We were on the set for the making of Twista's new video, "Overnight Celebrity," for two days trying to get the scoop on the Chicago hometown hero and his 2003 Hummer H2. These guys don't stop for nothing! On the other hand, if you've ever been on the set of a music video, you'll find yourself waiting around a lot. While we were just sitting there, of course, copies of Twista's album Kamikaze were flying off the shelves in record stores across the country. We're talking 2 million copies now.
We had a lot of fun just kickin' it. You gotta love video hoochies*, free food, free drinks and....video hoochies! There were several celebrity cameos: Napolean Harris from the Oakland Raiders, Da Brat, Ray Buchanan from Atlanta Falcons, Crucial Conflict, and myself (that is, as in, "ghetto celebrity"). I was hoping to see Aisha Tyler again, but she called me and said she couldn't make it. So, just watch MTV, BET, and other music video networks for my debut cameo with one of the video hoochies. The video was directed by Eric White who's been at the helm for other major videos for Chingy, B2K. Ludacris -- and the list goes on. The making of this video was true to its title: on the second day of filming we started at 6 pm and went until 9 am the next day. Where was the Red Bull when you needed it?
Back to Twista and his H2. The main thing is that he had it customized to make him feel comfortable. Not too much "bling-bling" as he put it, but just a comfortable ride. That doesn't mean tame... This H2 is not without its style elements. Check out the custom wheels made and co-designed for him by Omega Wheels and named the "Kamikaze" after the platinum album. You can see these and more celebrity wheels like this at www.omegaluxurywheels.com. He is riding on 23" Kamikaze's fit with 305/45/23 Nitto Tires, a custom grill, and hidden video camera in the rear bumper. 'Cuz you never know who's trying to creep up on you!
The interior has Fahrenheit 5.6-inch detachable video monitors in the headrests, a 2.5-inch monitor in the rear view mirror, and custom woodgrain paneling all over. The system may not be too elaborate, but Twista didn't want to draw too much attention to it, wanting to keep it low-key. As for the source unit, it's the Pioneer AVH-P6500DVD flip-out head unit that plays the beats out of this urban assault vehicle. All custom work was done by Kevin Smith, aka "Dred" and Marvin & Marcus Perryman, aka "The Twins" at Car Candy. They are also responsible for other celebrity vehicles like Tyson Chandler of the Chicago Bulls, Eddie Robinson, another forward who plays for da Bulls, and many others. For more info on Twista and what he's got going on, you can visit www.twista.com.
Be sure to check back and see more behind the scenes features in the future. Being the ghetto celebrity that I am, I'll be leveraging that status to bring profiles of various car enthusiasts in the entertainment industry. I have a lot brewing in '04. In the mean time, pick up Twista's Kamikaze, support the industry, and don't download (unless you're broke -- nah, not even then)! v
*Hoochies?! Nice diction, Lyle