1) More hate.
Really it's getting old. It's to a point now that hating is profession. A lucrative one. Meanwhile all kinds of people are out of work--if only they all became professional haters! In 2009 hate was the new love; conversely love became the new hate (as outlined here). Now we've got people hating all over the place...and getting paid. It used to be you actually had to have talent or skill--now all you need is a platform. And yes I realize by including this in my list, I'm hating.
2) Tight sags.
I understand that most trends recycle. High top fades and mohawks are recent examples; afro's and flare pants prior to that. Retro eventually finds it's way to being cool. But tight sags left when Karl Kani and them decided to start making clothes for (ahem) those thicker in the lower region, rather than depending on Levi Strauss. It's not a good look. Which reminds me...
3) Sags generally.
No I'm not just getting old. Even when I was younger I didn't bust a sag. Call me corny all you want too--it's dumb. A colleague of mine recently directed me to an interesting article about the origin of the sag. Interesting stuff. As if we didn't have enough to remind us that the slave mentality hasn't completely left our society, we have cats out here intentionally wearing their pants at levels slaves used to--because "massa" wouldn't provide belts. In the words of Ed Lover--"C'MON SON!"
4) Disbelief.
Sure I'm cynical. I like to keep a realistic world view and not wear "rose colored" glasses. But I also know that as people we can will things into being. It is a trait of the Almighty and one of many signs that we were made in the image of something greater than anything found on this planet. You know how your mother/father/grandmother always told you that you could do whatever you put your mind too? It really is that simple. So in 2011 we really should drop the notion that we came from monkeys--and CAN'T do something.
5) Pictures of your reflection.
Attention pervs surfing the net for eye candy or even dates: if you can see the device that was used to take her picture, she's probably too young to be checkin out. I get self portraits. I also get that self portraits aren't supposed to be professional. But technology has gotten sophisticated enough that we should be able to step our game up to the point where we don't need to see the device used in the picture. Yes this goes against #1 above. But really, it's not a self portrait if it's a reflection...
6) Rappers named after Muppet phrases or clothing lines.
And their cohorts. In fact, I may incite a new civil war in this nation of hip-hop. The south needs to just secede. Someone asked me recently what happened to hip-hop. My original thought was when the entertainment conglomerates looked as it as the "new crack" and felt they could exploit it for profit the game changed. Surely it did. But that's not all. Surely that was the beginning. But if we could get people to actually believe they too could be "ballers and shot callers" and be true to themselves and "keep it real" while being rich--well that's a whole new ball game. That as my former boss would say was the game changer--when television began to tell-a-vision--is when hip hop changed forever. Sure there are still cats out there staying true to what hip hop originally was about. But their success pales in comparison to those who spread coonery via mass media (cable, internet and radio). More Mos and Talib, less Roscoe Dash and OJ the Juiceman.
So far that's all I could cook up. Feel free to add.
Your Highness in waiting,
The meanest, the prettiest, the baddest mo-fo low down in this town
SHO-NUFF
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