Misogyny or adult classics? Rapper Luther Campbell (aka Uncle Luke aka Mr. Freak Nasty) was the marshal of a parade down in Miami. He jokingly yelled out 'FACE DOWN' and all the adults over 30 started laughing. The kids were confused. But ppl who grew up in Miami in the 1980s knew he was referring to the call-and-response chorus in his song...
-face down
-ass up
-that's the way we like to....*ahem*
At the time of the song, it was considered truly shocking and disgusting. So all the kids immediately learned the lyrics and would rap them behind their parent's back. In the parade, 20 yrs later the kids have grown into adults and we were laughing at the quaintness of a song...or maybe how it reminded us of our rebellious youth. A few yrs after 2 Live Crew's glory days, Lil Kim's opening salvo in her "Hardcore" album was...
- I used to be scared of the ****
-Now I throw lips to the shit
- Handle it, like a real ***
And then Khia topped her years later with "My Neck, My Back, Lick My..."
Is there a certain point when everything sexually shocking becomes nostalgic? The jazz song "All That Meat and No Potatoes" is about being unsatisfied with a woman's chest. If you take in the words, it's offensive. But now it's considered an American songbook standard.
Is there a point when "Facedown" or "My Neck, My Back" or Lil Kim will be performed in Lincoln Center with a luscious orchestra arrangement...like a lot of the jazz and rock classics? Is it a losing battle to condemn anything because kids will consume it even more when it's 'naughty' and then grow up to have warm and fuzzy feelings about their dad's porn stash or x-rated music?
-face down
-ass up
-that's the way we like to....*ahem*
At the time of the song, it was considered truly shocking and disgusting. So all the kids immediately learned the lyrics and would rap them behind their parent's back. In the parade, 20 yrs later the kids have grown into adults and we were laughing at the quaintness of a song...or maybe how it reminded us of our rebellious youth. A few yrs after 2 Live Crew's glory days, Lil Kim's opening salvo in her "Hardcore" album was...
- I used to be scared of the ****
-Now I throw lips to the shit
- Handle it, like a real ***
And then Khia topped her years later with "My Neck, My Back, Lick My..."
Is there a certain point when everything sexually shocking becomes nostalgic? The jazz song "All That Meat and No Potatoes" is about being unsatisfied with a woman's chest. If you take in the words, it's offensive. But now it's considered an American songbook standard.
Is there a point when "Facedown" or "My Neck, My Back" or Lil Kim will be performed in Lincoln Center with a luscious orchestra arrangement...like a lot of the jazz and rock classics? Is it a losing battle to condemn anything because kids will consume it even more when it's 'naughty' and then grow up to have warm and fuzzy feelings about their dad's porn stash or x-rated music?
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