Stars’ sweet rides
“YO-O-O-O!”
With that booming shout by emcee Big Boy, the crowd screamed, the wheels turned and Rollin’ 24 Deep: The GM All-Car Showdown shifted into gear. The multifaceted event, which took place Feb. 12 at Raleigh Studios, kicked off with an outdoor car show featuring two dozen General Motors behemoths belonging to a dozen athletes and a dozen actors. The auto maker donated $2,500 to each celebrity’s designated charity.
First to roll down the outdoor track -- to the shrieks of a bleacher-ful of fans bused in courtesy of KPWR Power 106 -- was a maroon Hummer belonging to the evening’s host, Shaquille O’Neal. “A lot of great cars here,” said the soft-spoken Laker, who needed somebody to pump up the volume, because his voice was barely heard over the din. “Everybody has a different imagination.”
All the vehicles were driven by professionals, though many of the owners, like O’Neal, Antoine Fuqua, Eric Dickerson and pimp-turned-preacher-turned-MC Bishop Don “Magic” Juan, rode shotgun. Snoop Dogg had a cardboard cutout of himself (clutching a bottle of VSOP Passion Blend) sticking out of the sunroof of his red “Snoop De Ville,” while the real Dogg roamed the grounds on foot. Adrien Brody, whose black Hummer H2 was paraded around the track, was AWOL entirely.
The only female with wheels to represent was Beverly Mitchell and her H2. “I got to stand up for the women,” said the “7th Heaven” star. “We were going to be pushed out of the competition.”
After the panel of judges conferred (Bijou Phillips, Anthony Anderson and a pair of GM execs), the best interior nod went to the horizon blue Cadillac of “Malcolm in the Middle’s” (“I’m 18, OK?”) Frankie Muniz, with its 10-inch video monitor and a rear seat PS2 station. “I can’t believe I get to take this home,” he said, clutching his trophy. “I thought they were lying. I guess they didn’t expect a little 5-foot-3 white guy to jump out of an Escalade.” Minnesota Viking linebacker Chris Claiborne’s lowered Dodger Blue H2 was recognized for best exterior, and the ultimate “King of Bling” award went to Shaq’s teammate Bryon Russell and his royal blue H2, which boasted a suede interior, spin rims, high-tech sound system, headrest monitors and more. “It’s all good,” he said, carrying off his prize.
And with that, the party switched into overdrive, as the crowd moved indoors, to a soundstage outfitted with couches, bars and plenty of stationary cars to gawk at. Terry Crews wasn’t too disconsolate over his Hummer’s not emerging victorious. “I can’t trick it out too much,” said the actor known as T-Money on the “Battle Dome” TV series. “I got a wife and kids. I have to be able to pull up to the nursery without scaring anyone.”
Once the performances began, conversation was futile. “We’re from the South and the East, but we come to the West to represent this show,” said Chuck D., hitting the stage with Public Enemy. They were followed by Busta Rhymes -- who gave due props to General Motors before showing his skills -- and Grandmaster Flash.
