S. Samuel
With R&B coming under fire with sexually-charged music videos from Rihanna and Keri Hilson as of late, SOHH hit up Lloyd to get his take on his genre getting slammed for perceived controversial content.
From Lloyd’s eyes, videos like RiRi’s “S&M” and Hilson’s “Love Me” express art but also the youth’s maturity and interest in sex.
“Yeah man, it’s good,” Lloyd told SOHH about Rihanna and Keri Hilson’s racy videos. “I mean, I don’t even think they’re spicy I just think that for a long time [the music industry] has mostly been controlled by us, the young people. I mean, the biggest names in R&B right now are probably all under the age of 25 or right there at 25. I just think what you’re seeing is people growing up and exploring our sexualities on-camera and expressing themselves, you know. Not in a negative way, even though it may be offensive to some people, it’s not negative. It’s just an expression of what’s art. I think it’s always been controversial even in these times.” (SOHH)
As of this week, RiRi’s “S&M” music video has been banned in nearly a dozen countries.
The diva is back with her new single S&M – and the video is so steamy, it’s already been banned from 11 countries and counting. The vid features 22-year-old RiRi, writhing around in white latex (“with lube”, she says), sucking a banana (“I made ’em give me a spit bucket in between takes”), wearing bondage gear and simulates sex with a lifesize doll. And the words to the song are just as dirty as the images. “Sex in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it,” she sings. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me.” Oo-er! Southern Asian countries immediately banned it. (Mirror)
Last year, Hilson’s “Love Me” music video was slammed by select music critics.
The video for “The Way You Love Me” opens with singers JoJo, Faith Evans, Dawn from Dirty Money and Hilson talking amongst an arsenal of guns. The acting is offensive enough, but Hilson (who was last seen atop a pink castle float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade) soon sheds her clothes. Sweating and gyrating all over the place, Hilson thrusts her pelvis into the camera enough times that you could give her a Pap smear. (Examiner)
Following the video’s release and controversy, Hilson later came forward and admitted to having a freak side.
“Perez, I don’t wanna be held and caressed every night. Sometimes I do wanna be f*cked,” she said in the interview. “I can’t allow other people to dictate, or the media to dictate, what I can and can’t do…I’m a freak. It’s no surprise. I’m a freak! I’ve been a freak on other songs and in other videos.” (Perez TV)
Check out “S&M” and “The Way You Love Me” below:
