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Hip Hop Awards 2007
R1 - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Pat Pilon (7th April 2008). |
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The Show
 Kanye West booms on stage, opening the awards show with tremendous energy, driving the audience wild. There couldn't be a better choice to open, because 2 awards in, he wins the 'Move the Crowd' award. Even more indicative, this show seems to be about keeping hip hop alive, as many performers talk about rumors saying hip hop is dead. Everybody involved emphasizes their love of the music and of the fans. Performances by Lil' Wayne, Common and Soulja Boy really help the crowd get into in and keep the energy high. The crowd is really into the music and the performers deliver. They give their all and make this a great show. It's also very nice to see the likes of Wyclef and fellow Canuck Kardinal Offishall freestylin' between commercial breaks. It gives the show a nice feel. The awards are entertaining enough, but overall the music is that's important here. The feel and the energy presented in the venue is incredible. The performers, I'm sure, had no trouble getting pumped up for the show, because the scant shots of the audience show that they're digging the music. With performers like Nelly, KRS-One, Ciara, LL Cool J and Common in attendance this was no doubt the best place to be for hip hop in 2007. Awards shows are usually not transferred to DVD (anybody spending the countless hours watching the Oscars will possibly realize why), but this is a good start. It's never boring and the music is great. Seeing all these singers being honored is just the icing on the cake.
Video
1.33:1 full screen. Being an awards show, the picture is good enough for TV, but won't win any transfer awards. The contrast is a bit stiff, but colors are always reproduced faithfully. There's also no bleeding or banding, which is good. Compression problems are kept to a minimum, so noise and edge enhancement are never a problem. Overall, the picture, I'm guessing, is a good representation of what was presented on television.
Audio
The show is in English, in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, and it does a very nice job reproducing the music throughout the show. When the bass gets thumping, the sub gets active and pumps out those low frequencies so necessary for hip hop. The stereo sound is spread pretty well over the front speakers, though separation is very minimal. The people giving and receiving awards are also heard very clearly. It's a shame the range is fairly limited, because with a 5.1 track or a DTS track, the music could have been reproduced even more faithfully and vibrantly. There are no subtitles.
Extras
The only real extra here is T.I.'s Rehearsal (10:25). It has the performers having fun before the show, preparing their act, making sure everything looks okay and sounds okay. It's basically an extra musical performance, because, aside from the missing legions of fans, there's really not much difference. There's also a Preview (which is also a start-up trailer). 'American Gangster' (1:08) is here, and it's not the movie, it's the BET show.
Packaging
The DVD comes in a standard keep case, with secure clips on the front.
Overall
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