Everybody Get Up!

Recently while driving and listening to music on the radio I had a conversation with my sister. We lamented on the fact that the song stylists of today don’t really know how to craft a lyric as well as those from the good old days. Even with dance music, all you hear now days is a repetitive techno beat or booty shaking music with unintelligible lyrics. (I dare you to decipher the monotone mumbling on any ‘Lil Wayne song) Now let me be clear, there’s nothing wrong with shaking your booty but songs from the past gave you relatable stories while you danced. For instance, Marvin Gaye’s Got to Give It Up. The song tells the story of a shy wallflower who ultimately couldn’t resist getting his boogie on. “I used to go out to parties and stand around, ‘cause I was too nervous to really get down”. You see although Marvin had the desire he was afraid to really let go. There was something holding him back yet at the same time pulling him in, listening to the song you could almost see him standing around watching others uninhibited enjoying themselves and him longing to join in. He continues, “But my body yearned to be free, I got up on the floor for somebody to choose me”. The call of the boogie is a strong one folks, try as he may he couldn’t resist the urge to dance and ultimately did Give it Up. He discovered that “As long as you’re grooving, there’s always a chance, somebody watching might wanna make romance”…classic!

The Temptations gave us Psychedelic Shack, “let me tell you ‘bout a place I know, to get in it don’t take much dough”. Just in case you were unsure about exactly what type of setting they were speaking of they provided the following, “It's got a neon sign outside that says, Come in and take a look at your mind, You'd be surprised at what you might find”. Apparently this was one of those establishments where one may find persons partaking in recreational mind altering substances...ok, they were getting high. Rick James introduced us to a provocative Super Freak. Apparently, “she’s a very kinky girl, the kind you don't take home to mother, she will never let your spirits down, once you get her off the street”. Umm ok but not so sure you should be too excited about someone you have to get off the street and to be clear apparently if you don’t get her off the street she will let your spirits down… just saying. Prince told us to “Party like its 1999”…sheesh, it seemed so far away at the time. He also detailed what would happen If I Were Your Girlfriend which in spite of sounding kinky was quite an ode to devotion. “If I was your girlfriend would you remember to tell me all of the things you forgot when I was your man? If I was your best friend would you let me take care of you and do all the things that only a best friend can?

There were tales of love, heartache and even surprise breakups such as the Gap Band’s Burn Rubber, “You told me to go up the block, To get you a strawberry pop, When I got back to the flat, You had burned rubber out the back” Damn, talk about cold she waited for him to leave and then booked, they even had the sound of the car peeling out. Just a small note here, when was the last time you heard the expression strawberry pop or red soda water for that matter. It was even possible to be romantically aggressive while dancing like when Teddy Pendergrass sang Turn Off the Lights…“TURN EM OFF!!” He meant that shit, if you didn’t turn off the damn lights your ass was in trouble. Women were rushing around turning off lights in rooms they weren’t even in. Of course Jody Watley was no better Looking for a new love, “Now other guys will have me, they'll appreciate my love, tell me, how does it feel? Wow, not only am I gonna sleep with other guys after I leave you I’m gonna tell you about it and then get all Oprah Winfrey on your ass and ask about your feelings. Damn girl!

Even when rap came along the story telling dancing continued. Who could resist the Sugar Hill Gang’s “Now what you hear is not a test, I'm rappin’ to the beat and me, the groove, and my friends are gonna try to move your feet”. So this was no fire drill people it was the real thing and you knew exactly what their intentions were. Only a fool was occupying wall space as they continued, “Have you ever went over a friend’s house to eat and the food just ain't no good? The macaroni's soggy, the peas are mushed and the chicken tastes like wood.”…come on in spite of the bad grammar you’re thinking about hitting the dance floor right now or at least avoiding that friend’s house with the Hell’s Kitchen reject for a mother (you know the one). Even Lady T got into the mix with Square Biz one of the first rap vocal performances, “Baby, what's happening entre vous Lady Tee I've heard a boatload of others ladies' raps but they ain't got nothin' on me, I'm less than five foot one, a hundred pounds of fun I like sophisticated funk, I live on Dom Perignon, caviar, filet mignon and you can best believe that's bunk. Here's what I'm talking, baby, Square Biz”. So Teena not only enticed you to dance she did so with a boastful arrogance that stimulated your mind adding a little French and some elegant dining suggestions as well. Classy.

At any rate, I know we can’t relive the past (except maybe on a good playlist) and to ask that things never change would be too much. So let me end with this, how about you Reminisce on the Good Times and how you still “Can’t get enough, of that Funky Stuff” or the nights spent Hollywood Swingin’, dancing with a Brick House and surviving through Joy and Pain. The fun you had with your School Boy Crush when you would Shake Your Body Down to the Ground like a Dancing Machine, break out in a Cold Sweat and then exclaim Let’s Groove Tonight all while riding the Mothership Connection, which was quite a Thriller. And don’t forget the Boogie Nights or how much fun it was to Cut the Cake. So tonight despite accusations that you may be Living for the Weekend, you know you’ve Got To Be Real so find the Reasons to Celebrate and Give up the Funk put on your Boogie Shoes, Shake Your Pants and Dance, Dance, Dance.

Ebony & Ivory, 2013

THIS JUST IN! LL Cool J has decided that African-Americans should let the knowledge of the horrors of slavery simply fade away and get over it. LL along with country artist Brad Paisley has released a single entitled “Accidental Racist”. The title alone is ridiculous enough to make you cringe, as if one is able to trip on a banana peel and fall into racism. Racism is certainly not ever accidental and most always deliberate and should not be confused with prejudice. Racism is a structured process by which one group has more power or exercises more power over another because of the color of their skin. To imply that any person can be racist accidental or otherwise is absurd. African-Americans and other minorities simply don't have the ability to systematically deny people of other races access to jobs, housing and education…especially not by accident. So according to these two scholars of racial acceptance we’re supposed to just forget the monumental events that lead us to the situation we find ourselves in today. We should just forget the institutional, economic and political power to crush the aspirations of African-Americans and other minorities. In the song the two suggest that the problem of racism is simply people not understanding each other and that if we took the time to get to know one anotherrrrrrrrrrr zzzzzzzzzzzz…sorry bullshit usually puts me to sleep.

I might be less critical if this were a sincere attempt to construct dialogue on an admittedly sore subject but these two idiots simply trade verses back and forth in an ignorant, uninformed, preachy tone…oh yeah, and stupid. Sample lyrics from Paisley: "I'm proud of where I'm from but not everything we've done, and it ain't like you and me can rewrite history". Really Brad? I think the state of Texas is doing a pretty good job rewriting the past with their revisionist public school text books that pretty much deny the existence and history of slavery in the United States. He also feels the need to explain his peculiar fashion choices in particular his desire to wear t-shirts emblazoned with the Confederate flag, “when I put on that t-shirt, the only thing I meant to say is I'm a Skynyrd fan, the red flag on my chest somehow is like the elephant in the corner of the south, and I just walked him right in the room, just a proud rebel son with an ‘ol can of worms.” Uh what now? What the hell does that even mean and what happened to inserting a rhyme or two in a song folks? Someone should inform Brad of the history of his “proud” rebel flag. Explain to him how the Confederate flag regained popularity during the civil rights era amidst the struggles against Jim Crow laws, lynching and forced segregation. Explain to him that his red flag is not about “Southern pride” it’s about symbolizing racism, oppression and white supremacy and only an uninformed idiot would pretend otherwise…dumb ass.

And Mr. Cool J is no better. He actually wrote these lyrics, “If you don't judge my gold chains, I'll forget the iron chains”. WOW!!! Well, at least he rhymed. LL you should know that stereotyping a person for their ridiculous fashion choices is not something akin to the pain of being chained and shackled into forced labor and the comparison is both hurtful and offensive…besides, wearing tacky jewelry only hurts the eyes. But wait it gets better, “Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood, what the world is really like when you're livin' in the hood, just because my pants are saggin' doesn't mean I'm up to no good, you should try to get to know me, I really wish you would”…seriously what is up with this man’s fascination with fashion? If his pants are sagging at 45 years old somebody needs to check him. Dear Mr. White man?! Honestly if these lyrics were written by a 4th grader I would understand but this from arguably one of the greatest MC’s of all time? Later in the song he gives a shout out to Confederate Army commander Robert E. Lee, “RIP Robert E. Lee but I've gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean”. Seriously, somebody needs to snatch this man’s Negro Card.

Amnesia is not the means to end racism folks and ignoring the past is an insult to those who lived and struggled through it. Slavery may have ended 150 years ago but the resulting effect thrives. Stupid ass let’s all just forgive each other, let bygones be bygones and get along songs like this suggest that there is some historical equivalence between blacks and whites. What the hell do Blacks need to be forgiven for? The fact is people continue to suffer from racism and oppression every day and it's insulting to insinuate otherwise. The way we can all move forward and just get along is to acknowledge and reverse the damage done by slavery not pretending it never happened. Coming up next, Accidental White Privilege.