I wish it was my idea for him to eat Cheetos, but that was all him

January 18, 2017 11:21 AM

Young Thug - 'Wyclef Jean' (no nudity, but possibly NSFW.)

Young Thug 'Wyclef Jean' Director on How He Saved His Nightmare Shoot

Previously (on last year's album/mixtape Jeffrey and that cover art)

posted by naju (29 comments total)

My favorite part is where Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper make the dial tone noise together
posted by beerperson at 11:27 AM on January 18, 2017 [5 favorites]

Perhaps I'm old and out of touch* but the story about that video is that the artist didn't show up?! Why isn't it the horrible depiction of women? Jeezy peezy.


*There's no universe in which I am not old and out of touch.
posted by mcduff at 11:44 AM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

Why isn't it the horrible depiction of women?

Honestly, it's pretty run-of-the-mill for Hip-Hop videos. (I say this as a Hip-Hop lover and feminist)

That being said, I love this video and song so much. Young Thug is the future.
posted by R.F.Simpson at 11:52 AM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

JUXTAPOSITION
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 1:06 PM on January 18, 2017 [6 favorites]

I say this as a Hip-Hop lover and feminist

I still can't square this circle. Is there some secret hip-hop out there that is awesome and doesn't use bitch/ho/slut in every verse? I feel like every time I find a new group I think I like it's like, "yes, yes, am i enjoying this very muuuuuuu ah gah why."
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 1:08 PM on January 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

I still can't square this circle. Is there some secret hip-hop out there that is awesome and doesn't use bitch/ho/slut in every verse?

There absolutely is! It's not really secret, either. But also, being a feminist doesn't mean you only like things that are explicitly feminist. We all contain multitudes.

That said, the concept of this video really elevated the irritation at the "video hoes" aspect for me. Maybe because it's stripped so bare. But also: they got kids to play the cops, which is cool, but why did they all have to be little boys? There couldn't have been a little girl cop?
posted by lunasol at 1:40 PM on January 18, 2017 [5 favorites]

I so wish they lyrics and message were different - I could listen to this all day. Sadly, it's all so horrible.
posted by beccaj at 1:55 PM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

I am an old white guy so take this with that in mind. I really liked the concept of the video. I actually liked the sound of the song too, but could not understand the lyrics except the few explicit ones that were written out. How is Wyclef Jean involved? I can't even tell you if this is hip hop (I think) or rap. Regardless, the video is terrific. Love the scenes that Young Thug sent. Not sure if I am missing some sort of inside joke about the Cheetos, but always love to see someone getting their fingers orange as my stoner friends used to say about eating Cheetos. I think the director did a good job of salvaging this video and his reputation.
posted by AugustWest at 2:19 PM on January 18, 2017

I wish every discussion of a hip-hop thing didn't end up being yet another retread on misogyny in the genre. Granted, I wish there was no misogyny to discuss in the first place. But I think we can acknowledge that it's an unfortunate/troubling thing without it completely taking over the discussion; "duly noted and agreed; moving on..." Also, if it ruins the thing in question for you then fine and understandable, but plenty of hip-hop listeners are capable of and used to enjoying things that we find problematic because brains are fancy that way. The discussion of video hoes has been around for decades and there's just not much new or interesting to say there. There's lots of woke/conscious hip-hop to be recommended if you care to go that route, but maybe AskMe is your friend.
posted by naju at 2:36 PM on January 18, 2017 [11 favorites]

AugustWest: The song is called Wyclef Jean because all of the songs on the album are supposed to be named after Young Thug's heroes. Wyclef Jean himself is actually featured on another song on the same album: Kanye West
posted by mosschief at 2:47 PM on January 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

But also, being a feminist doesn't mean you only like things that are explicitly feminist.

But doesn't being a feminist also mean not making excuses for songs that call people retarded, and use lyrics like "Only here for one night lemme put it on your face, Let a nigga nut, only way I'll go to sleep." Or do I just not contain enough multitudes?
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 2:53 PM on January 18, 2017 [11 favorites]

But I think we can acknowledge that it's an unfortunate/troubling thing without it completely taking over the discussion

Depends on whether that acknowledgement is also applied equally to other topics, which it doesn't always seem to be (in Metafilter at least).
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:59 PM on January 18, 2017

I actually liked the sound of the song too, but could not understand the lyrics except the few explicit ones that were written out.

Most people don't understand Young Thug, it's part of the appeal. He has a unique, almost preverbal / glossolalic sort of rapping style.

How is Wyclef Jean involved?

He's not. As mosschief said, there's another song called "Kanye West" that does feature Wyclef Jean. He claims that he named the tracks of this album after his idols (I'm not clear on why Harambe is one of his idols.)

I can't even tell you if this is hip hop (I think) or rap.

This gets somewhat complicated, but when in doubt I would always just go with "hip-hop" when referring to a genre. Hip-hop is the broad umbrella for the music genre, whereas rap is a certain subset (and most people refer to "rap"/rapping as a vocal style, not as a genre.)

Not sure if I am missing some sort of inside joke about the Cheetos

Not that I'm aware of. Young Thug just has a healthy sense of absurdity. Or maybe he was snacking on them and didn't want to stop while he was filming the b-roll footage. Who knows what lurks in the hearts of men.
posted by naju at 3:01 PM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

But doesn't being a feminist also mean not making excuses for songs that [...]

Who here is making excuses?
posted by naju at 3:05 PM on January 18, 2017 [3 favorites]

Funny stuff. Sadly misogynist content, but the commentary is worth it.
posted by zardoz at 3:20 PM on January 18, 2017

I hope no one in this thread ever listens to rock music
posted by beerperson at 3:27 PM on January 18, 2017 [16 favorites]

I don't know if I can perfectly "square the circle" but at 1:55 in the video the following passage occurs:

She know she gotta hop on top the dick
She know you gotta ride that motherfucker
Her mama done walked in, but it's too big
She can't hide that motherfucker
Even if she divided the motherfucker
Man even if she minused the motherfucker
Join in get demolished motherfucker
I ain't gon' disguise it motherfucker, nah

Despite the nonfeminist sentiments, I find myself able to enjoy his vocal rhythm, tone, and general anarchic sense of humor/glee.

Also, one would do well to "square the circle" with the fact that Young Thug comes thisclose to identifying as asexual in interviews, plays with gender fluidity and queerness in ways previously unimagined in popular hip hop, and that this music is listened to and celebrated by young women of color in the south (a demographic far different than the MeFi bubble).
posted by R.F.Simpson at 3:30 PM on January 18, 2017 [14 favorites]

Is there some secret hip-hop out there that is awesome and doesn't use bitch/ho/slut in every verse?

Seriously? In 2017, people are still asking this?

Yes. There is a lot of hip-hop out there, not particularly secret, that is awesome and doesn't use bitch/ho/slut in every verse. Finding it is not very hard.
posted by Lexica at 3:37 PM on January 18, 2017 [18 favorites]

FWIW - if anything, I thought the video's director was perhaps tipping his hand a bit too much in pointing overtly to the misogyny in Young Thug's video concept and lyrics. Like there's nothing about this particular production that is unaware of the things people in this thread are intent on pointing out. Meta-commentary is basically the entire concept here.
posted by naju at 3:47 PM on January 18, 2017 [4 favorites]

Yeah, I definitely do not contain enough multitudes!
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 4:57 PM on January 18, 2017

I did not make excuses for this video. In fact, I very clearly stated my problems with it from a feminist viewpoint. For the way that I personally practice feminism, I think it's important to be able to say "I recognize that X cultural phenomenon/genre of art contains problematic aspects. I still like it for these reasons." Also, there's enough hip-hop/rap out there in the world to be able to be a fan of the genre as a whole without being completely inundated with sexist language.
posted by lunasol at 5:41 PM on January 18, 2017 [3 favorites]

there is so much rap now. there is more rap than there has ever been before and it is weirder and more out there and more diverse than you can possibly imagine. whether or not you contain multitudes is besides the point, RAP contains multitudes, and there is rap out there that will tickle your brain stem, and it is not as hard to find as one might think. to ask, in 2017, if rap is all about bitches and hoes is like asking if all country music is about trucks or all rock songs are about heroin. it's very simple to prove these notions wrong, all you have to do is engage with the genre and it's fans in good faith.
posted by JimBennett at 7:03 PM on January 18, 2017 [6 favorites]

Yes. There is a lot of hip-hop out there, not particularly secret, that is awesome and doesn't use bitch/ho/slut in every verse. Finding it is not very hard.

Here, let me help you with that:
Noname
Kid Cudi
TRIBE!

All that stuff came out in 2016.
posted by Maaik at 7:53 PM on January 18, 2017 [4 favorites]

I look forward to when MeFi discovers the various gang affiliations so we can discuss feminism and gangs in every hiphop post.

I was initially skeptical of Thugger, I am now fully converted. The Blanguage might be my favorite track from 2016 (partially because Metro Boomin' is awesome).
posted by yeahwhatever at 8:03 PM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

I thought the video's director was perhaps tipping his hand a bit too much in pointing overtly to the misogyny

Agreed. The silly scene with the sausage was immediately followed with "We paid the models extra for this one." or something like that.

If anyone's looking for glimmers of feminism, the kiddie cars meant the women were driving themselves, and in control, and not just ornamentation while the male star drives around that rented Rolls or Ferrari. Since Thugger didn't show up, the scenes of the women in tiny cars could be interpreted as the women choosing to drive these things and pose simply because they wanted to, and not as entertainment for some man included in the shot.

Another glimmer is having the women participate in smashing up the police car. From one point of view, probably a very sleep-deprived one like mine, you could almost re-edit this to be a lost Russ Meyer film. Gangs of tough women terrorize the hills in their Shriner cars. Fearing no man and no cop. Wearing skimpy clothes as they smash cars and men into pulps.
posted by honestcoyote at 1:48 AM on January 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

to ask, in 2017, if rap is all about bitches and hoes is like asking if all country music is about trucks

To be fair, it is.
posted by flabdablet at 5:55 AM on January 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

to ask, in 2017, if rap is all about bitches and hoes is like asking if all country music is about trucks... all you have to do is engage with the genre and it's fans in good faith

This derail started with a statement that went "I feel like every time I find a new group". Granted, AHaWO may not be searching very hard but if your experience is a stream, you're gonna get what you're gonna get. You look at the top songs in what passes for top-40 and, man, its not great. The so-called "woke" list includes Tribe who dropped "Georgie Porgie."

Shutting down the thread because its become "all threads hate on the problematic aspects" is cheap when this thread is about (a) an artist calling for video hoes (b) a video strongly featuring objectified women for (c) a song discussing problematic sexual acts. That Young Thug is all fluid with his sexuality doesn't give him a pass, nor do his apparent(?) legion of female fans who would do well to observe where his media places them.

Maybe post the sunshine, butterflies and positivity next time if we're getting it wrong?

Its not remotely "all" hip-hop but its a big enough problem that I can't let my kid daughters listen to even the radio which is too bad because some of it is indeed great and hugely problematic. I mean, "All The Way Up" would be a great morning tune if it weren't just drugs, mistreatment of women and demonstrating that a woman's place is aggressive fucking. And it'd be great if this was, like, just words and not an ongoing horrorshow of IRL beatings which to whatever extent its extrademographic it sure looks bad when you're expressing how much women are trash.

I'm not expecting our pop stars to be saintly and provide divine music but to #notallhiphop the situation is really not addressing what's going on. Love the shit out of your problematic music, just acknowledge the problematic nature of it and what that does.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 11:15 AM on January 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

RAP contains multitudes, and there is rap out there that will tickle your brain stem, and it is not as hard to find as one might think. to ask, in 2017, if rap is all about bitches and hoes is like asking if all country music is about trucks or all rock songs are about heroin. it's very simple to prove these notions wrong, all you have to do is engage with the genre and it's fans in good faith.

More to the point there's rap that has some sexist content but also has other things to say. The lyrics aren't exactly what I listen to Young Thug for though - he's clever sometimes but it's more about his unique approach to delivering it.

(my favorite is still Barter 6 - his production team did a great job with the low-key darkness of that one)
posted by atoxyl at 1:26 PM on January 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Sorry, I had this tab open for a while and onlyfinally watched the video today, but are we not going to discuss how fake this supposedly meta video is? We played ourselves, son.
posted by ejs at 9:51 PM on January 23, 2017 [1 favorite]