Cardi B leads MTV VMA nods
Beyonce and Jay-Z win 8 nominations
NEW YORK, July 17, (Agencies): Fast-rising rapper Cardi B on Monday topped nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Jay-Z and Beyonce’s ornate work shot at the Louvre and the politically charged “This is America” also enjoyed recognition.
Cardi B, who in little more than a year has become one of the most prominent women in the male-dominated world of hip-hop, received 10 nominations for the awards show that will take place on Aug 20 in New York.
The Bronx native born as Belcalis Almanzar was in the running in both hip-hop and Latin categories as well as Artist of the Year and Best New Artist.
The 25-year-old, who recently became a mother, was nominated for Video of the Year as the featured artist on “Finesse” by funk revivalist Bruno Mars. The video pays tribute to “In Living Color,” the trailblazing African American television comedy show of the early 1990s.
Cardi B stormed into pop culture prominence last year with “Bodak Yellow,” a song in which she touches on her former life making ends meet as a dancer, but was controversially passed over at the latest Grammy Awards -which Mars dominated.
Beyonce and Jay-Z were nominated for eight awards, all for “Ape…,” the meticulously attired and tightly choreographed production shot at the Louvre, opening with music’s first couple standing like a painting in front of the Mona Lisa.
“Ape…,” was part of the surprise album “Everything is Love” by “The Carters,” who celebrated their marriage in soulful hip-hop after a rough patch that was thoroughly aired in previous music.
Childish Gambino and Drake each received seven nominations. Childish Gambino, the hip-hop alter ego of actor Donald Glover, received all his nods for “This is America,” his much-discussed meditation on the contemporary political landscape of the United States.
The video for “This is America,” directed by Hiro Murai, depicts Glover in acts of violence that reflect gun massacres and racism in the United States, complemented with dancing in homage
Customer,” which was released in June.
The clip, which was directed by artist and fellow Sub Pop musician Chad VanGaalen, is some kind of commentary on contemporary dating, with surreal characters looking at dating apps and a crystal to African traditions.
“This is America” was also in the running for best Video With a Message as MTV for the second straight year tried to capture the political moment by honoring works with an activist bent.
Other contenders in the category include rapper Logic’s “1-800-2738255,” named for an anti-suicide help number and featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid, and feminist singer Janelle Monae’s “Pynk,” whose video depicts her at a slumber party with other women bonding over a shared love of their ….
Drake, rarely seen as a political artist, was nominated for Video With a Message for “… Plan,” in which he doles out charity money, while emerging Canadian singer Jessie Reyez is in the running for “Gatekeeper,” a #MeToo-era song about an established music producer who tries to pressure her into sex.
Culture
Despite the serious side, the MTV Video Music Awards is best known for made-for-the-cameras pop culture moments with less attention paid to who ultimately wins than the music industry’s Grammys.
Previous spectacles at the VMAs have included Lady Gaga sporting a dress made of meat, Britney Spears and Madonna locking lips and Kanye West declaring his aspirations for the White House.
Like other awards shows, MTV has been coping with declining viewership as audiences are increasingly spoiled for choice on what to watch. List of nominees
Video of the year: Ariana Grande — “No Tears Left to Cry” — Republic Records; Bruno Mars ft Cardi B — “Finesse (Remix)” — Atlantic Records; Camila Cabello ft Young Thug — “Havana” — Syco Music/Epic Records; The Carters — “APE…” — Roc Nation/Parkwood Entertainment; Childish Gambino — “This Is America” — mcDJ / RCA Records; Drake — “… Plan” — YMCMB/Cash Money/Republic Records
Artist of the year: Ariana Grande — Republic Records; Bruno Mars — Atlantic Records; Camila Cabello — Syco Music/Epic Records; Cardi B —
ball that gives recommendations. Misty himself makes a cameo toward the end of the video — in animated form, of course, riding on a winged piano while holding a drink.
Misty (aka
Josh Tillman)
is currently on Atlantic Records; Drake — YMCMB/ Cash Money/Republic Records; Post Malone — Republic Records
Song of the year: Bruno Mars ft Cardi B — “Finesse (Remix)” — Atlantic Records; Camila Cabello ft Young Thug — “Havana” — Syco Music/Epic Records; Drake — “… Plan” — YMCMB/Cash Money/Republic Records; Dua Lipa — “New Rules” — Warner Bros. Records; Ed Sheeran — “Perfect” — Atlantic Records; Post Malone ft 21 Savage — “rockstar” — Republic Records
Best new artist: Bazzi — iamcosmic/Atlantic Records; Cardi B — Atlantic Records; Chloe x Halle — Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records; Hayley Kiyoko — Atlantic Records; Lil Pump — Warner Bros Records; Lil Uzi Vert — Atlantic Records
Best collaboration: Bebe Rexha ft Florida Georgia Line — “Meant to Be” — Warner Bros Records; Bruno Mars ft Cardi B — “Finesse (Remix)” — Atlantic Records; The Carters — “APE…” — Roc Nation/Parkwood Entertainment; Jennifer Lopez ft DJ Khaled & Cardi B — “Dinero” — Epic Records/Nuyorican Productions; Logic ft Alessia Cara & Khalid — “1-800273-8255” — Def Jam Recordings; N.E.R.D & Rihanna — “Lemon” — i am OTHER/Columbia Records
Push artist of the year: July 2018 — Chloe x Halle — Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records; June 2018 — Sigrid — Island Records; May 2018 — Lil Xan — Columbia Records; April 2018 — Hayley Kiyoko — Atlantic Records; March 2018 — Jessie Reyez — Island Records; February 2018 — Tee Grizzley — 300 Entertainment; January 2018 — Bishop Briggs — Island Records; December 2017 — Grace VanderWaal — Syco Music/Columbia Records; November 2017 — Why Don’t We — Atlantic Records; October 2017 — Pretty much — Syco Music/Columbia Records; September 2017 — SZA — TDE/Aftermath/Interscope Records; August 2017 — Kacy Hill — Def Jam Recordings; July 2017 — Khalid — RCA Records; June 2017 — Kyle — Atlantic Records; May 2017 — Noah Cyrus — Republic Records
a North American tour, with dates at San Francisco’s Outside Lands and the Austin City Limits Festival.
In his review of the Los Angeles show, Variety’s Chris Willman wrote: “The songs he performed from ‘… Favorite Customer’ — (very) arguably his best effort to date — localize his despondency, which now has to do with losing or letting go of love, a subject that manages not to be more mundane in his hands. (RTRS)
ORLANDO, Fla:
A 70-year-old man with a pre-existing heart condition died after having a heart attack while in a wave pool at Walt Disney World.
The unnamed man’s death was listed Monday on a quarterly report of injuries at Florida’s largest theme parks.
The man was at a wave pool at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park last month when he had the heart attack. No further details were given.
The report also says a 43-year-old man on the Mission: Space ride at Epcot briefly lost consciousness last month and a 27-year-old woman went into labor after going on a bumpy safari ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in April.
Florida’s largest theme parks, with at least 1,000 employees, aren’t subject to state inspections, but they do have to report injuries every quarter. (AP)