GenreFuck
Odd pop cultural moment for me; Warning: To me, there is nothing that fails to build meaning.
This morning, on the way to work, I heard that seemingly popular country song "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)". I started laughing because of the appropriations this purely country song took from hip-hop. He drawls a rhyme of "singin'" with "bling-blingin'". The centerpiece of the song is a slowed-down rap -- where he actually does try to use voice-breaks and rhythm, the effort being impressive, not the result. At work, Stephanie shows me the video and points out a dress cowboy-hat, fur coat, the "raisin' the roof" move, the white booty girls.
We are Humanities specialists. She's studied music history and business. I've studied literature and theory. She's kind of black, and I'm kind of white.
She pulls up the video for that new Nelly/Tim McGraw song. She points out the parallel made between Nelly's big square and shiny logo belt buckle and McGraw's oval and gold cowboy buckle. She indicates the shared nodding sincerity, the expressive and rhythmic hand motions.
Used to be, folks who liked country would curdle at the mention of rap. People who liked rap would curl in laughter at the twang of country. Seems like the rift is healing. Course, this ain't new. Kid Rock. That Black-Eyed Peas video with the shots of rural country-side. New Country in general. Acts like the Gap Band who wore shiny, studded cowboy suits and hats back in the 80s.
Still, I wonder what joins the two now. In the American cultural imagination. With a history (you put this back in mind, by the way, paulonleave) of poor whites being pitched against poor blacks, while the wealthy white stole the town.
In the "Save a Horse" song, there is the image of the Boss/Player, which can be borrowed from both genres. This is a song of sexual adventure, obviously, but one that focuses on the speaker as hero. There is a kind of charming self-aggrandizement. If the video borrows from Kid Rock, I don't see as much reference to the lower class, though, and this worries me, making me think this is more about the monied "boss" who can afford sexual freedom.
In the Nelly/McGraw song, the pain of loss is focused on. Still, in the video -- it seems to me -- I worry about that loss being in the sense of former possession, especially when the split-screen images base similarity of the two singers mostly on status symbols -- the clothes, the house, the car.
I like the cross-over both these songs imply. I look askance at it, though, thinking the avenue of crossover is paved right through the heart of the middle class who is looking to amass more celebrity and more bling. Whether it's the oil baron or the urban capitalist boss.
What I would like to see is more of the hip-hop, more of the country, music that identifies with those who have less. The poor inner city and the poor rural wasteland. And then I'd like to see them shake hands and vocal chords all the more.
Maybe we need to bring a punk into the mix.
This morning, on the way to work, I heard that seemingly popular country song "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)". I started laughing because of the appropriations this purely country song took from hip-hop. He drawls a rhyme of "singin'" with "bling-blingin'". The centerpiece of the song is a slowed-down rap -- where he actually does try to use voice-breaks and rhythm, the effort being impressive, not the result. At work, Stephanie shows me the video and points out a dress cowboy-hat, fur coat, the "raisin' the roof" move, the white booty girls.
We are Humanities specialists. She's studied music history and business. I've studied literature and theory. She's kind of black, and I'm kind of white.
She pulls up the video for that new Nelly/Tim McGraw song. She points out the parallel made between Nelly's big square and shiny logo belt buckle and McGraw's oval and gold cowboy buckle. She indicates the shared nodding sincerity, the expressive and rhythmic hand motions.
Used to be, folks who liked country would curdle at the mention of rap. People who liked rap would curl in laughter at the twang of country. Seems like the rift is healing. Course, this ain't new. Kid Rock. That Black-Eyed Peas video with the shots of rural country-side. New Country in general. Acts like the Gap Band who wore shiny, studded cowboy suits and hats back in the 80s.
Still, I wonder what joins the two now. In the American cultural imagination. With a history (you put this back in mind, by the way, paulonleave) of poor whites being pitched against poor blacks, while the wealthy white stole the town.
In the "Save a Horse" song, there is the image of the Boss/Player, which can be borrowed from both genres. This is a song of sexual adventure, obviously, but one that focuses on the speaker as hero. There is a kind of charming self-aggrandizement. If the video borrows from Kid Rock, I don't see as much reference to the lower class, though, and this worries me, making me think this is more about the monied "boss" who can afford sexual freedom.
In the Nelly/McGraw song, the pain of loss is focused on. Still, in the video -- it seems to me -- I worry about that loss being in the sense of former possession, especially when the split-screen images base similarity of the two singers mostly on status symbols -- the clothes, the house, the car.
I like the cross-over both these songs imply. I look askance at it, though, thinking the avenue of crossover is paved right through the heart of the middle class who is looking to amass more celebrity and more bling. Whether it's the oil baron or the urban capitalist boss.
What I would like to see is more of the hip-hop, more of the country, music that identifies with those who have less. The poor inner city and the poor rural wasteland. And then I'd like to see them shake hands and vocal chords all the more.
Maybe we need to bring a punk into the mix.