The Masked Singer Eliminates Hip-Hop Royalty in Season 4 Premiere

The Masked Singer started Season 4 with just what we needed -- a dose of fun and levity in a time of relentless awfulness Hey, the world may be crumbling, but when Nick Cannon returned to shoot shards of high fashion into our helpless eyeballs with shimmery stones and sequins on every possible inch of his body, it felt for a moment that everything is gonna be alright. 

Of course, we've already seen the 16 creatures who'll be singing this season, but it'll be a while before we know who the folks in this crop of contestants -- people who have a net worth of over $398 million, 46 Grammy nominations, three world records, an Olympic gold medal, and an Oscar between them -- are. That said, some clues about identities began to emerge in the first episode of the season -- and we found out who Dragon was, too. Here's what happened when Group A (Sun, Giraffe, Popcorn, Dragon, and Snow Owls) hit the floor, the clues so far, and the best guesses out there. 

The Sun
Song: "Cuz I Love You" by Lizzo
Oh snap! This girl can actually sing, and it came through with the very first note that came out of her mouth. That's a helluva voice, but it's not easily recognizable so we're gonna need a few more weeks of clues before we figure this one out. 
The clues: We saw her flash a card that read "Gold member." She said she been through extreme seasons, and "sprung" into the celebrity universe. We saw circles form the shape of the Disney/Mickey Mouse logo and she mentioned "frozen," which could be a nod to the films. She said she fell into a depression from being in the spotlight, mentioned Frozen, and said she transformed into a ray of light.
The guesses: Nicole said Katherine McPhee. Idina Menzel's name came up too. Jenny McCarthy said Demi Lovato. Ken Jeong said Madonna, prompting Jenny to shadily reply "You think Madonna can sing like that?" LOL. 

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Giraffe
Song: "Let's Get it Started" by the Black Eyed Peas
The last time we saw someone rap, it was a bonafide rap star (Frog, Bow Bow) but this dude either isn't a rapper or hasn't rapped in a long time based on that breath control and the ways he moved around the stage. The best part of his arrival was Nicole Scherzinger saying, "I think he's tall!," as if that costume accommodates an actual neck that large. Oh Nicole, never change.
The clues: He said he had a roller-coaster career full of ups and downs. He mentioned music in his blood. He said he took risks, and emphasized the word "knots." He said a crash and burn led him to swing higher, and we saw a sign reading $3. He said he "drummed up' towering success. He said he's now in the driver's seat. 
The guesses: Jenny said Travis Barker -- a good guess. Robin Thicke said Vanilla Ice. 

Popcorn
Song: "What About Us" by Pink
This person has a voice -- reminiscent of Cyndi Lauper -- and she's very comfortable on stage.
The clues: This person has some strong ties to New York City, based on the Snacks and the City poster, strong New York accent and the Broadway reference in a poster on the bus. She called herself Miss Popcorn, as in Miss Jackson, said "straight up" and that she built her career around love. She said she was "Russian" from one job to the next. We saw a plate of meatloaf. There were lots of references to butter.  We saw her in front of a "Proud Merry go Round"
The guesses: Jenny lost her mind and said Tina Turner. Ken insulted everyone's intelligence by saying Carole Baskin, and Nicole made every Mary J. Blige fan want to fight her by suggesting this is the queen of hip-hop soul. 

Dragon
Song: "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J.
This guy sounds an AWFUL lot like Busta Rhymes. 
The clues: We saw Dragon in a lair. He said he was used to dressing in funky outrageous costumes. We saw a stopwatch. He said his fire was dangerous. We saw an archery post, and a barbell. 
The guesses: Jenny said DMX, which is a good guess but NOPE. Ken said some nonsense that's not even worth repeating while Robin and Nicole also said Busta. 

Snow Owls
Song: "Say Something" by A Great Big World, and they sounded absolutely gorgeous together. How is anyone going to beat these two incredible voices?
The clues: We haven't seen them together in a while but now it's time for a family reunion. Seems like they're brother and sister. The brother is a prankster, we're told. We saw signs that read Magnolia and "Quarrel Canyon." There were references to Christmas, taking flight, and doing a duet -- so many this isn't their first time doing that. 
The guesses: Amy Grant and Vince Gill came out of Robin's mouth. Jenny said Donny and Marie, Ken said Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara. 

In the end, poor Dragon got knocked out, ironically, and when the mask came off it was proven to be none other than rap royalty Busta Rhymes!

The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8/7c. 

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