Edd’s MANtra: President Baracka Flocka Flame
I know I often come off as a crusty curmudgeon (and proud of it!) sometimes there is a method to my murmuring.
Y’all know I’ve been complaining about hip-hop’s brain-dead songs for years and years. Don’t get me wrong – scour my iPod’s playlist and you’ll find ridiculous tracks from ODB, Cam’ron, Timbaland and Magoo and many others. But buried deep within even the worst of those songs, you can find a small, tiny, minuscule nugget of substance.
I dare you to find anything of substance in Waka Flocka Flame’s music.
Waka, hip hop’s Creature From The Black Lagoon, somehow makes his mentor Gucci Mane sound like Socrates. Besides the cursing, I can barely make out what he’s saying in the inexplicably popular “Hard In The Paint.” But when I complain about the total lack of redeeming qualities in his so-called music, I get the same reply – “Yeah it’s dumb but it’s just supposed to be fun. Lighten up.” Call it the Antoine Dodson Excuse.
But it’s all fun and games till Obama gets involved.
In celebration of Election Day, check out Baracka Flocka Flame (heh) in “Head of the State,” the video parody of President Obama, featuring the first lady and Oprah too. It’s based off of “Hard In The Paint.”
Um, if you’re at work, please use your headphones. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
And NOW people are offended.
Y’all know I’ve been complaining about hip-hop’s brain-dead songs for years and years. Don’t get me wrong – scour my iPod’s playlist and you’ll find ridiculous tracks from ODB, Cam’ron, Timbaland and Magoo and many others. But buried deep within even the worst of those songs, you can find a small, tiny, minuscule nugget of substance.
I dare you to find anything of substance in Waka Flocka Flame’s music.
Waka, hip hop’s Creature From The Black Lagoon, somehow makes his mentor Gucci Mane sound like Socrates. Besides the cursing, I can barely make out what he’s saying in the inexplicably popular “Hard In The Paint.” But when I complain about the total lack of redeeming qualities in his so-called music, I get the same reply – “Yeah it’s dumb but it’s just supposed to be fun. Lighten up.” Call it the Antoine Dodson Excuse.
But it’s all fun and games till Obama gets involved.
In celebration of Election Day, check out Baracka Flocka Flame (heh) in “Head of the State,” the video parody of President Obama, featuring the first lady and Oprah too. It’s based off of “Hard In The Paint.”
Um, if you’re at work, please use your headphones. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
And NOW people are offended.
To paraphrase Jay-Z, it was all good just a week ago.
Last week The New York Times wrote piece on the parody, talking mainly about the absurdity of it all. Of all people, Waka’s momma (and manager) even came out to speak against the parody:
“That’s not a positive image for us, period, as African-Americans, where we came from, where we’re going today.”
OH REALLY???? So it’s OK for her son to jump around like an idiot in the hood, setting the black race back about 200 years, but it’s not OK for a guy dressed up like the president to do the same? I guess the pots and kettles call each other black in the Flame household.
The Obama family, Oprah and Tyler Perry (and in some circles, the Will and Jada Smith) have reached some sort of weird sainthood in the black community. They are NEVER to be criticized or made fun of. I guess that’s why it’s OK for Waka to be an embarrassment and not Obama.
I’m certainly not condoning making a mockery of the president, but the double standard annoys me. Besides the presidential references, “Head of The State” and “Hard In The Paint” are nearly identical lyrically. If we’re now willing to admit that “Hard In The Paint” is an abomination, AFTER it touches the hem of the Holy Black Trinity’s garment, why did we blindly support it beforehand? Hate to break it to you, but that song and video was always horrible, even before “Michelle” was smoking weed in it.
Seems to me that it’s a lot easier to ignore these stupid songs in the first place, instead of supporting them, making them hits, then complaining when they’re used in an “offensive” manner.
Don’t say this curmudgeon didn’t warn you when Tyler Perry gets a starring role in “Toot It and Boot It.”
Last week The New York Times wrote piece on the parody, talking mainly about the absurdity of it all. Of all people, Waka’s momma (and manager) even came out to speak against the parody:
“That’s not a positive image for us, period, as African-Americans, where we came from, where we’re going today.”
OH REALLY???? So it’s OK for her son to jump around like an idiot in the hood, setting the black race back about 200 years, but it’s not OK for a guy dressed up like the president to do the same? I guess the pots and kettles call each other black in the Flame household.
The Obama family, Oprah and Tyler Perry (and in some circles, the Will and Jada Smith) have reached some sort of weird sainthood in the black community. They are NEVER to be criticized or made fun of. I guess that’s why it’s OK for Waka to be an embarrassment and not Obama.
I’m certainly not condoning making a mockery of the president, but the double standard annoys me. Besides the presidential references, “Head of The State” and “Hard In The Paint” are nearly identical lyrically. If we’re now willing to admit that “Hard In The Paint” is an abomination, AFTER it touches the hem of the Holy Black Trinity’s garment, why did we blindly support it beforehand? Hate to break it to you, but that song and video was always horrible, even before “Michelle” was smoking weed in it.
Seems to me that it’s a lot easier to ignore these stupid songs in the first place, instead of supporting them, making them hits, then complaining when they’re used in an “offensive” manner.
Don’t say this curmudgeon didn’t warn you when Tyler Perry gets a starring role in “Toot It and Boot It.”
Amen!! I thought the video was hilarious and really couldn’t believe people were offended. They should’ve been offended with hard in the paint idiocy! I didn’t know wakas momma criticized the head of state video..that’s laughable! I guess she was afraid the real secret service Was goin repo her stuff her ridiculous son bought her with his ignorance lol