Not that I ever pay attention to so-called “urban struggle” music*, but I thought the Ludicrous performer** Ludacris*** was supposed to be cutting edge. Instead I read the attempt at lyrics to this recent track about Obama “painting the White House black”.
* I say “music”, not to disparage the medium but because “awkward rhythms, the odd attempt at melody, with terribly juvenile rhyming and schizo-syllabic partial sentences cussed and yelled over them” is too long to write frequently.
** Had to think about that too for a minute because he’s not an artist, he’s not a musician, he’s not a singer, and he’s certainly no writer, but he does perform as I understand (like a two-year-old in a toy store).
*** Wow, clever, the pinnacle of hip-hop “talent”, integrate your name into some random word or phrase, and certainly don’t look it up, why would you want to know what ludicrous means?
We should encourage him to continue trying to write, no matter the subject. After all, 1) writing leads to thinking and education, 2) he may someday realize that lyrics should include meter as well as rhyme, and 3) that rhyme, too, should actually be considered and not just desperately grasped in the first word you can think of that sounds similar. This is a common practice that seems to be a rampant hip-hop standard.
I guess we should count our blessings, …anything to keep a little scratch in his pocket to keep one more self-proclaimed “gangsta” somewhat off the streets.
From the BBC UK News service…
“Ludacris is a talented individual but he should be ashamed of these lyrics,” said Mr Obama’s spokesman Bill Burton.
The rap star’s publicist initially declined to comment, reported the Associated Press.
‘Great talent’
The musician used a misogynistic term to describe Mrs Clinton and urged Mr Obama against appointing her as his running mate, saying that she “hated on you”.
Mr McCain, the Republican candidate for the presidency, does not belong in “any chair unless he’s paralysed”, according to the rapper.
Mr Burton added: “As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to.”
During my own reading of the lyric, I imagined Chris Bridges (his name) sitting on the floor of a studio, a fully clenched fist wrapped tightly around a crayon connected to a sheet of construction paper, and tongue straining against the corner of his mouth, toward a grape jelly stain on his t-shirt. Subject matter aside, it’s perhaps the worst writing I’ve ever read. I kept reading because I thought it must be a parody of inner-city educational systems, as an argument for electing Obama, who will drive more social welfare programs that keep inner-city families from the difficulties of self-reliance and accountability.
Hmmm…. maybe it was a parody after all. Did he sneak it by me? Very subtle satire of “where he at” and “where he come from”, delivered in character. Now I’m actually impressed. Or not.