Here we go.
This week, America was shocked and appalled that a hip-hop artist and a country artist did a duet. Not just ONE, but TWO. PEOPLE!!! We've been through this several times. I read articles from at least five "news" agencies that kept describing the pairing of LL Cool J and Brad Paisley as, "the unlikely pairing." Either everyone is plagirizing one source, or people are stuck in the dark ages where genres don't mix. I have to put a name to 3 articles on Global Grind. Brittany Lewis. This woman was FURIOUS and repeated the same thing over and over again. For a music journalist, she had a closed mind about the pairing before even reviewing the song. Let's be honest, most of the blogging done is far from journalism. (She says while writing on her blog.) That's another story for another day.
Yes, Brad Paisley and LL Cool J have collaborated on two tracks. The first, "Accidental Racist," on Brad's ninth album, "Wheelhouse," released this week. The second, "Live For You," on LL's fourteenth album, "Authentic," due in stores April 30th. I have REAL, AUTHENTIC reviews on both tracks and the UPROAR it has caused.
We begin with "Accidental Racist" (Paisley featuring LL). Just looking at the title makes me think this song was made to start a CONVERSATION, not a controversy. The song has gotten people talking; A LOT. I am very happy that people are talking. What makes me sad is that I don't think folks are having the right conversations. The song is below from Youtube.
I think some of the lyrics could be different, especially from LL; however, I'm okay with it overall.
The problem in our country is that NO ONE wants to talk about racism. Everyone wants to tell each other it doesn't exist anymore and someone is being too sensitive when they mention it. Here's a note from a black woman (*GASP* she's black?!): it is alive and well. Trust me, I've never been more aware of the color of my skin than living in Virginia.
If we never first admit a problem, how do we fix it?!
The first verse and chorus starts with Brad mentioning something very common in the South. That confederate flag. He mentions how he's just wearing it because it was a symbol of where he's from. He's representing where he's from by wearing the fashion. He mentions how using that flag is the elephant in America and he walked it in the room. He genuinely doesn't understand why people don't like it, in the song, and he wants to know why. Not an accusing, "why," but he's saying, "hey, I'm a white man and I don't know what it's like not being that. Forgive me, but help me understand."
That statement, though paraphrased, is so prolific. No one likes mentioning it, but if you're a straight, Christian, white male in America; you have it MADE. Economic level be damned; you built this country. If you fit in those categories above and you wonder why women and other minorities look at you funny when you talk about civil rights in America being cool; THAT's why. Pay attention to what I'm saying, so you don't get it misconstrued. You're great and you can't help that you're all those things. It's just tough for a double-minority like me to hear, "there's no racism. That wasn't racist. That was sexist. You're being sensitive," when you haven't been the one treated like shiz for something you have zero control over. Mine happens to be the color of my skin and the fact that I have a vagina.
Brad is the first, in a long time, to fall in those categories and admit to the ignorance attached with being a straight, Christian, white male. (For those of you who need a lesson; ignorance isn't a bad word. Stupidity is. Ignorance is "not-knowing" and doing something wrong, while Stupidity is knowing something's wrong and doing it anyway). I applaud him on that.
We'll go back to the beginning of that whole verse and the subject of that confederate flag. Whew. What a subject. Coming from the area of the Mason-Dixon line in Maryland (a state that housed the underground railroad and was neutral), coming to VA was eye-opening. I saw very few confederate flags flown in my area. Why would I? Even if people did, it didn't make much sense to me. Going to Northwest Virginia, I saw it everywhere. I cried. "I knew I should have gone to school in Garden City, NY. My goodness, don't these people REALIZE THE WAR IS OVER. STOP IT," were my thoughts. The more I got to know those people, the more I saw they were just rocking the flags for fashion and pride, but not for what it REALLY meant. I was given plenty of reasons for why the confederate flag "didn't stand for supporting slavery," I heard those and just moved along. It's very easy for others to look at me and tell me to stop being so sensitive. If you're asking myself or others to understand where you're coming from; you have to try and understand where we're coming from.
Hearing chants and seeing bumper stickers that cry, "THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN," aren't very assuring to the health of our nation. That wouldn't be a good thing; coming from where I'm from. Telling me you want ALL the ideals of the past to come back isn't the yummiest thing to hear in my mind. You must understand that.
I became friends with people who had small symbols of that flag and got to see that, of course, they didn't want slavery to return and they didn't like the ideals of the flag; BUT it did represent where they were from. I get that, you're proud of being from the South, and the symbol to represent that is the confederate flag. I'd recommend your state flag, but I get it. I will never allow that flag in my own home, but I get it. Just like people who have origins in different countries, like Puerto Rico or Brazil flaunt their heritage; the Southerners do it. It's a lesson on learning different cultures and truly understanding the things you flaunt for fashion or "pride" BEFORE wearing them. It happens a lot in hip-hop culture.
What has killed hip-hop culture is the flaunting and the flashiness in the lyrics. Lyrics by the artists who spill that you must have the finest things they have in order to be awesome. BLECH. Remember when Cristal was ALLL the rappers, especially Jay Z, talked about in lyrics. It was all over the videos, people started naming their children after it, and all sorts of shenanigans. All that ended once a statement was released by the makers of the champagne.
"We didn't make it for them. We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business."
"What kind of foolishness?? Racists. We're not supporting them anymore," artists yelled. Learn your products. OF COURSE this happened. You did all this glamorizing of fame, money, hoes, and Cristal on tracks that won't die AND those people don't want YOU PEOPLE buying it. I laughed, "that's what you get."
These examples just continue to build up with so much product placement and desires to becoming famous happening. I gave the example because people listening to this record can't begin to conceive how a person could rock that flag and NOT know what it means to others.
The song continues with Brad singing about how we're spending all our time walking on eggshells and expecting that to pick up the pieces. He goes on about racial tension still happening and how he wants to learn what it's like. He mentions that the desire to walk in someone's shoes is a good place to start, but he'll never know what it's like to walk a mile in their skin. How no one has picked up that lyric is beyond me. First, musically, it's great because it carries the theme of , "hey I don't know what it's like to be a minority, but I want to so I can understand." Second, I think that wanting to know and understanding that you'll never FULLY get it is EXACTLY what everyone needs to feel and accept.
The problems of the racial tension didn't end with the end of slavery. There were much more battles that had to be fought in the century after. It's one thing to be "free," it's a different creature to be equal. I don't need to go all history teacher on you, but I would say pieces are still trying to be fixed from the civil rights era. Things are MUCH better, but there's major work to do.
Paisley's lyrics are profound and I understand why people are uncomfortable with it. I'm glad they are uncomfortable. Nothing will change with comfort; things always stay the same. Kudos to him for starting this conversation. I can see where some have a problem with his lyric mentioning how it wasn't our generation's doing (re: slavery). Passing the buck is a trait I dislike, but keep listening. He says it wasn't his doing, but it's his responsibility to make things better.
I love responsibility and accountability. They are amazing tools for people to own. Brad asks that he not be judged as well by where he's from and what his ancestor's did. Fair enough, right?
LL's lyrics kick of with a letter of response to Brad. He mentions he wasn't around either, but he knows the impact all the bad stuff had. He brings it back to reality with the fact he IS judged by the way he looks and would love to have an open conversation about it. Then, his own prejudices/stereotypes, prevent him from talking to a guy with a cowboy hat and the flag on his shirt. Simple enough. LL's lyrics take a turn to odd with his adlibs, "if you won't judge my durag, I won't judge your flag. If you won't judge my gold chains, I'll forget the iron chains."
As you can imagine, this is where the ess hits the proverbial fan. The messages he's trying to relay are "don't judge me and I won't judge you" and "if you can treat me as your equal, I won't bring up the past." LL doesn't make it as clear as I'm making it, so that's why people aren't knowing what to do with that "I'll forget the iron chains" line. He's not saying he'll forget slavery ever happened. To all you "journalists," WHY didn't you LISTEN and not just HEAR what he said?
Of course, no one is going to forget slavery. He's just saying that we have to stop throwing THAT in the face of people and WE need to MEND the relationships of all races, like yesterday. They both mention "we can't rewrite history, but we need to fix it." Brad ends the song asking for you to understand what this is about, he's "a son of the NEW South. I just want to make it right so all that's left is Southern pride." The whole song he mentions how he's stuck between Southern pride and Southern blame. He doesn't want to be ashamed of where he's from and he doesn't want to be blamed. He just wants to make it right.
Kudos for this song. Yes, it's VERY easy to take this song out of context. The song CAN be VERY uncomfortable, just from the title. Take the time to LISTEN a few times. Take the time to read these words and understand what this song is about. This song is a conversation with oneself on the racial tension in this country, why it's there, and how we can fix it. If you take anything else from that, you're not listening to this song. Take this moment to not be a modern day, social media-obsessed American and THINK. All the negative responses I have read have been from those who won't open their minds, who won't think about what's going on. Those responses are from those who just want something to holler about. This is where America loses. We have this claim to be the greatest country in the world. That's all fine and good, but when we can't get along; should we stick by this claim? Not SHOULD, CAN we stick by this claim?
The answer is no.
So, think about it. Think about your daily life and the things you do and say. Think about the tensions you have felt. Think about how you can make it better and do it.
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The second duet from LL Cool J and Brad Paisley is "Live For You," a hip-hop love song. LL raps and Brad sings the hook. The song is pretty amazing. The beats, actual instrumentation, and pretty great vocals make this song a hit in my eyes. The reason it won't be a hit: because LL isn't Justin Bieber, it's not fake folk, fake edm, and radio. Top 40 radio will completely discount it because it won't go out of the box and most Urban stations will discount it because there's a country artist on it. If I ran an urban station, I'd play the track without mentioning Brad and gauge the response.
This song isn't as serious as the first, but it is very delightful.
It makes sense that LL's album is "Authentic." This song sounds like LL. The album, in stores April 30th, doesn't try to be youthful. This album doesn't try to take who's hot NOW and be a commercial success. Nope, this album is about good music; the stuff from "back in the day." Some of the guests featured on this album are Paisley, Bootsy Collins, Chuck D, Charlie Wilson, Eddie Van Halen, Earth Wind & Fire, Monica, Seal, Snoop Dogg, Tom Morello, and Travis Barker. With a line up like that, it's all about the music. This album will appeal to everyone born before 1990, though everyone born after should listen to it.
After all of this, I want you to do one thing; open your mind. When that is done, you'll see our world differently. I promise.
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