Sunday, Feb. 08, 2009
"Swagga Like Us," Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I., Kanye West, M.I.A.
Introduced as a "rap pack," by Queen Latifah, the four giants of contemporary rap put on the most energetic performance of the night, if not the most even. Jay-Z and T.I. never could find the rhythm, while Lil Wayne — who rasped through his verse with the wit and control of Miles Davis — continued to put distance between himself and everyone else in the contest for best rapper on the planet. But the most praise goes to nine-months pregnant M.I.A. for performing in a polka dotted unitard ON HER DUE DATE! Amy Poehler must feel like such a wuss.
Grade: A-