Spoiler alert: This story accommodates details about contestants eradicated on Wednesday’s (March 1) episode of The Masked Singer.
The Masked Singer celebrated New York Evening on Wednesday with a stellar lineup of performers who paid tribute to the Large Apple, together with one who helped spark one of many metropolis’s most iconic contributions to music historical past.
Seeking to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals, two-time champ Medusa thrilled the group with a sensual tackle Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” kicking off the night’s leisure accompanied by a digital string part.
Subsequent up was Polar Bear, who entered to the strains of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Child,” as his helpers sprinkled him with pretend snow. With a fancy dress that includes a handful of gold chains, tinted shades, a bedazzled purple baseball cap tipped to the facet and an outfit lined in vinyl LPs, PB was certainly too cool for a season 9 that has already seen the unmasking of actor/comedians Dick Van Dyke (Gnome), Howie Mandel (Rock Lobster) and singers Sara Evans (Mustang) and Debbie Gibson (Evening Owl).
The clue bundle offered loads of apparent particulars, together with that he was from New York, a reference to town getting a “unhealthy rap,” scratching (and turntables), a childhood obsession with taking aside and re-assembling electronics, and a “message in a bottle.” What adopted was a rocky run by means of Blondie’s legendary 1980 rock/hip-hop crossover “Rapture.”
And whereas PB’s falsetto was no match for Medusa, he did his finest to croon (most) of the tune’s lyrics as dancers wearing taxi costumes crisscrossed the stage behind him and a Statue of Liberty popped and locked her means out of the subway. Surprisingly, he by no means bought round to Debbie Harry’s rap within the tune, which was vital whenever you discovered which Rock and Roll Corridor of Famer was beneath the fur.
The guesses have been principally shut, however no cigar, with Robin Thicke guessing DJ Jazzy Jeff (who’s from Philly, FYI), always-wrong Ken Jeong guessing Diddy (proper metropolis, no RRHOF), and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg guessing Public Enemy’s Taste Flav (proper metropolis once more and within the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame, but in addition mistaken). So it was as much as Nicole Scherzinger to appropriately guess that the fly bear was none apart from hip-hop originator Grandmaster Flash.
The night time additionally featured the five-headed California Roll taking over Girl Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Woman,” whereas snagging the group’s champion crown and punching a ticket to the quarterfinals, whereas Medusa was saved by the “Ding Dong Hold It On” bell.
Billboard spoke to Flash earlier than his elimination, throughout which the rap legend talked about singing in public for the primary time, his children clowning him for enjoying dress-up and why Singer was the right means for the 65-year-old to maintain tapping into his childlike marvel.
Had you ever seen this present earlier than they referred to as you?
No. If I’m not touring someplace or touring or lecturing or doing one thing grownup, I’m sleeping as a result of I’m drained. My schedule is fairly rigorous. I can keep in mind family and friends members speaking about this present, so I went on-line and checked out some episodes and every week or two later the decision got here into my workplace and I paused and requested, “Why would they ask me, the icon that I’m?” I launch my stress by grabbing some crayons or paint and getting on the ground [with my kids] and that’s very therapeutic. This Masked Singer present ought to train a few of our adults that it’s okay generally to be a child and be wiling to look the silliest you ever had. I’m the best of the cool in my world of hip-hop, so I needed to come off my cool and be childlike.
Why’d you decide Polar Bear?
I’m wanting on the Polar Bear with no further stuff and my grownup is kicking in in full: it’s not cool sufficient. Then they got here again with the chains, then the hat backwards, then the shades and sneakers after which for the time being I shut off my grownup.
It’s hip-hop’s fiftieth anniversary and also you sang “Rapture,” the tune that in all probability clued most non-rap followers into the style. Was that your name?
I used to be requested to select some songs and I picked a number of and that one felt proper sufficient as a result of there is no such thing as a means I’m going to do a rap tune, they’d have selected me instantly. It wanted to be that on-the-fence tune, with sufficient singing however some representations of hip-hop. I’d say it was the right tune for this enterprise. I wasn’t going to rap as a result of that may give the rattling factor away.
I’m not knocking your expertise in any respect, nevertheless it sounded such as you struggled with the singing bit? Protected to say that that is your first time singing like that onstage?
Oh my goodness. earlier than I left for L.A. they requested me to sing into my cellphone and ship it to them and two days later they have been like, “you’re form of out of key.” I don’t sing anyway, so that they stated they might set me up with vocal coaches in L.A. When the hour got here I had to do that tune time and again and over. I used to be getting barely irritated, however I stated I’ll keep childlike as a result of I’m doing this for a cause. I bought as shut as I might get with it.
You’ve been a performer for 50 years, however did this make you nervous?
This was essentially the most nervous efficiency I ever did. I’m sporting these tremendous outsized footwear, outsized gloves and this tent [-like costume] and Medusa is saying to me, “act cool and have enjoyable with it” and I’m sweating bullets and I’m nervous. However the the cue got here and I see the screaming folks within the pit and it introduced me again to my childlike self and I stated, “Flash, you gotta pull this off!” So, I hit my poses and sang the tune.
Be trustworthy: Is that this the weirdest gig you’ve ever had?
Oh yeah by far that is primary. By far the weirdest Factor I’ve ever achieved. However from a heartfelt perspective, strive being a child generally. It’s therapeutic. You neglect in regards to the issues of the world, your mortgage, your automotive, and simply be a child. That saved me within the second.
Did any of your children provide you with a tough time for doing this?
I bought a number of cellphone calls, principally saying, “Why did you do this?” And after I instructed them the cellphone bought quiet. However the children have been getting at me: “You look silly.” “What was that tune you was singing and why was you doing that?” Undoubtedly some blended feelings from my youngsters.
This yr we’re celebrating hip-hop’s fiftieth anniversary, what else can we count on from you now that you just’ve checked Masked Singer off the listing?
Being one among inventors of the tradition, I’m doing main lectures for enormous firms, I’ve an enormous tour coming, I stream each Thursday on Twitch, I’ve merchandise on the best way on my web site, and I’m speaking extra in regards to the historical past [of hip-hop] as a result of I’m one of many inventors. I by no means imagined this [Masked Singer] for me both, however I did it and I liked it.
