Detox

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout
But there is no Ke$ha in Riffville – DJ Cohen has struck out.

Alas, the boys at Rad Deth (and Alex Smithee) created this wonderful cover for naught:

Unlesssss…someone else named Ben wants to compile a 2012 year-end mix. AnyBenny?


For some time now, I've been developing a Super Bowl halftime show for Kanye West in my head. One version featured a Dropout Bear hologram performing the first verse of "All of the Lights" before shoop da whoop-ing into thin air.

The current version:

Concept: Michael Jackson's videography.

As Super Bowl halftime show stage design can't involve a background, the stage is a gigantic rectangular LED display. The LED display is the stage. Participants perform (stand) on the LED display.

1. "Power"
MJ video inspiration: "Remember the Time"

LED display video – Iman to Eddie Murphy: Can my pharaoh find some way to entertain his queen?

A man in a hooded robe walks on stage. Song begins. Kanye disrobes. He's dressed like Michael in the "Remember the Time" video and supported by women who are dressed Egyptian-y. "I'm living in the 21st century…"

2. "Stronger"
MJ video inspiration: "Scream"

Already wearing black pants, Kanye quickly throws off the chain mail and skirt he's wearing, and throws on a black shirt before his first verse begins (30 seconds). He performs with white/grayscale futuristic video graphics underneath him.


overhead shot of Kanye briefly lying on stage

3. "No Church in the Wild" (sans Jay-Z verse)
MJ video inspiration: "Smooth Criminal" / "Billie Jean"

"Stronger" segues into "No Church in the Wild." Kanye exits the stage to change. Frank Ocean performs the chorus and his verse dressed in a white suit and fedora. He anti-gravity leans during the decrescendo in his verse ("Your love is my scripture").

Kanye returns for his verse dressed as Michael in the "Billie Jean" video. The LED display lights up as he moves like the "Billie Jean" sidewalk.

4. "Niggas in Paris"
MJ video inspiration: "Thriller" / "Bad" / "Black or White"

Kanye exits the stage to change. Jay-Z performs his verse wearing a red "Thriller" jacket, supported by a drumline made up as zombies. Kanye returns at the first chorus wearing a "Bad" jacket, supported by a second drumline dressed as gang members.

"I'm definitely in my zone zone zone…" The show concludes with Kanye morphing into a black panther on the LED display and sauntering into a dark alley.


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