When Lil Wayne was named the headlining act of the 2011 MTV VMAs, there were expectations that the New Orleans rapper would put on one of the most memorable performances in VMA history.
Several weeks prior to the show, MTV promoted the VMAs with commercials and online ads featuring Lil Wayne. Fans on Twitter also voiced their anticipation of Lil Wayne’s closing act. Unfortunately, Lil Wayne’s performance may be remembered as the show’s most underwhelming headliner.
After the video of the year award was presented, Lil Wayne hit the stage to sing his hit single, “How To Love.” Although the song’s lyrics were poignant, Lil Wayne did nothing exciting. His performance went from lethargic to awful once he decided to take off his shirt and reveal his sagging jeggings. His androgynous wardrobe choice was off-putting and a misrepresentation of hip-hop.
But Lil Wayne appeared to be distancing himself from hip-hop with a rock version of his song, “John.” Backed by a live band, Lil Wayne rapped profanity-laced lyrics that were bleeped out, jumped across the stage and pulled a few strings on an electric guitar before slamming the instrument to the ground.
He later dropped the mic and ended the brutal six-minute performance that lacked any form of stage direction, innovation or uniformity.
For a guy who claims to be the best rapper alive, he somehow found a way to be the worst performer of the evening. –a.r.
