The MTV Video Music Awards resembled an armed fortress last night as hundreds of nervous cops and private security officers attempted to prevent more violence following the shooting of rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight.
“MTV has a zero-tolerance policy in regards to weapons, and we take appropriate security precautions to ensure the safety of our guests,” the network said in a statement.
And while security stopped short of frisking the dozens of top music superstars attending and performing at the red-hot Miami gala, they carefully searched bags and eyeballed and quizzed guests to determine whether they might be packing heat.
Heavily armed counterterrorism teams were out in force at the American Airlines Arena to sweep for explosives and weapons.
Knight, the founder of Death Row Records, was blasted in the leg early yesterday at a party at the Shore Club thrown by rapper Kanye West.
The shooting was the second jinx on the hip-hop-heavy gathering, which had squeaked by the worst of Hurricane Katrina, only to be thrown into more turmoil.
There were more than double the usual number of security guards backstage and around the auditorium, where Diddy hosted performers such as West, Mariah Carey, Green Day, R. Kelly, Shakira, Kelly Clarkson and others.
The coveted astronaut-shaped MTV Moonman award – the music-video equivalent to the Oscar – is important to artists because it can instantly boost album sales.
Performers like Gwen Stefani have gone onto Hollywood, thanks to their exposure in videos – with the “No Doubt” singer being cast as Jean Harlow opposite Leonardo DiCaprio’s Howard Hughes in “The Aviator.”
And groups who come on strong in their videos can make big bucks hawking products and getting concert sponsorships.
U2 got a lucrative deal with Apple that included them performing the hit “Vertigo” on an iPod TV spot, as well as a special U2 iPod player fans could buy already downloaded with their music.
Winners also get more rota tion on MTV, and its shows like “Total Request Live.”
Hyped to the max, MTV organizers proclaimed the this year’s event as the network’s “biggest and most outrageous night.”
Uh, not exactly.
With skittish sponsors worrying about their images, MTV censors kept their fingers on the bleep button last night.
They made sure most of the foul language uttered by winners and performers was edited out.