Last night on my drive home I became acutely in-tuned to the lyrics of the songs I was hearing. The station was an R&B/rap station. I will probably get flamed for saying this, but is it just me, or do rap artists rely more on repetition and sound than actually coming up with something decent to say? Because all I hear over and over again are the same handful of 'rhymes'. They tend to include, but are not limited to:
bitches
da hood
da club
gangsta
gangstaz
hoes
uhhh (think Master P...'let me hear ya say uuuuuhhhhh')
ass
lumps
them
niggaz
nigga
fuck __ (with, you, off, ya'll)
roll
And I'm thinking to myself about all the kids that are listening to this music. Which then leads me to thinking about the music I was listening to at 14, 15...16. So I have done some research today. Here is what I found out, and my two cents. Now, granted, I realize that every generation will probably have something to say about the decline of the music of newer generations. I do recall the disgust on my mothers face as she heard Tool and Fugazi playing from my bedroom. Grundge/alternative was something of it's own in the early 1990's, and every genre has had its criticism. But where do we draw the line? When did it become okay to hear 'Juicy J' of Three 6 Mafia tell me that he stays 'in a girl ear to keep that pussy wet?'. Do I give a shit how he keeps the pussy wet? Hmm...not so much. But thanks for playin.
So I pulled the lyrics of the top 10 songs from 1992 and as they are currently, today, 4/14 of 2006. Here are the results.
Top hits of 1992:
1. Nirvana - Smells like Teen Spirit (harmless)
2. Whitney Houston - I will Always Love You (yes Whitney, we know you are a narcissistic crack addict. this could be categorized...as Finance likes to call it...MOE-SHOW.)
3. U2 - Mysterious Ways (harmless)
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge (harmless)
5. Wreckz-N-Effect - Rump Shaker (oh yeah baby!! check baby check baby 1-2-3!) Sample lyric: 'Total seduction, from face, hips, to feet. A wiggle and jiggle can make the night complete. Now since you got the body of the year, come and get the award. Here's a hint, it's like a long chop sword.' They just have to talk about their penis's don't they?
6. Michael Jackson - Black or White (clearly having an identity crisis - but clean for the most part)
7. House of Pain - Jump Around (this would have been a bit racy. here is a sample lyric: 'I'll serve your ass like John MacEnroe. If your steps up, I'm smacking the ho. Word to your moms I came to drop bombs. I got more rhymes than the Bible's got psalms.' There we have a nice christian reference and a threat to your mom. And John MacEnroe.
8. Boyz II Men - End of the Road (My first slow dance. I felt paralyzed from the waist down and I cried the entire time. I mean, what with lyrics like 'I belong to you, you belong to meeeeeeeeee').
9. Arrested Development - Tennessee (harmless)
10. Eric Clapton - Tears In Heaven (more Moe-show)
The top 10 hits of today, make 1992's list look like an ABC after school special.
Top hits of 2006:
1. Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie (sample: 'Oh baby when you talk like that you know you got me hypnotized. So be wise and keep on reading the signs of my body') Whatever. Next.
2. T.I. - What You Know (sample: 'Know you don't like me cause yo bitch most likely does. She see me on them dubs in front of every club. I be on dro I'm buzzed give every ho a hug. Niggaz don't show me mugs cause you don't know me cuz').
3. Fort Minor - Where'd You Go (pretty harmless)
4. Mariah Carey featuring Snoop Dogg - Say Something (sample: 'Babygirl follow me to the rest room, now get buck wild, shh don't make a sound, I'll take you , lay you down, make your body go round and round. Do you want me to, don't say you won't, I know you do, Most girls play shy, it won't hurt until you give it a try, I know you like my smile, dig my style, big bow-wow.')
5. Ne-Yo - When You're Mad (sample: 'Then when we get mad together and have angry sex, I'll blow you out...' Now THAT is romantic.
6. Bubba Sparxxx - Ms. New Booty (sample: 'Sippin on patron, blong blong blong Shawdy in a thong, whom whom whom, Ass get da jiggling, mother fucking wigglying, get that thang shakin, like she frost bit shivering, ass be delivering, all type of flashes, cashes, got these hoes shaking that molasses.') Nice.
7. Three 6 Mafia - Poppin' My Collar (now these fellas are a smooth bunch. they actually have a song title 'SLOB on my KNOB'. AWESOME! Sample lyrics:
(Juicy J)
Well you know me by the Juice man hangin out with Big Keith, standin on tha porch, drinkin liquor, drunk, smokin weed. tyrin to get a paycheck, but work that ain't came yet. thats why i stay in a girl ear to keep that pussy wet so I could get paid and relax in the shade and say fuck a nine to five cuz a nigga tired of slavin. it's never easy for a playa in tha hood on tha come up if I meet a gal with three kids or more she get done up. (well, now, that was nice of him to call her a 'gal').
(Crunchy Blac)
She's just another hoe that I met in the hood. I told her I was Crunchy Black and it was all good. She might as well go on head and suck on my wood, and let me whisper something in her ear if I could. I got some hoes out there bringin ya boy back some good, that ghetty green you know what I mean, that bitch is understood. ain't havin to shout at no motherfuckin slut. you better get out there and get my money in the woods. i'm a hit cha in the head and leave ya ass with a plug. you know I gotta have, gotta get my money what these hoes out here be fuckin gfor a muthafucking dub, FREAK BITCH!'.
Now I gotta tell you people. Can ya feel the warm fuzzies? CAN YA FEEL EM???!
9. Black Eyed Peas featuring Jack Johnson - Gone Going (They had to put out something to redeem their reputation after that damn LUMPS song).
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California (Good to see a classic still on makin the charts 14 years later! RAWK ON RHCP'S!!!)
Now. I don't know about ya'll...but I'm thinking DA DA DAMN, WTF are our kids listening to? My stomach churns as I read those lyrics to 'Poppin' my Collar' and think of some 14 year old kid thinking it's the 'jam'! I haven't even heard the song, and I imagine lots of kids don't even pay attention to these lyrics. But there is a message. And the message is being received. Do we have no other choice but to CHOSE not to listen? This is all the same to me as my frustrations with sex on tv and pornography online. How long before there are NO filters? There are NO ethical standards? And should we be so surprised with how it's affecting our children's development?
Holy shit. It just took me like 20 minutes to spell check.
Discuss.
*NPR had a discussion the other day about an 'emerging political group' they call 'CRUNCHY CONS'. I think I'm one of them.
