Antoine Dodson’s BET Hip Hop Awards performance


Whenever I think of that damn “Bed Intruder” song I start to smile and it gets stuck in my head. I’m smiling because the song is so catchy but also because Antoine Dodson’s story is so caught up in it. Here’s a guy whose sister was the victim of a crime who was able to completely change his future by speaking out and being himself.

Antoine performed his signature “Bed Intruder” song on the BET Hip Hop Awards last night. It was just a quick auto-tuned refrain accompanied by one of the Gregory Brothers, the band who remixed it and helped make him famous. The crowd went wild and you could tell that Antoine really enjoyed himself and was comfortable on stage. My only complaint is that it’s too damn short and they should let Antoine cover the song without interferences.

Gawker points us to this interview that Dodson did with The Root in which he talks about the performance, along with people’s concerns that he’s making light of a serious crime. He addresses the questions very well and says he’s hoping to speak out for rape victims. He also says that he’s a proud gay man and hopes to speak out on behalf of his community. The more I hear from this guy the more I like him. For real.

The Root: Did BET reach out to you to do the performance, or did you reach out to them?
Antoine Dodson: I am not desperate at all. I don’t call people and say, ‘Hey, I want to be on your show.’ They reached out to me and said, ‘You are the hot topic right now, so we want you to be on the show.’ I thought I was just presenting. I did not know what I was doing until I got there. So I was like, ‘Oh, I’m performing? OK.’ That was my first performance ever.

TR: Do you think your performance obscures the serious issue of the alleged sex-crime attempt?
AD: I hate that people might feel that way, but all I can say is, ‘What if you were in my shoes?’ So what people are saying is crazy. I’m performing the song because it’s such a serious situation. Not only am I performing the song, but I feel that if I keep performing it, it will keep the situation fresh. It won’t die down. People really need to stop and think before they make these crazy comments and these dumb opinions. I’m not trying to make this into a joke. If y’all can make the video viral, then you can make the message viral. You think a bunch of rumors and opinions are going to make me hide in the closet? If anything, I’m going to be on the camera even more.

TR: The first time you watched your news interview, what was going through your head?
AD: I was laughing like crazy the first time I saw the interview. My whole family was watching it. When I was doing the interview, I was mad as ever, but to see how I was acting when I was actually mad — I didn’t know that I act that way, so it was kind of funny. I’m still upset about the situation, but we feel like when we put it on TV, our voice got heard.

TR: African Americans have a particular, sensitive history with minstrel shows, which made a mockery of the conditions of black folk. Do you think people will connect your performance with minstrelsy?
AD: Of course they will connect it with that. The media is just going try to bring you down, but the whole thing about it is, I’m going to try my best not to be another Britney Spears and not let it take me down. I won’t go through it like she did, but she came out of it. People have jobs where they just dig up stuff, so you better count on it.

TR: Did the perpetrator ever get caught?
AD: No, he did not get caught, and the crimes are still happening in Lincoln Park. He must think that this is a hit around the world now and that he’s just going to keep going around breaking into people’s houses, thinking he can capitalize on it.

TR: What do you plan to do with the fame?
AD: I plan to do a lot of things. I want to be everywhere. I want to get into the music industry. I want to be the voice of the people. Most of my fans are rape victims who are scared to talk about it. I want them to speak about it and do it aggressively — not trying to make a joke out of it and become a celebrity, but to let it flow from their hearts. When it comes to serious situations like this, you should really speak out.

TR: So what are your goals with this?
AD: I’m just going into it as deep as I can. I want to talk about rape victims all over the world, and also my lifestyle. I’m an African-American gay man. Coming from Chicago [like I do], you will struggle with that lifestyle because people fear what they don’t understand, so I need to speak for them as well.

[From The Root via Gawker]

Antoine has an official Halloween costume that you can buy through BedIntruderCostume.com for $18.99. It comes with an afro wig, black tank top, red do-rag and a piece of paper to match the rolled up paper he was wagging in the news interview. He admitted on Fuse.tv that it was actually a bus schedule! He’s not riding the bus anymore.

ATLANTA - OCTOBER 02: Antoine Dodson performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards '10 at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 2, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

ATLANTA - OCTOBER 02: Antoine Dodson performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards '10 at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 2, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

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22 Responses to “Antoine Dodson’s BET Hip Hop Awards performance”

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  1. Eileen says:

    I love this story! I’m “friends” with him on Facebook and he really is such a nice guy-sends messages out everyday and is so polite. Good for him! If KardASSians and Jersey Shore can be famous than he deserves 10 fold what they get!

  2. LOVE ANGELINA says:

    Hawt!!!! I love The Gregory Brothers and soooo amazing Antoine performed. Yes BET excellent choice. 😀 He is amazing and I love that crazy video and that song.

  3. Persistent Cat says:

    I hope he saves his $$$$ because these stories never last (or end well).

  4. cantbelievethis says:

    I just heard about this today. He took the $$ earned and moved his family out of the projects.

  5. sarcasma says:

    i love me some antoine dodson – forrrreaaalll

  6. Katie says:

    I love this guy. I know a lot has been said about what it means for people to have laughed at this guy and then for him to have owned that and turned into opportunity, and I have no wisdom on that. When I first saw the video of him after the attack on his sister, I did laugh, but I also absolutely loved him and respected him. He makes me smile. He was outraged by the violence perpetrated against his sister, outraged by poverty, and I applaud him for that. And I think he just seems like he would be an awesome person to know.

  7. Sunshine says:

    I LOVE ANTOINE!!!!!!

  8. Lushus L. says:

    Hahaha!! I need to hide my Shih Tzu, hide my Chihuahau and hide my goldfish……..!

  9. LOL i love it but the bit where the Gregory brother sings is always so annoyong ~_~

  10. scrappy says:

    i really want those shoes!

  11. Will says:

    Okay, I admit I rolled his eyes at his talk of getting into the music industry based on a rant on a news station and a silly YouTube song generated from it, as well as his somewhat pretentious statement about being a voice for rape victims out there (is making a fool of yourself on the news really the best way to call attention to the proliferation of rape in America?), but I have to admit, the guy seems more intelligent than his famous rant would have led me to believe.

  12. georgiagrl says:

    Eileen
    Thank you for saying the truth. If all these other no talents can milk their 15 minutes to the bank, then so can Antoine!
    Make that money Dude!

  13. RHONYC says:

    i ain’t gonna lie…that was hot. go ‘twan! 🙂

  14. MaiGirl says:

    Clearly, the man is intelligent and thoughtful. His answers were spot-on, though I agree with one of the above posters that the musical ambitions aren’t likely to go anywhere. You never know, though. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles album was a huge hit, and helped to make Simon Cowell what he is today. I don’t think the fact that he is quite animated, especially considering the fact that he was so angry (and really, I bet that most of us look pretty funny when we are furious, all flared nostrils and big eyes) detracts from his message at all. Even though I laughed at the video, I totally got the fear and pain behind the conditions he was speaking about.

  15. prettyme says:

    he is such a nice guy!

  16. michael says:

    SERIOUSLY what has entertainment come to?! i just can’t agree with joan collins enough when she says celebrity is not what it used to be. i am SICK of hearing about FAT ASS snooki trash, this loser, washed up morons on dancing with the stars & celbrity rehab. what is happening to world?!

    ugh, i’m sick to my stomach now.

  17. The Old KC says:

    “You can run and tell THAT” is one of my favorite catchphrases of 2010. Team Antoine.

  18. KJ says:

    I’m with you in that the more I hear from him, the more I really like him. He seems like a really sweet guy with good intentions, a good head on his shoulders, and genuine care for his family and people in similar situations.

  19. Dawn says:

    I love Antonie. “You can run and tell that.”

  20. chino says:

    This song is so awesome! I’m so happy for him and his family and the way everything turned out. The white dude on the piano jacks the song up though. They could have left his part out. Antoine is the star!!

  21. Persistent Cat says:

    I finally got to watch the video…. where to begin???? Really? That is good to some people??? Sigh…. I think I give up….. there’s a little fight left…. for those of you that thought that was good, educate yourselves, listen to Marvin Gaye right now. Not just to the songs you know but other ones. Go to iTunes Essentials if you must. There is better music out there, I’m not saying it all has to be poignant and great but good God, that video was not good by any stretch of the imagination.

    I get that there’s inspiration behind all this but still, the “music” is not good.

  22. Alicia says:

    I love that song! I hope thia guy becomes a even bigger star, I like him very much

    Lushus L Hahahahahaha, hide your gold fish hahahahahh