy and D’Angelo. They didn’t get any kind of shine and no discussion of why they didn’t make the band. They just got to sing and dance a little bit followed by the peace sign. That’s life I guess.

Looking forward to these dudes cutting their album. Also should be decent to see Donnie get in the mix with his solo career. I’ll be looking out.

-Lake