Rap superstar Kanye West is set to close out the 2008 edition of the MTV Video Music Awards, according to MTV's site, to be held Sunday night at the Paramount Pictures lot in Los Angeles. West, who's not one to shy away from an award show billing, is apparently back on good terms with VMA producers. The far-from-shy rapper vowed to never again perform at the VMAs just one year ago, according to MTV.com.Last year's VMAs, held in Las Vegas, had West performing off the mainstage, and shut out in all five categories he was nominated in. The Chicago-bred star also lashed out at the network for having Britney Spears open the show in what has become known as one of the more awkward live performances in television history.
After last year's telecast, West was quoted as saying MTV "exploited Britney in helping to end her career," and that he felt as if he "got betrayed" by MTV by having to appear on a secondary stage.
But West and award shows appear to have a love/hate relationship. He lashed out at American Music Awards in 2004, and the following year, he said "I'm gonna really have a problem" if he didn't win a Grammy for album of the year. He didn't win. Then in 2006, West declared: "If I don’t win, the awards show loses credibility,” after failing to win the best video prize at MTV Europe Awards.
But all this back-stage drama has happened while West has delivered some of the strongest award show performances in recent memory. His glow-in-the-dark appearance with Daft Punk may have been a table-setter for his tour, but it was the liveliest moment of last year's Grammys (revisit it below). Likewise, his 2006 take on "Golddigger" was an all-out pep-rally.
West brings a bit more star power to this year's VMAs, which also features performances from Spears, tween stars the Jonas Brothers, newcomers the Ting Tings, rapper of the moment Lil Wayne, and pop stars Rihanna and Pink, among others.
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