No intellect, no facts, no stats...just feelings.
I've since gotten used being either late, or on the outside when it comes to what's popular. With that being said, sometimes, I feel as though I'm the only African-American woman under 30 who, beyond a shadow of a doubt, hates the "A** Song" by that one guy and Nicki Minaj. Yes, I know this song came out a while ago and my complaints are late as all get out...but hey, whatever.
Honest to Goddess, I wanted to be like those hipster bloggers who can see the good in everything and come up with some interesting perspectives as to why this type of "music" is ok to 'go stupid' to. Let's start with what's typical, eh? Hip-hop lovers/connoisseurs would say something like: "Lena, it's just music and you're supposed to listen to it to have fun." Or, "You don't have to listen to it." And, of course, my absolute favorite--"You're just a hater."
Well, if asking the folks who make the kind of (c)rap music that's distributed en masse to millions to be anything other than the talentless and woman-bashing weenies that they are, makes me a hater then I guess you can call me a hater. Give me my crown.
Anyway, lemme guess what you're thinking, you're probably getting ready to mention that the "A** Song" is for a certain demographic: Strippers. To that, I'm gonna have to say that I don't care. Why? Because strippers aren't the only ones dancing to this garbage. If I had a buck for every black woman that would otherwise demand your respect but spouts, "THAT'S MY JAAAAM" or "he not talking about me" and still dance when this song comes on, chances are [ insert your own cliche].
Keep in mind that I'm not completely discounting the fact that other genres of music could be considered just as degrading. I just can't concern myself with it right now; besides, I don't know of any other genre that makes out black women to be mindless sex objects, well aside from modern R&B. That's another story for another time. At least back in the day, if the men were going to be naughty they had the good grace to use innuendo.
I'm not sure what it is that makes so many of my sisters in blackness suspend their love of self and "get it in" for roughly 4 minutes of music that sounds exactly like its title. It's beyond me. Maybe I'm old-fashioned? Maybe I'm old? Who knows?
Maybe the song speaks to certain primal carnal yearnings that exist inside all of us. Words that you may find offensive other women may find great auditory enhancement during intercourse. Maybe the only problem is that the only time Black people are given a platform to express themselves to a mainstream audience is through a media that offers no context and says, "this is only a minute aspect of black culture and doesn't represent black people in their entirity.", not, "Oh, Big Sean and Nicki MInaj rapped about ass and sex and said bitch so this must be how every black man and women in the world interact with one another no matter what the setting and as such this is how I shall treat and interact with them." The former is the lens that I view the song through. Because I like ass. And I like sex. Nicki Minaj offfers both. Yet I also understand that Nicki Minaj does not cover the spectrum of black women or black female capability. For every Nicki Minaj, there is a Melissa Harris-Perry, MIchelle Alexander, Jean Grae, Angela DAvis and Zora Neale Hurston. However, these women will never have the platform that Nicki has, which to me is the real travesty and problem.
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Darryl, as usual, you give me insight and perspective. I agree that it's shameful that (seemingly) the most powerful medium Black Americans have for reaching the masses is our sexuality. Well, not even that, better to say sexual exploitation. Anywho, we can also agree that there is nothing wrong with sex or any part of the human anatomy...the song just blows. Let's do better in the 2012, shall we? Happy New Year.
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