By Alexander Allen
The MTV Video Music Awards held their first-ever block party in downtown NYC, at the Oculus Plaza, from 12pm – 4pm. A first for a well-oiled machine of an event, that has taken place for 39 years, is quite rare. What a cool event leading up to the main event on Tuesday, September 12, in Newark, N.J., at the Prudential Center? One of the main reasons why the VMAs has been my favorite award show, for close to four decades, is that they completely take over NYC and make my hometown even more electric. Besides NYC, the VMAs have taken place in Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas, Inglewood, Newark, and Brooklyn. In my expert pop-culture opinion, “Music’s most iconic night,” this year’s tagline, belongs in the world’s most iconic city, NYC. Secondly, in Brooklyn. The block party, which was hosted by MTV’s Dometi Pongo and WCBS’ Alecia Reid, contained all of the key elements: tunes by DJ CherishTheLuv, gaming (mini golf, Connect Four, a personal favorite of mine, and Corn Hole), food, beer garden, live performances from Amaarae, Alexander Stewart, and Warner Records’ Jenna Raine, live art, and giveaways (screen printing merch and VMAs tickets) and photo-ops, including Mr. Flower Fantastic’s MTV Topiary Moon Person. Fun times! I look forward to adding the block party to my yearly VMAs rounds.
