50 Cent
February 27, 2003 7:45 AM Subscribe
You can find me in the club, bottle full of bub
Look mami I got the X if you into taking drugs
I'm into having sex, I ain't into making love
So come give me a hug if you into to getting rubbed
Lyrics from crack dealer/rapper 50 Cent's "song" "In Da Club", this week's most popular single according to Billboard.
Look mami I got the X if you into taking drugs
I'm into having sex, I ain't into making love
So come give me a hug if you into to getting rubbed
Lyrics from crack dealer/rapper 50 Cent's "song" "In Da Club", this week's most popular single according to Billboard.
The Dekalb Farmers Market (2nd link) is fantastic, I go there all the time.
But I think "bub" is specfically champagne.
Oh, and I like this song. It's not deep or introspective, but it sure fills the dance floor.
posted by zpousman at 7:55 AM on February 27, 2003
But I think "bub" is specfically champagne.
Oh, and I like this song. It's not deep or introspective, but it sure fills the dance floor.
posted by zpousman at 7:55 AM on February 27, 2003
how long before harmony house goes down on a 'contributing to the delinquency of minors' rap?
posted by quonsar at 7:55 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by quonsar at 7:55 AM on February 27, 2003
eh. he might be eminem's protege, but i wouldn't even give one quarter for it, much less two.
posted by grabbingsand at 7:59 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by grabbingsand at 7:59 AM on February 27, 2003
Lovely. Can't wait to see what will be topping the chart when my kid is 16, 14 1/2 years from now.
Maybe a homage to mass murder?
posted by kgasmart at 8:00 AM on February 27, 2003
Maybe a homage to mass murder?
posted by kgasmart at 8:00 AM on February 27, 2003
Whoo!
Aside from a reference in the Onion yesterday, I had no idea this song even existed. How's that for indie hipster cred?
posted by kavasa at 8:01 AM on February 27, 2003
Aside from a reference in the Onion yesterday, I had no idea this song even existed. How's that for indie hipster cred?
posted by kavasa at 8:01 AM on February 27, 2003
kgasmart, Cannibal Corpse probably won't be around then.
posted by Hall at 8:04 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by Hall at 8:04 AM on February 27, 2003
These bitches throwin rose petals at my feet mayn!
They wanna spoil me, treatin me like royalty;
what I'm 'sposed to do? It's such a sweet thang
Work that track, whip 'em like Kunta
That's why they stay down, they loyal citizens of Zamunda
By way of A-T-L; if you disagree
don't even look at me ho don't pass go just go straight to jail
With no probation or bail, but this ain't Monopoly
It's Jolly Green Giants cause we smoke so much broccoli
Uh-oh, Spaghetti-O's! Luda's oodles of noodles
And testin me is like pitbulls put up to poodles
My rap career goes back further than yo' father hairline
It's Ludacris - I pack more nuts than Delta Airlines
I'm fly, even when I get high I work cash
And even got my coats bumped up to first class
I'm boss to all employees - and I'm here to teach the principle
Cause I've been saved by mo' bells than Lark Vorhees
I gotta represent, that's all. Whack white beach boys listenin' motherfuckers. OOO-OOOO!
posted by Stan Chin at 8:08 AM on February 27, 2003
They wanna spoil me, treatin me like royalty;
what I'm 'sposed to do? It's such a sweet thang
Work that track, whip 'em like Kunta
That's why they stay down, they loyal citizens of Zamunda
By way of A-T-L; if you disagree
don't even look at me ho don't pass go just go straight to jail
With no probation or bail, but this ain't Monopoly
It's Jolly Green Giants cause we smoke so much broccoli
Uh-oh, Spaghetti-O's! Luda's oodles of noodles
And testin me is like pitbulls put up to poodles
My rap career goes back further than yo' father hairline
It's Ludacris - I pack more nuts than Delta Airlines
I'm fly, even when I get high I work cash
And even got my coats bumped up to first class
I'm boss to all employees - and I'm here to teach the principle
Cause I've been saved by mo' bells than Lark Vorhees
I gotta represent, that's all. Whack white beach boys listenin' motherfuckers. OOO-OOOO!
posted by Stan Chin at 8:08 AM on February 27, 2003
whoops, I mean
Cause I've been saved by mo' bells than Lark Voorhees!
posted by Stan Chin at 8:11 AM on February 27, 2003
Cause I've been saved by mo' bells than Lark Voorhees!
posted by Stan Chin at 8:11 AM on February 27, 2003
Whack white beach boys listenin' motherfuckers.
It's the harmony, Stan Chin. They listen for the layered harmony.
posted by four panels at 8:11 AM on February 27, 2003
It's the harmony, Stan Chin. They listen for the layered harmony.
posted by four panels at 8:11 AM on February 27, 2003
kgasmart, Cannibal Corpse probably won't be around then.
Cannibal Corpse don't have any songs, to my knowledge, about MASS murder. They have songs about small-scale murder; usually one person. (See: "Hammer Smashed Face" from Tomb of the Mutilated.)
Those are some quality lyrics.
Life-less body - Now slouch dead
Lecherous abscess - Where you once had a head!
I hammer with my sledge!
Created to kill,
The carnage ensues,
Violently re-shaping human facial tissue
Sounds best when sung to a blast-beat. Mwahaha.
posted by Dark Messiah at 8:11 AM on February 27, 2003
Cannibal Corpse don't have any songs, to my knowledge, about MASS murder. They have songs about small-scale murder; usually one person. (See: "Hammer Smashed Face" from Tomb of the Mutilated.)
Those are some quality lyrics.
Life-less body - Now slouch dead
Lecherous abscess - Where you once had a head!
I hammer with my sledge!
Created to kill,
The carnage ensues,
Violently re-shaping human facial tissue
Sounds best when sung to a blast-beat. Mwahaha.
posted by Dark Messiah at 8:11 AM on February 27, 2003
Lovely. Can't wait to see what will be topping the chart when my kid is 16, 14 1/2 years from now.
...years from now ?
posted by y2karl at 8:14 AM on February 27, 2003
...years from now ?
posted by y2karl at 8:14 AM on February 27, 2003
It's creepy to like the music of someone whose main credential is how many times he's been shot. But, well, the new 50 Cent album has a hell of a groove.
posted by Nelson at 8:15 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by Nelson at 8:15 AM on February 27, 2003
Yes, I into gettin' rubbed
but I ain't givin' him no hug...
posted by Shane at 8:18 AM on February 27, 2003
but I ain't givin' him no hug...
posted by Shane at 8:18 AM on February 27, 2003
The point being, y2karl, is that none of the stuff you referenced was "topping the charts" and being disseminated globally to millions of young people as it is now. In fact, kids today still probably haven't heard the stuff you referenced fifty or sixty years after the fact. When's the last time you went into a club and heard "My Daddy Rocks Me with One Steady Roll" by Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon?
posted by dhoyt at 8:19 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by dhoyt at 8:19 AM on February 27, 2003
Every generation believes that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Could ours be the first that is finally correct in that assertion?
posted by vraxoin at 8:22 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by vraxoin at 8:22 AM on February 27, 2003
Whoops. I was thinking of Six Feet Under. My bad.
If I had my way, they never would have been around. Just recycled Obituary riffs and Chris Barnes has only gotten worse as a vocalist. I won't even comment on the track they did with Ice-T. It was funny, but for the wrong reasons.
posted by Dark Messiah at 8:24 AM on February 27, 2003
If I had my way, they never would have been around. Just recycled Obituary riffs and Chris Barnes has only gotten worse as a vocalist. I won't even comment on the track they did with Ice-T. It was funny, but for the wrong reasons.
posted by Dark Messiah at 8:24 AM on February 27, 2003
In fact, kids today still probably haven't heard the stuff you referenced fifty or sixty years after the fact.
wtf?
The point is, dhoyt, people have been getting hysterical about lyrical moral decay ever since the invention of recorded music. The sky is falling!
posted by y2karl at 8:32 AM on February 27, 2003
wtf?
The point is, dhoyt, people have been getting hysterical about lyrical moral decay ever since the invention of recorded music. The sky is falling!
posted by y2karl at 8:32 AM on February 27, 2003
Y2karl, the issue changes vastly when you consider the sheer numbers and influence that music has today, compared to 40-50 years ago. You must know this. And that's not to say it contributes to moral decay whatsoever. I personally have no moral judgment of it. At the same time, it's understable why some parents might. That's wtf.
(And judging from the tone of your posts in the last six months, I'm tickled that you're ascribing the Chicken Little mentality to other people! That's rich.)
posted by dhoyt at 8:42 AM on February 27, 2003
(And judging from the tone of your posts in the last six months, I'm tickled that you're ascribing the Chicken Little mentality to other people! That's rich.)
posted by dhoyt at 8:42 AM on February 27, 2003
Meh, that's just your wacky american pop charts. Over here in the UK, we're still in love with Russian schoolgirls singing about lesbianism.
posted by Katemonkey at 8:44 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by Katemonkey at 8:44 AM on February 27, 2003
dhoyt makes a good point, y2karl. There sometimes comes a point in any art when the art is gone and what's left is empty pontification that exists solely to profit the artist. One of the problems that I have with rap music (obviously not all of it) is that the song exists only to promote the rapper, not to provide an educational glimpse into somebody's life. Rap is definitely all about telling others what life is like, and often what they describe might be unpleasant, illegal, immoral, etc., but it may be socially important that these things be shown to the public. What I'm hearing more and more often, at least with top 40 rap, if I may call it that, is more like pop-rap that has no bearing on the socio-economic background of change that rap was born from. I've felt that many rappers long ago lost the whole reason that rap exists in the first place, which in part was to help change the living conditions of black people in N. America.
You could convincingly argue that most of pop music is the same, yet rarely will you find in pop music the degree of explicity that you find in rap.
THe problem is that the lyrical moral decay you mention is so widely spread to the public. Once again I agree with dhoyt that in the past there were limited venues in which to hear these types of lyrics. Today it is much easier to get access to these songs. Often they are forced on us in stores and on tv--we don't even have to look for it.
posted by ashbury at 8:51 AM on February 27, 2003
You could convincingly argue that most of pop music is the same, yet rarely will you find in pop music the degree of explicity that you find in rap.
THe problem is that the lyrical moral decay you mention is so widely spread to the public. Once again I agree with dhoyt that in the past there were limited venues in which to hear these types of lyrics. Today it is much easier to get access to these songs. Often they are forced on us in stores and on tv--we don't even have to look for it.
posted by ashbury at 8:51 AM on February 27, 2003
y2karl, I forgot to mention that the links to the audiogalaxy articles were wonderful reads. Thanks for those and for reminding me that AG is/was a wonderful asset. I miss it dearly.
posted by ashbury at 8:55 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by ashbury at 8:55 AM on February 27, 2003
katemonkey, TATU was on The Tonight Show this week and really showed that they couldn't carry a tune. Off key....bad. No range..... So unfortunately (?) they only have the russian lesbian schoolgirl crutch to fall back on.
posted by mkelley at 8:57 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by mkelley at 8:57 AM on February 27, 2003
Former crack dealer now raps about doing ecstasy and smoking weed? Sounds like a job for bong busters!
posted by VulcanMike at 8:59 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by VulcanMike at 8:59 AM on February 27, 2003
These lyrics are nothing new. In Missy Elliott's similarly popular "For My People" (at least in Europe), the lyrics talked about her partying with her 'ecstacy people' and how they were all going to take E. And this song was a major hit in a country where ecstacy deaths are made incredibly high profile.
posted by wackybrit at 9:02 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by wackybrit at 9:02 AM on February 27, 2003
the issue changes vastly when you consider the sheer numbers and influence that music has today, compared to 40-50 years ago. You must know this.
Maybe I'm really dumb, but I completely fail to see how this is true in any way. If anything, I would have thought it easier to argue the reverse.
(katemonkey - don't worry 'bout us. t.a.t.u was 13 on the u.s. charts this week and still climbing)
posted by jeb at 9:03 AM on February 27, 2003
Maybe I'm really dumb, but I completely fail to see how this is true in any way. If anything, I would have thought it easier to argue the reverse.
(katemonkey - don't worry 'bout us. t.a.t.u was 13 on the u.s. charts this week and still climbing)
posted by jeb at 9:03 AM on February 27, 2003
(And judging from the tone of your posts in the last six months, I'm tickled that you're ascribing the Chicken Little mentality to other people! That's rich.)
Rest assured, I have had no episodes of urinary incontinence.
It must be my untested faith-based antimissile systems.
posted by y2karl at 9:05 AM on February 27, 2003
Rest assured, I have had no episodes of urinary incontinence.
It must be my untested faith-based antimissile systems.
posted by y2karl at 9:05 AM on February 27, 2003
Man, when I saw the "bub" and the "rubb" I thought Mr. Cent might have been up cooking brea'fast or sumpin'.
posted by merlinmann at 9:10 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by merlinmann at 9:10 AM on February 27, 2003
(Whoa, Merlin, are you the same ex-Bacon Ray Merlin from Tallahassee?)
/ex-CowHaus frequenter
posted by dhoyt at 9:24 AM on February 27, 2003
/ex-CowHaus frequenter
posted by dhoyt at 9:24 AM on February 27, 2003
I think 50 Cent could use a hug.
posted by teenydreams at 9:32 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by teenydreams at 9:32 AM on February 27, 2003
I thought the whole point about chart music was to annoy your parents. It sounds like this one succeeded!
posted by salmacis at 9:40 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by salmacis at 9:40 AM on February 27, 2003
The funny thing is the various edits that they made for the line I got the X if you into taking drugs. On the radio, it is changed to I got what you need if you into getting drunk and on the video, it says I got what you need if you into getting buzzed. It makes it kind of hard to sing along with the hook when it's always changing.
Anyway, if you're worried about 50's lyrical content, take comfort in the fact that a child molester and pornographer (and one into some sick shit, at that) has knocked his album out of the top spot on the charts.
posted by toothless joe at 9:43 AM on February 27, 2003
Anyway, if you're worried about 50's lyrical content, take comfort in the fact that a child molester and pornographer (and one into some sick shit, at that) has knocked his album out of the top spot on the charts.
posted by toothless joe at 9:43 AM on February 27, 2003
Well, its no "Good Times"by Styles, but is got a funky beat so I'll give it a 7.
posted by beatnik808 at 9:57 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by beatnik808 at 9:57 AM on February 27, 2003
Just for a point of intergenerational comparison, about 20 years ago the Anti-Nowhere League's "So What" went to number 1 and was banned in the UK.
50 Cent is just the latest in a long line of trolls. As long as there are people like dhoyt to feed them, they will always have a successful niche in popular culture.
posted by fuzz at 10:42 AM on February 27, 2003
50 Cent is just the latest in a long line of trolls. As long as there are people like dhoyt to feed them, they will always have a successful niche in popular culture.
posted by fuzz at 10:42 AM on February 27, 2003
katemonkey: That's faux lesbians. warning: faux fondling photo
Some people buy their image, but I long for k.d. and the Indigo Girls.
posted by ?! at 10:48 AM on February 27, 2003
Some people buy their image, but I long for k.d. and the Indigo Girls.
posted by ?! at 10:48 AM on February 27, 2003
Just a pure curiosity here, but are ANY of the posters in this thread African American, or, if not American by nationality, in any way black? In fact, other than Stan, are any of the posters in this thread non-white? Not trying to start anything, just curious.
posted by jonson at 10:51 AM on February 27, 2003
posted by jonson at 10:51 AM on February 27, 2003
As a counterpoint to those thinking lyrics are getting more extreme and violent, anyone notice how saccharine what passes "punk" music has been getting lately, singing about going to the movies and holding hands. And what is this sXe stuff?
Where are the punk bands singing about murdering your family? After GG Allin died rap is about the only place I can get some lyrics with edge to them.
posted by bobo123 at 11:00 AM on February 27, 2003
Where are the punk bands singing about murdering your family? After GG Allin died rap is about the only place I can get some lyrics with edge to them.
posted by bobo123 at 11:00 AM on February 27, 2003
Fuzz: As long as there are people like dhoyt to feed them, they will always have a successful niche in popular culture.
Now read:
And that's not to say it contributes to moral decay whatsoever. I personally have no moral judgment of it.
How does one "feed a troll" when one has no moral investment one way or the other? Fuzz, I know it's a lot to ask, but please consider my comments thoroughly before posting something so off-base.
posted by dhoyt at 11:00 AM on February 27, 2003
Now read:
And that's not to say it contributes to moral decay whatsoever. I personally have no moral judgment of it.
How does one "feed a troll" when one has no moral investment one way or the other? Fuzz, I know it's a lot to ask, but please consider my comments thoroughly before posting something so off-base.
posted by dhoyt at 11:00 AM on February 27, 2003
Mea culpa, dhoyt, I shouldn't have singled you out like that, since you weren't really demonstrating the kind of indignation that draws fans to 50 Cent. You're right to call me out on it.
But I hope my link proved to you that the latest version of packaged product to annoy your parents is not getting any more popular or anti-social today than it ever was.
jonson, good observation, but 20 years ago it was white punks who were doing the same routine. Just depends on what middle-class kids' parents are really afraid of -- back then in the UK it was the mythical Cockney-accented working class yob, today in the US it's the mythical young black ghetto gangster.
Anyone know the etymology of the French phrase "épater les bourgeois"? My guess is that it must be 100 years old. (calling languagehat ...)
posted by fuzz at 11:50 AM on February 27, 2003
But I hope my link proved to you that the latest version of packaged product to annoy your parents is not getting any more popular or anti-social today than it ever was.
jonson, good observation, but 20 years ago it was white punks who were doing the same routine. Just depends on what middle-class kids' parents are really afraid of -- back then in the UK it was the mythical Cockney-accented working class yob, today in the US it's the mythical young black ghetto gangster.
Anyone know the etymology of the French phrase "épater les bourgeois"? My guess is that it must be 100 years old. (calling languagehat ...)
posted by fuzz at 11:50 AM on February 27, 2003
Where are the punk bands singing about murdering your family? After GG Allin died rap is about the only place I can get some lyrics with edge to them.
You need to go download some Anal Cunt...
posted by SweetJesus at 11:53 AM on February 27, 2003
You need to go download some Anal Cunt...
posted by SweetJesus at 11:53 AM on February 27, 2003
Where are the punk bands singing about murdering your family? After GG Allin died rap is about the only place I can get some lyrics with edge to them.
Dude, death metal, black metal, doom, and grind all have that kind of edge.
posted by Dark Messiah at 11:55 AM on February 27, 2003
Dude, death metal, black metal, doom, and grind all have that kind of edge.
posted by Dark Messiah at 11:55 AM on February 27, 2003
Minor gripe:
"mami" is not the same thing as "mammy."
And while I doubt 50 Cent was talking about the sort of women over at latinamami.com, he certainly wasn't talking about Aunt Jemima. "Mami" in this sense is like "baby."
posted by sklero at 12:21 PM on February 27, 2003
"mami" is not the same thing as "mammy."
And while I doubt 50 Cent was talking about the sort of women over at latinamami.com, he certainly wasn't talking about Aunt Jemima. "Mami" in this sense is like "baby."
posted by sklero at 12:21 PM on February 27, 2003
Oh, forgot about all the pop ups at sing365.com. Sorry.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:23 PM on February 27, 2003
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:23 PM on February 27, 2003
By the way johnnydark, you missed the "mami" reference. It's not a reference to "Mammies" in the slave-stereotype way, it's the Spanish equivalent of "Mommy." This may take some explaining. See, we Puerto-Ricans have become rather de rigeur in New York rap circles, so some of our vernacular ("Mami," "bodega," "estilo") has been coopted. And Puerto-Rican men have this habit of calling their lady friends "Mami," and the ladies calling the men "Papi" in turn. Oedipal complex you say? Maybe. But it's so darn common, that no one *hears* "Mom" when they hear "Mami."
posted by billpena at 1:04 PM on February 27, 2003
posted by billpena at 1:04 PM on February 27, 2003
Fuck the lyrics...
What makes this whole thing interesting is how this guy, who a few months ago, less then 1% of you ever heard of... is now #1 on the charts...
Shattered Eminem's record for album sales...
This fucker went from a bullet ridden extacy dealer, to the #1 rapper on the charts in a matter of months.
Give the man some credit... The point is not how he did it... perhaps you guys are just pissed because this loser can hit the fucking lottery, basically, by rapping about clubbing. (which I am sure almost all of us has done at least once...)
Shit, there are a million other bullet ridden extacy dealers that never got a record contract...
I did have a point somewhere... (but where, oh where did I put it?)
posted by LoopSouth at 1:10 PM on February 27, 2003
What makes this whole thing interesting is how this guy, who a few months ago, less then 1% of you ever heard of... is now #1 on the charts...
Shattered Eminem's record for album sales...
This fucker went from a bullet ridden extacy dealer, to the #1 rapper on the charts in a matter of months.
Give the man some credit... The point is not how he did it... perhaps you guys are just pissed because this loser can hit the fucking lottery, basically, by rapping about clubbing. (which I am sure almost all of us has done at least once...)
Shit, there are a million other bullet ridden extacy dealers that never got a record contract...
I did have a point somewhere... (but where, oh where did I put it?)
posted by LoopSouth at 1:10 PM on February 27, 2003
um, to sidestep the moralizing for a minute... if you want hip hop lyrics, lyricsdomain is not the best place to go. i suggest trying the original hip-hop lyrics archive instead.
posted by jcruelty at 1:27 PM on February 27, 2003
posted by jcruelty at 1:27 PM on February 27, 2003
Musi ques
I sews on bews
I pues a twos on que zat
Pue zoo
My kizzer
Pous zigga ay zee
Its all kizza
Its always like
Its all kizza
Its always like
Na zound
Wa zee
Wa zoom zoom zee
Man, the stuff we're exposing our children to these days.
posted by Stan Chin at 1:32 PM on February 27, 2003
I sews on bews
I pues a twos on que zat
Pue zoo
My kizzer
Pous zigga ay zee
Its all kizza
Its always like
Its all kizza
Its always like
Na zound
Wa zee
Wa zoom zoom zee
Man, the stuff we're exposing our children to these days.
posted by Stan Chin at 1:32 PM on February 27, 2003
whats the point of this post? if you dont listen to shit you dont have to worry about it.
posted by Satapher at 1:51 PM on February 27, 2003
posted by Satapher at 1:51 PM on February 27, 2003
*slaps Stan Chin five*
Bro, don'tcha know not to hit 'em with a sample off Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus"?
posted by allaboutgeorge at 2:10 PM on February 27, 2003
Bro, don'tcha know not to hit 'em with a sample off Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus"?
posted by allaboutgeorge at 2:10 PM on February 27, 2003
News at 10 : Music and digitized pieces of plastic are not synonymous.
posted by Satapher at 2:27 PM on February 27, 2003
posted by Satapher at 2:27 PM on February 27, 2003
I don't quite understand all these rap stars taking ecstasy.
you dropped your vicks, dog!
posted by shadow45 at 2:52 PM on February 27, 2003
you dropped your vicks, dog!
posted by shadow45 at 2:52 PM on February 27, 2003
Filthy, disgusting, crap. This is *not* music. It doesn't anger me as much as it saddens me - that kids today hear this barf and think that it is "music."
posted by davidmsc at 4:53 PM on February 27, 2003
posted by davidmsc at 4:53 PM on February 27, 2003
fuzz: "épater les bourgeois" literally: "impress the middle class" though I'd say "upper middle class"
It was evidently a slogan of 19th Century Romantic theatre. Of course, it could have been the slogan of the intellectuals in all fields looking for change. Maybe it could be said to mean "shock" more than impress.
While, on this thread, I'd say "épater la gallerie."
posted by ?! at 5:01 PM on February 27, 2003
It was evidently a slogan of 19th Century Romantic theatre. Of course, it could have been the slogan of the intellectuals in all fields looking for change. Maybe it could be said to mean "shock" more than impress.
While, on this thread, I'd say "épater la gallerie."
posted by ?! at 5:01 PM on February 27, 2003
If you would like a counterpoint, here are some lyrics to Nas' latest single (Nas for those who don't know is one of the best selling rappers over the past 5 years):
Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up
You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
But nothing comes easy it takes much practice
Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
Singing songs, Lina Horn, but the younger version
Hung with the wrong person
Gotta astrung when I heard when
Cocaine, sniffing up drugs, all in her nose
Coulda died, so young, now looks ugly and old
No fun cause when she reaches for hugs people hold they breath
Cause she smells of corrosion and death
Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
So if you gonna be the best, I'ma tell you how
[Chorus - 2x (Nas and Kids)]
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
posted by cell divide at 5:07 PM on February 27, 2003
Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up
You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
But nothing comes easy it takes much practice
Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
Singing songs, Lina Horn, but the younger version
Hung with the wrong person
Gotta astrung when I heard when
Cocaine, sniffing up drugs, all in her nose
Coulda died, so young, now looks ugly and old
No fun cause when she reaches for hugs people hold they breath
Cause she smells of corrosion and death
Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
So if you gonna be the best, I'ma tell you how
[Chorus - 2x (Nas and Kids)]
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
posted by cell divide at 5:07 PM on February 27, 2003
davidmsc: You sound like my grandfather when he found out my mother was going to be a radio interviewer. Of course, it was 1941 and the music was jazz.
posted by ?! at 5:13 PM on February 27, 2003
posted by ?! at 5:13 PM on February 27, 2003
They're not selling music to music lovers, they're selling a fabricated lifestyle to adolescents. I thought everyone had figured that out by now.
posted by Hildago at 5:52 PM on February 27, 2003
posted by Hildago at 5:52 PM on February 27, 2003
Well, the first thing I'd do is censor this clown... For The Children.™
Then we should all call Interscope records and complain.
posted by cinematique at 6:42 PM on February 27, 2003
Then we should all call Interscope records and complain.
posted by cinematique at 6:42 PM on February 27, 2003
I've felt that many rappers long ago lost the whole reason that rap exists in the first place, which in part was to help change the living conditions of black people in N. America.
Well, that may have been why it started, but now it's just another form of music. The same is probably true for other forms of music [different purpose now than originally]. Nothing wrong with that that I see.
I don't know why people are singling out rap here.. there's plenty of rock/punk/goth/industrial/techno/etc music that is just as violent and meaningless. Metal, for example, is quite fond of killing/drug references.
Some people apparently think there's something wrong with fun, mindless music. I see lots of "thats not music." Well, it may not be Art(tm), but it is most certainly music, check your damn dictionary. It's just not music you like or appreciate. I doubt 50c is crying over that.
Comments such as: They're not selling music to music lovers, they're selling a fabricated lifestyle to adolescents... wtf? Everyone who listens to this music is buying into a "lifestyle"? That's just silly. Like any other genre, the listening audience is more diverse than the image projected by the performers.
[/rant]
....
LoopSouth - the big reason he went up so fast is, of course, he's a protege of Eminem and Dr. Dre. Also, the 8 mile soundtrack included several of his songs, which was his primary pre-release exposure. Since that soundtrack sold very well, I'm betting it had a big impact. This may be his debut, but Eminem/Dre fans have been hearing about him for a while [and there are a lot of those].
posted by wildcrdj at 7:37 PM on February 27, 2003
Well, that may have been why it started, but now it's just another form of music. The same is probably true for other forms of music [different purpose now than originally]. Nothing wrong with that that I see.
I don't know why people are singling out rap here.. there's plenty of rock/punk/goth/industrial/techno/etc music that is just as violent and meaningless. Metal, for example, is quite fond of killing/drug references.
Some people apparently think there's something wrong with fun, mindless music. I see lots of "thats not music." Well, it may not be Art(tm), but it is most certainly music, check your damn dictionary. It's just not music you like or appreciate. I doubt 50c is crying over that.
Comments such as: They're not selling music to music lovers, they're selling a fabricated lifestyle to adolescents... wtf? Everyone who listens to this music is buying into a "lifestyle"? That's just silly. Like any other genre, the listening audience is more diverse than the image projected by the performers.
[/rant]
....
LoopSouth - the big reason he went up so fast is, of course, he's a protege of Eminem and Dr. Dre. Also, the 8 mile soundtrack included several of his songs, which was his primary pre-release exposure. Since that soundtrack sold very well, I'm betting it had a big impact. This may be his debut, but Eminem/Dre fans have been hearing about him for a while [and there are a lot of those].
posted by wildcrdj at 7:37 PM on February 27, 2003
Why do I see so many people in this thread accepting these lyrics? Sex, drugs and alcohol are everyday facts of life in our society, but to promote these things as being good is not a good thing. As a matter of fact, I think it's wrong. The fact that so many people accept these lyrics as being okay when they are so clearly not completely dismays me.
I don't know why people are singling out rap here..
Because the other music genres you mention don't enjoy the same popularity that rap does. Besides, they've often been targeted for other reasons. All forms of rock have criticized at one point in time or another.
Comments such as: They're not selling music to music lovers, they're selling a fabricated lifestyle to adolescents... wtf? Everyone who listens to this music is buying into a "lifestyle"? That's just silly
Maybe you don't buy into the lifestyle but that doesn't mean that others don't. In my small city (London Ontario) I see a lot of people who appear to have bought into it, judging by the clothes, the swagger, the talk.
And ?!, there is a complete difference between the lyrics of this song and others like it and your grandfather being upset about your mother becomer an radio interviewer. Think about it. Here's a hint: moral decay as opposed to social change...
posted by ashbury at 7:50 PM on February 27, 2003
I don't know why people are singling out rap here..
Because the other music genres you mention don't enjoy the same popularity that rap does. Besides, they've often been targeted for other reasons. All forms of rock have criticized at one point in time or another.
Comments such as: They're not selling music to music lovers, they're selling a fabricated lifestyle to adolescents... wtf? Everyone who listens to this music is buying into a "lifestyle"? That's just silly
Maybe you don't buy into the lifestyle but that doesn't mean that others don't. In my small city (London Ontario) I see a lot of people who appear to have bought into it, judging by the clothes, the swagger, the talk.
And ?!, there is a complete difference between the lyrics of this song and others like it and your grandfather being upset about your mother becomer an radio interviewer. Think about it. Here's a hint: moral decay as opposed to social change...
posted by ashbury at 7:50 PM on February 27, 2003
They're not selling music to music lovers, they're selling a fabricated lifestyle to adolescents... wtf? Everyone who listens to this music is buying into a "lifestyle"? That's just silly.
Don't put words in my mouth. I never said everyone who listens to "this music" is buying into a lifestyle.
But if you want to argue that rap music exists on the merits of its music and lyrical content, and not the way of life it represents, please go right ahead.
posted by Hildago at 8:18 PM on February 27, 2003
Don't put words in my mouth. I never said everyone who listens to "this music" is buying into a lifestyle.
But if you want to argue that rap music exists on the merits of its music and lyrical content, and not the way of life it represents, please go right ahead.
posted by Hildago at 8:18 PM on February 27, 2003
ashbury: let me respond to your statements:
(1) Read my comment. Here it is to help you find it for this thread.
(2) Read it in context of the discussion. It was addressed as a response to this comment.
(3) Now, I'll break it down for you: my grandfather believed jazz was disgusting, filthy music performed by the dregs of society. He believed the lyrics were profane, the stars were morally corrupt, and the listeners were seduced by the anti-establishment lifestyle.
Here's a hint: I feel a draft in here.
posted by ?! at 10:04 PM on February 27, 2003
(1) Read my comment. Here it is to help you find it for this thread.
(2) Read it in context of the discussion. It was addressed as a response to this comment.
(3) Now, I'll break it down for you: my grandfather believed jazz was disgusting, filthy music performed by the dregs of society. He believed the lyrics were profane, the stars were morally corrupt, and the listeners were seduced by the anti-establishment lifestyle.
Here's a hint: I feel a draft in here.
posted by ?! at 10:04 PM on February 27, 2003
?!, thanks for clarifying your position re your grandfather. You have to realize that your initial comment did not go far towards explaining why your grandfather felt as he did. I still feel that there is a large difference between certain rap lyrics and jazz, although there is definitely a similarity. The difference is that rap is and has been for over a decade, for the most part, a very accepted form of music. Jazz in 1941 (I don't think it's the big band style you're talking about here) was still finding its legs and wasn't yet understood or embraced by the vast majority of people.
For the record, I wasn't using any type of argumentative fallacy, unless you count sarcasm as such.
posted by ashbury at 5:03 AM on February 28, 2003
For the record, I wasn't using any type of argumentative fallacy, unless you count sarcasm as such.
posted by ashbury at 5:03 AM on February 28, 2003
ashbury: you say sarcasm, I say tomato. :) And I do think the initial comment in its stated response to the earlier comment was clear I was talking about his dislike of jazz and not radio interviewers. However, I understand I need to be more explicit in the future.
By 1941 Jazz had at least two decades plus of history. (Some may say more.) Of course, due to its primary development by African-Americans, the sound of Jazz wasn't in the ears of much of the public.
I say the same is still true of rap, hip-hop, and other forms of "urban" music. Though you say rap is accepted I believe the vast majority of white America hears only a small percentage of those forms of music. What you, and others, are complaining about is the tip of the iceberg of a strong, vibrant musical form.
Simply, it's easy to dismiss rap if all you want to hear are the lyrics of "gangstas." But do so and you will miss the poetry, love, soul, anger, fear, happiness, and pride of a great part of your society.
posted by ?! at 5:20 AM on February 28, 2003
By 1941 Jazz had at least two decades plus of history. (Some may say more.) Of course, due to its primary development by African-Americans, the sound of Jazz wasn't in the ears of much of the public.
I say the same is still true of rap, hip-hop, and other forms of "urban" music. Though you say rap is accepted I believe the vast majority of white America hears only a small percentage of those forms of music. What you, and others, are complaining about is the tip of the iceberg of a strong, vibrant musical form.
Simply, it's easy to dismiss rap if all you want to hear are the lyrics of "gangstas." But do so and you will miss the poetry, love, soul, anger, fear, happiness, and pride of a great part of your society.
posted by ?! at 5:20 AM on February 28, 2003
what's wrong with sex and alcohol, in moderation, ashbury? (jury's still out on drugs.)
posted by Vidiot at 7:24 AM on February 28, 2003
posted by Vidiot at 7:24 AM on February 28, 2003
?!, I have already stated in a previous thread that I don't like rap. That said, I have heard many rap songs that I quite like, including the lyrics. I have noticed all those qualities that you mentioned, and it gladdened my heart to hear it. My complaint is with mainstream rap which tends to have lyrics similar to the song in question. If it was one song, once in a while, I wouldn't bat an eye, but when it's many songs all the time, then I perceive that there may be a problem--the moral decay that was mentioned earlier. (And as far as those debate techniques are concerned, I'm fairly sure I've used most of them at one time or another; for good or bad, it's part of debate. I apologize for tossing a tomato your way. :)
Vidiot, in moderation I have no problem with sex, drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately I don't feel that young teenagers can do anything in moderation and that's why I get concerned. If they see something in a video or hear something in a song, they just may think to themselves that it's okay to go out and do what they see and hear.
posted by ashbury at 11:45 AM on February 28, 2003
Vidiot, in moderation I have no problem with sex, drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately I don't feel that young teenagers can do anything in moderation and that's why I get concerned. If they see something in a video or hear something in a song, they just may think to themselves that it's okay to go out and do what they see and hear.
posted by ashbury at 11:45 AM on February 28, 2003
ashbury: It's ok. I ducked.
Could your problem be with the companies that make the rap you dislike into the "mainstream" rap? They are more responsible for advertising and promoting that style of rap over any other. Again, maybe the rap you dislike is only a small minority of what is available. But, with media attention, it gains an undeserved standing above other styles.
posted by ?! at 3:27 PM on February 28, 2003
Could your problem be with the companies that make the rap you dislike into the "mainstream" rap? They are more responsible for advertising and promoting that style of rap over any other. Again, maybe the rap you dislike is only a small minority of what is available. But, with media attention, it gains an undeserved standing above other styles.
posted by ?! at 3:27 PM on February 28, 2003
?!, it's not only possible but probable that you are correct in your theory. It's always about what The Man wants us to see, hear, dress, think. I hate The Man. There is a college radio station that I listen to quite often which plays "urban" stuff. I've surprised myself by what I've truly enjoyed, and what a difference between the commercial crap.
posted by ashbury at 6:41 PM on February 28, 2003
posted by ashbury at 6:41 PM on February 28, 2003
Hear hear, interrobang. I wouldn't call myself a hip-hop fan by any stretch, but there's a lot of good "underground" stuff out there. Jurassic 5, DJ Shadow, and Deltron 3030 represent!
(Disclaimer: I don't know anything about hip-hop. So I outsource my hip-hop taste to my friend Keith. It's a useful service; every six months or so he'll recommend a CD, and I'll get it, and I'll invariably like it. Kind of like a Recommendation-of-the-Month Club.)
Mainstream rap is putrid, however.
posted by Vidiot at 5:15 AM on March 1, 2003
(Disclaimer: I don't know anything about hip-hop. So I outsource my hip-hop taste to my friend Keith. It's a useful service; every six months or so he'll recommend a CD, and I'll get it, and I'll invariably like it. Kind of like a Recommendation-of-the-Month Club.)
Mainstream rap is putrid, however.
posted by Vidiot at 5:15 AM on March 1, 2003
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As for that track, it's "whack". In fact, I'd leave it in a stack marked "crap". How's that?
posted by Dark Messiah at 7:47 AM on February 27, 2003