What a Double Entendre
This has to be one of the most moving videos I have seen in QUITE a long time. The lyrics speaks VOLUMES of our culture.
Many parents aren’t teaching their children the difference between fantasy and reality. Without the parents being perceived as the heroes these young girls are getting their stimulation and imitation other ways, just for the false feeling of being wanted and desired.
This video is showcasing why it’s important to be the matriarchs and patriarchs of our families. We have to stop this cycle of having our children thinking that being a “bad bitch” is dressing half naked and bouncing your ass up and down for a couple of dollars.
Our society has a much skewed perception of women right now.
Not only just women, black women.
Too many times in rap videos do we see these women bouncing their asses up and down… having champagne poured on them. These self proclaimed “Bad Bitches” are being objectified… and they don’t even care.
In this video Lupe is using blackface as a metaphor. While, we may no longer use the paint to disseminate racist images… we now use huge gold chains, rims, grills, and half naked girls dancing around overpriced cars.
I’m here to tell you, it’s the same thing in a different form.
I really want everyone to take the time to think about what we are doing to, not only ourselves, but our future.
In order to do better, we have to think better.
If we as a culture want to be respected better by the world, we can’t act like puppets.
We must begin to think how our actions are consequences to EVERYONE.
Below are some of my favorite lyrics from the song.
First he’s relatin’ the word “bitch” with his mama, comma
And because she’s relatin’ to herself, his most important source of help, And mental health, he may skew respect for dishonor
High heels, long hair, fat booty, slim
Reality check, I’m not trippin’
They don’t see a paid actress, just what makes a bad bitch
Disclaimer: This rhymer, Lupe’s not usin’ bitch as a lesson
But as a psychological weapon
To set in your mind and really mess with your conceptions
Discretions, reflections, it’s clever misdirection
Cause, while I was rappin’ they was growin’ up fast
Nobody stepped in to ever slow ‘em up, gasp
Sure enough, in this little world
The little boy meets one of those little girls
And he thinks she a bad bitch and she thinks she a bad bitch
He thinks disrespectfully, she thinks of that sexually
She got the wrong idea, he don’t wanna fuck her
He thinks she’s bad at being a bitch like his mother
Momma never dress like that, come out the house, hot mess like that
Ass, titties, dress like that
All out to impress like that
Just like that, you see the fruit of the confusion
He caught in a reality, she caught in an illusion
Bad mean good to her, she really nice and smart
But bad mean bad to him, bitch don’t play your part
But bitch still bad to her if you say it the wrong way
But she think she a bitch, what a double entendre
I hope you like the song as much as I did!
I am a huuuge Lupe fan and knew he came out with this song, but hadn’t got the chance to see it. After you made this post, i said to myself, ‘naw, seriously, I need to go watch the video.’ So I did and I truly enjoyed it. And it’s been in the back of my mind since I watched it, and it’s really making me rethink a lot of stuff. I wish other rappers would allow it to inspire them as well.
Thx 4 sharing
Wow! Thank you so much for bringing this song to my attention! This is definitely a very complex topic! The way women have been portrayed in rap videos has always disturbed me. It is blatant objectification, and both my husband and I have tried to convey this message to my stepdaughter. This opinion, in turn, gets perceived as a racist comment, which is not true at all! Your comparison to the usage of the black face decades ago just made things much easier for me in terms of explaining why this is so wrong! My opinions are not racist…what we are seeing in our rap videos is racist! Thank you so much for a wonderfully-written post!
I’m glad this post was able to give some insight on how you can approach your stepdaughter about rap music. Now don’t get me wrong. I LOVE Hip Hop, but I can seriously do without men walking around looking like straight up clowns and woman objectifying themselves for money.
These kids just see the money and the faux lifestyle. They don’t realize that some of these rappers are just paid to sell an idea attached to a catchy beat.
Most of these kids need to know that a lot of these rappers are studio gangsters, and the girls in their videos are perceived as whores on their eyes.
Honestly, Lupe Fiasco is one of my favorite rappers because he’s dropping knowledge on why we need to bring the intellect BACK into the music. I suggest that you, hubby, and stepdaughter listen to Dumb it Down by Lupe Fiasco (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Et1siZhTk). He tells the story about how the music executives wanted him to make is music ignorant so it will sell better to the masses. He refused.
Check it out! A lot of his music is great! My other favorite song is Conflict Diamonds!