Black Music

What should I do with Black Music? T Pain, feat. Francisco's "Apple Bottom Jeans" brought this question to the fore again.

I have to hop out of the hiphop closet.

Musically, Black Music can be passionate, cheeky and infectious. Watch people walking by a shop pumping out R&B and note the involuntary shoulder thrust, the disguised booty-slap and the slowing of walking pace to the tempo. Anyone can be a dawg.

I've always taken it as OTT, clever satire. It's fun and funny. I give you Exhibit A:

You got me trippin', stumblin', flippin', fumblin'
Clumsy cuz I'm fallin in love, in love
You got me slippin', tumblin', sinkin', fumblin'
Clumsy cuz I'm fallin in love, in love
So in love with you

~ Fergie

You can let out your inner drama queen (oh, don't go there gf!). I defy you to "shake it like a Polaroid picture" (Outkast) without giggling. But aren't the artists taking themselves seriously? Would they be insulted if I wrote them off as parody?

The lyrics can be more than a little bit naughty and uber-sexualized. I'd be irresponsible for introducing it to under-aged people. A friend repeated the rapidly rapped sections of ABJ to me and I was shocked (and I've worked with engineers!).

So, can I take it as just frivolous fun? And label it "parody" in iTunes?

Or do I give it up? How much of it is soaking through my skin into my brain?

At which level am I participating? (this question can be asked of movies, social activities...)


I'd like to pay tribute to musicians who write funny songs (most of whom are clean).

Respect.

• P.D.Q. Bach
• The Lucksmiths
  
• Hugh Laurie (clip)
  
• Flight of the Conchords (aka the Hiphopoptamus and the Rhymenoceros)
• The Idea of North
• Weird Al Yankovic (clip)
  
• Cake (clip)
• Ben Beilharz
• Robert Martin
• and Ebb and Kander, writers of the musical 'Chicago' which has the honor of being both comedy and 'noir'.