Posts Tagged ‘hip-hop’

this is the world wide web // February 26th, 2010 // 8 Comments

Hamburgers are better than pizza and here’s why:

I’ve been sitting on this topic for a few days now, but last night I read Jezebel’s re-purposing of Slate’s Nicki Minaj piece and many things struck me, tying back to this post over at The FADER. Mainly, The Way We Argue On The Internet, Especially When The Topic Is Rap Music.

 

We are all suddenly idiots when we visit websites. Regardless of one’s age or level of education, anyone is prone to calling someone a fag or a retard during an online disagreement. That doesn’t mean it will always happen, but when it does it’s unfortunate and annoying and drives well-meaning writers and bloggers batty. (There are, however, a number of bloggers that don’t mind this sort of thing if pageviews rely on the endurance of catfights.) Multiply that times music and pop culture, which attracts any variety of fans, “experts” and youth and it doesn’t matter how rich and entertaining your turn of phrase is if you’ve decided Gucci is wack, or dope, for that matter. People largely aren’t reading your opinions to be entertained by them; they want your opinions to be in tandem with their own.

 

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fun with stereotypes // February 17th, 2010 // 381 Comments

The 8 Black Gays you will meet in your lifetime.

After reading “A Handy Guide to All Gay Men” by Brian Moylan over at Gawker, what stood out to me (obviously) was that I don’t know many Black men like this. Any one of these archetypes can apply to my Black gay brethren, but by and large, in my experience, they do not. So some mischievous friends and I decided to compose a more colorful equivalent to Moylan’s classifications. Your education begins now.

 

a-skinnyThe Skinny Bitch
This strain of Black gay is typically very young (“green”) but quickly rises in popularity in his newfound social circle because of his youth, pliability and quick mastery of shade. His goal is to accrue as many enemies as possible since he’s convinced that having enough people that despise him means he’s “doing something right.” He will spend an entire month’s salary on designer sunglasses because he considers them social currency.
Activities: “Walking”, throwing shade, wearing eyeliner, being penetrated, hogging the camera, starting arguments with strangers, making youtube videos, going to the mall.
Diva of Choice: Beyonce or Rihanna (there is no in-between)
Top or Bottom: Bottom.

 

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this is hip-hop // January 27th, 2010 // 5 Comments

Pussy monsters.

fleshmusic

Can Hip-Hop be artistic and capable with piss-poor subject matter? I ask this because I think people generally think garbage Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop that isn’t “about” anything, meaning it’s about drugs, pussy, alcohol, murder and conspicuous consumption instead of real issues and affirmations that young Black kids need to hear.

 

For all my bitching about Hip-Hop at large, I can’t say that topicality has ever been the main issue with me, but I’d rather hear a Slum Village song about pussy than a Soulja Boy song about pussy. That’s pretty much how I delineate these matters. In fact, I listen to quite a bit of Hip-Hop from the underbelly that people may think is “positive” just because it’s non-mainstream, but it’s not. We like to fit things into boxes that make them easier to contextualize. I remember when Erykah Badu wore a dread wig post-Baduizm and everyone shit their pants like it was some kind of grand betrayal, but there was nothing in Badu’s earlier work that implied authenticity based on her hair. How could someone so “real” do something so “fake?”

 

Same goes for how we perceive Hip-Hop. While it may be true that a more talented artist has a deep well of topics from which to cull material, don’t think for a moment that talent (i.e. “embodying the true spirit of Hip-Hop”) equates messianic intent or even depth. It just means a cat has an innate ability to flip vocabulary and become a part of the music and that his skills aren’t founded strictly in entrepreneurialism and attention-whoring. On the same token, there’s still some shitty Hip-Hop with noble intentions. You can impart all manner of hope and knowledge and positivity and seek refuge in your intentions, but if you lack lyrical panache then your output holds less currency with me than “Every Girl.”

 

Viva la Pussy Rap!

 

this is hip-hop // January 24th, 2010 // No Comments

“I’m not perfect” is no longer an excuse.

nickdouglas:

“I felt it would be fake of me to leave [the word “nigger”] out of the record just so I could look like a better Christian. Being Christian doesn’t mean I’m perfect. It just means I’m forgiven and I strive daily to be better and get closer to God.” — Features : Christian Rapper Explains Jay-Z Diss

What an asshole. Tries to act self-righteous and still use the language he’s supposedly mad at.

 

Christ. (No pun intended.)

 

First of all, I don’t care if he uses the n-word (I don’t think language is what Rizzo is mad at as it relates to Jay-Z). The problem I have with this statement is that RIZZO (why’n the fuck is your name RIZZO?) attempts to absorb this with the whole “Being Christian doesn’t mean I’m perfect” bullshit. Why did he feel the need to not only qualify that but qualify it so wackly? Most of the people I know that use the n-word happen to be Christian, but you’ll never hear them say “I’m not perfect” as a way to reconcile poor language with their faith.

 

Note, Rizzo says “nigga” roughly 13 times in this song. Do you suppose every time he uttered it he thought to himself “I’m not a perfect Christian so I’mma just go ahead and use it anyway”? Probably not. Still, this doesn’t make him an imperfect Christian. It just makes him a lazy rapper that, admittedly, happens to have a potentially decent flow.
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disclosure // January 11th, 2010 // No Comments

Random and current facts about me:

  • I suck at Jazz, like, I know as much about Jazz music as I do sports (which I like to refer to as “professional televised gym class.”)
  • I do not like Corrine Bailey Rae. I’m compelled to point this out because she always comes up in music conversations with me. I suppose my engagement in certain types of music means it’s likely I’m into her, but I’m not.
  • I like Destiny’s Child as a group more than Beyoncé and I bought all of their CDs.
  • I frequently bitch about this because it hasn’t changed: I’m the only gay dude I know that loves Hip-Hop the way I do. (In fact, I once dated someone that told me I wasn’t a Hip-Hop head because I wasn’t into his Lil’ Wayne and T.I. records, yet he knew nothing of the type of artists I listen to. Yeah, let’s start there…)
  • Say anything bad about Janet Jackson and I will skin you alive and wear your hide as a fanciful Snuggie.
  • I have no patience for overly sensitive people that seek out offense and disrespect in everything in order to have something to defend themselves against. Needy, emotionally high-maintenance people are highly repellent to me at this stage in my life. And I should know who they are; I used to be one.
  • I am not a graphic designer or a deejay. I am a writer.
  • I find myself becomingly increasingly bored with the topics and interests for which I have become known. Let’s start with music.
  • I’m fully prepared to be alone and am satisfied with that. The dating pool in my community seems to be comprised of the same four or five archetypes with little variation and too much overlap. I’m finding that people consider themselves a catch based on a ubiquitous checklist that has nothing to do with who they are as a person, and that’s boring.
  • I’m strongly considering dating outside of my race. If that offends you, it shouldn’t, and you may have a seat. Namaste.
  • I pursued the Dharma chiefly to alleviate stress and figure out why I was miserable. But I’ve learned much more beyond that. It’s much easier for me to love all people, regardless of the things that we perceive separate us. Those things are illusory and a distraction.
  • Batman rules.

Ask me anything…

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