Monday 6 July 2015

Generic list post: what's a little problematicness between friends?

Moreover, what's a little problematicness between rapper and listener when the raison d'etre of zee rappeur is to make us mere civilians say "holy shit, I can't believe he/she just said THAT!"? Dr. Phil always claims that it's unhealthy to bottle your feelings up inside, and there is nobody better at purging their innermost feelings than rappers, no matter how offensive those innermost feelings might be. I have my limits, but I'm not gonna sit here and front like I don't lurve a whole caboodle of rap songs which contain some very sketchy lyrics indeed; here 25 problematic favourites:

Akinyele - I Luh Huh (1993)
Tay F. 3rd - Chris Brown (2010)
Brand Nubian - Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down (1992)
The Convicts - Illegal Aliens (1991)
Too $hort - Invasion Of The Flat Booty Bitches (1986)
Suga Free - Allergic To Bullshit (2008)
Poison Clan - Bad Influence (1990)
Slick Rick - Sleazy Gynechologist (199?)
Master P ft. C-Murder & Silkk Tha Shocker - Ghetto D (1997)
Lil B - Look Like Jesus (2010)
N.W.A - One Less Bitch (1991)
Ice Cube - Horny Lil' Devil (1991)
Cam'Ron ft. Chinky Brown Eyes - Harlem (2004)
UGK - Cocaine In The Back Of The Ride (1992)
Dhat Fam ft. Mista - Expose 1 (2011)
Busta Rhymes - Arab Money (2009)
Notorious B.I.G - Me And My Bitch (1994)
Goodie Mob - Fly Away (1998)
A-Wax - Is It Cuz I'm Black (2008)
Rocko ft. Future & Rick Ross - U.E.O.N.O (2013)
Smif-N-Wessun - Sound Bwoy Bureill (1995)
Tweedy Bird Loc - My Dicc Is Still Prejudiced (1994)
Waka Flocka Flame & Slim Dunkin - Twin Towers 2 (Intro) (2011)
Gangsta Pat ft. Psycho - Tha O.J. Murder Story (1995)
Glasses Malone - #Rihanna (2012)

Honestly couldn't think of any good problematic rap songs by Female Rappers™, although Tairrie Bar-B's "runaway slave master" track is notable for becoming a meme. Who's gonna step up and suggest a legitimate jam by V-Nasty where she drops n-bombs like the 95% white Glastonbury audience during KanYe West's performance of All Day?

19 comments:

Unknown said...

What's so problematic about sound bwoy bureill and fly away?

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

The homophobic lyrics in both obv.

Lil' Kim's Suck My Dick would probably inspire #problematic thinkpieces by MRA dudes in the internet age.

yeldarb said...

need some beatnuts on here

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Sandwiches was in the initial draft of the list, but then I figured I already had enough misogyny and needed some accidental xenophobia, hence the inclusion of Arab Money.

The CritIQ said...

A couple members of mid/late 90s NY crew Stronghold released "give the P-pulz what they want." The #Problematic-ness? The use of cod Asian/Middle Eastern voices. There's even a song about a convenience store robbery from the perspective of the Apu-esque shopkeeper.

Plenty classic Wu is #Problematic - such as in "Ice Cream" where "not a rape patient, you're looking good fly colored Asian" is somehow an acceptable chat-up line.

There's plenty raps in which rappers brag about underaged girls. Very Yewtree these days but it was acceptable/"Rock'n'Roll" then.

Lots of Rap was homophobic/misogynistic/anti-Semitic but so was the society from which such songs came.
They're only #Problematic with the benefit of hindsight/revisionism.

Nothing on "Death Certificate" is #Problematic. Cube set out to(sorry for the mixed metaphor) slaughter the sacred elephant in the room. "Horny Lil' devil" was intentionally defamatory.

In that drink-driving psa skit on efiL4zaggiN doing coke/weed is offered as a viable alternative to DUI.

The Skits on Wyclef's "The Carnival" are #Problematic/desperately ill judged.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Is You Had Too Much To Drink by EPMD #problematic because of Frank B's faux-Arab accent, or is it acceptable because of the #problematicness is offset by song's anti-drink driving message/Frank's whole steez anticipating French Montana by nearly 20 years?

d said...

On the subject of Ice Cube, rapper/#trash human - within a few years of apologizing about Black Korea he starred in his weed carriers video where they rob + assault an asian shop keeper. In the video hes driving the car they get away with it in

Say what you will about him eventually embracing every critique from True To The Game, he was still a cheeky cunt for a good bit.

SE said...

Problematics is part of what makes rap great.

That Convicts track is a remarkably coherent articulation of Tea Party sentiment. #campaignsong

Fulci said...

Always thought Frank B was a variation on Tony Montana, tbh. There's even a line where he paraphrases him with "my name is Frank B. How about you officer, what d'you call yourself?", or something like that.

Fulci said...

Listened to it again. He does the "dress warm" quote too.

Andrew Barber said...

"Backstage, underage, adolescent" - BBD "Do Me"

#1 of all time

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Stop ruining my Frank B begat French Montana theory, Spart!

d said...

I forgot to link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXcGwGANuDQ

could make a case for one of your favs imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFZIG10dAzc

not exactly controversial but making the people laugh that much @ new fish is a special kind of cold blooded. YOU LIVE WITH YOUR MOMMA AND SHE LIVE WITH YOUR GRANDMA

Warnie said...

Singing MC Breeze did more damage to Asian-American relations than O'Shea could have if he'd made ten 'Death Certificates' with this late 80's effort:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BJzGTZUCv8

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

That MC Breeze song might top Live Drummin' With The Country Boy as far as #prolematic depictions of azns in rap songs go.

Donal, I see your Foxx lyric and raise you with Fredo Santana's "what you call your wife, I call a basic bitch" line from Take Risks in the cold blooded stakes.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Is Westwood asking Stormzy about sunblock factors #problematic or #banter?

Ruben said...

Only Westwood could get away with that haha

REDLite said...

RZA's Domestic Violence (and its groovier but less problematic sequel) would be at the top of my list.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

That's a song I know about but I'd never actually heard before. Very #problematic. Good call.