No place for offensiveness in Rap Music

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/entertainment/music/dublin-rappers-versatile-criticised-over-misogynistic-and-racist-lyrics/ar-AAERcKs?ocid=spartandhp

Ah good. Looks like rap duo Versatile are being hounded and calls for their gigs to be cancelled due to some *offensive* language in their songs.

Good stuff. In a world where people are free to be whatever they choose, unless they choose to be offensive... and white apparently.

It's nice to see people stand up and say that sexist, racist, homophobic lyrics have no place in hip hop.

Hip hop pioneers NWA and even white rap pioneer Eminem would not have any of this malarkey. (The same NWA whose songs include "One b!tch less", and the same Eminem who rapped "Slut, you think I won't choke no whore / Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!"

People these days are mad.

theteal

I think I've seen a video or two on youtube. It's a pi$$take, no? From what little I saw I thought it was quite funny

theteal

theteal wrote: »

I think I've seen a video or two on youtube. It's a pi$$take, no? From what little I saw I thought it was quite funny

Yeah. Purposely over the top lyrics but decent tunes behind it. I'm too old to be liking it, but if I was younger, I'd be all over it.

I've got these hoes in the garden. Rustle up a twitter storm, the keyboard is mightier than a place in society.

Richard Hillman

This is why Eminems latest comeback was such a flop. He can't rap without the usually voilence, mysogony and drug use, so he had to reinvent himself as a Political/Social Justice Rapper. And of course it was absolutely dreadful.

You're going to have to be clean as a whistle if you a white Rapper now.

Meanwhile if you're black you can say what you want because of the bigotry of low expectations.

mad muffin

"It's a joke... It's all a joke, mother forgive me."

biko

I couldn't take more than 60 secs of it but tbh there is nothing particularly bad about it compared to other rappers

Always Tired

The lyrics people are objecting to are to do with a particular song where the rapper who is white, talks about he 'f@#*$ black b!+ches' and the 'black flutes that theyre used to sucking' while slapping a black girl on the arse in the video.

I know it's not a serious song but if you're white there are things you shouldn't say. Well done to them selling out 3arena, but good luck to them if they ever try to bring that crap to America, they'll have manners put on them real quick. But I doubt that will happen anyway, they wouldn't sell any tickets.

I'd imagine their average fan is 14 years old, wears the same dirty tracksuit every day and passes the time by throwing rocks at Dublin buses.

Amalgam

Just to say, the Irish Rap show on raidionalife.ie is hilarious, plenty of local music.

I doubt the journos have heard much else as Versatile are tame in comparison to what's out there.

Smack black b!tches

Smack black b!tches wrote: »

I'm a big bleedin' dzzzooooope!

fixed your post

Eric Cartman

sold out the standing area of the three arena in 30 minutes. Very popular satire rap. Atleast its original.

The irish times and the middle class women who do nothing all day except instagram are the only ones up in arms about it.

fair play to the lads I say, if theyre offending people it means its working for them.

weldoninhio

Deleted User wrote: »

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/entertainment/music/dublin-rappers-versatile-criticised-over-misogynistic-and-racist-lyrics/ar-AAERcKs?ocid=spartandhp

Ah good. Looks like rap duo Versatile are being hounded and calls for their gigs to be cancelled due to some *offensive* language in their songs.

Good stuff. In a world where people are free to be whatever they choose, unless they choose to be offensive... and white apparently.

It's nice to see people stand up and say that sexist, racist, homophobic lyrics have no place in hip hop.

Hip hop pioneers NWA and even white rap pioneer Eminem would not have any of this malarkey. (The same NWA whose songs include "One b!tch less", and the same Eminem who rapped "Slut, you think I won't choke no whore / Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!"

People these days are mad.

The fact that people think they are talented is more offensive than any of their lyrics.

Always Tired

Always Tired wrote: »

The lyrics people are objecting to are to do with a particular song where the rapper who is white, talks about he 'f@#*$ black b!+ches' and the 'black flutes that theyre used to sucking' while slapping a black girl on the arse in the video.

I know it's not a serious song but if you're white there are things you shouldn't say.

There are plenty of songs about black people having sex with white women. Is that offensive?

Do they call white girls bitches too? Because if they do and you don't find anything racially charged in that... then you are the one who looks at things through a racist spectrum.

Black men "people with penises" do, on average, have bigger penises than white men "people with penises". I don't think mentioning that is offensive.

Spanking a girl in the video is hardly racist either.

Eric Cartman

Always Tired wrote: »

The lyrics people are objecting to are to do with a particular song where the rapper who is white, talks about he 'f@#*$ black b!+ches' and the 'black flutes that theyre used to sucking' while slapping a black girl on the arse in the video.

I know it's not a serious song but if you're white there are things you shouldn't say. Well done to them selling out 3arena, but good luck to them if they ever try to bring that crap to America, they'll have manners put on them real quick. But I doubt that will happen anyway, they wouldn't sell any tickets.

I'd imagine their average fan is 14 years old, wears the same dirty tracksuit every day and passes the time by throwing rocks at Dublin buses.

there are hundreds of songs from black rappers about 'white women' 'white b*tches' etc... they didn't use the N word so beyond that no issue.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

There are so many far superior Irish rap artists at the moment who can be funny, provocative, challenging etc without having to resort to that stupid shyte. Shock value, the 15 year old edgelord demographic and using daddy's money to spend a fortune cosplaying as working class people are buttons Versatile have push pretty fcuking hard since the "talent" button is not connected to very much at all. All the appreciative reviews from connoisseurs here notwithstanding :rolleyes: their videos are good, I'll give them that.

They're a big name in a small market, a discussion about where Irish rap and hip hop is heading and what it's going to look like and represent is welcome. What about NWA me hole, that's the whole point, that many hip hop artists are moving away from the gangster nonsense and here's two rich white lads deciding to drag things back there because they think it's funny.

Assetbacked

Mary Bewildered Numskull wrote: »

There are so many far superior Irish rap artists at the moment who can be funny, provocative, challenging etc without having to resort to that stupid shyte. Shock value, the 15 year old edgelord demographic and using daddy's money to spend a fortune cosplaying as working class people are buttons Versatile have push pretty fcuking hard since the "talent" button is not connected to very much at all. All the appreciative reviews from connoisseurs here notwithstanding :rolleyes: their videos are good, I'll give them that.

They're a big name in a small market, a discussion about where Irish rap and hip hop is heading and what it's going to look like and represent is welcome. What about NWA me hole, that's the whole point, that many hip hop artists are moving away from the gangster nonsense and here's two rich white lads deciding to drag things back there because they think it's funny.

You couldn't be any more wrong about the last part, "many hip hop artists are moving away from the gangster nonsense and here's two rich white lads deciding to drag things back there because they think it's funny." Go to the US top fifty chart on Spotify and listen to the hip hop songs in it. Pure mysoginistic, ghetto nonsense. Therefore, your point is inaccurate and I assume you can accept Versatile's lyrics now?

Mary Bewildered Numskull

Mary Bewildered Numskull wrote: »

There are so many far superior Irish rap artists at the moment who can be funny, provocative, challenging etc without having to resort to that stupid shyte. Shock value, the 15 year old edgelord demographic and using daddy's money to spend a fortune cosplaying as working class people are buttons Versatile have push pretty fcuking hard since the "talent" button is not connected to very much at all. All the appreciative reviews from connoisseurs here notwithstanding :rolleyes: their videos are good, I'll give them that.

They're a big name in a small market, a discussion about where Irish rap and hip hop is heading and what it's going to look like and represent is welcome. What about NWA me hole, that's the whole point, that many hip hop artists are moving away from the gangster nonsense and here's two rich white lads deciding to drag things back there because they think it's funny.

Just because they aren't targeted at you doesn't mean they don't get to be offensive. If they are popular for "dragging things back" to gangster nonsense, it goes to show there is a market for it.

Do they have a right to do what they do without people trying to shut them down because they find them offensive?

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Assetbacked wrote: »

You couldn't be any more wrong about the last part, "many hip hop artists are moving away from the gangster nonsense and here's two rich white lads deciding to drag things back there because they think it's funny." Go to the US top fifty chart on Spotify and listen to the hip hop songs in it. Pure mysoginistic, ghetto nonsense. Therefore, your point is inaccurate and I assume you can accept Versatile's lyrics now?

Which is in no way mutually exclusive from my point, I've somewhat more of a working knowledge of hip hop than the top 50 tracks on Spotify though.

And we're talking about Irish hip hop, despite the insistence of people here who are suddenly mad interested in the genre when there's an opportunity to defend a bit of the old racism to talk about zeitgeisty local acts like bloody NWA.

Mary Bewildered Numskull

Mary Bewildered Numskull wrote: »

Which is in no way mutually exclusive from my point, I've somewhat more of a working knowledge of hip hop than the top 50 tracks on Spotify though.

And we're talking about Irish hip hop, despite the insistence of people here who are suddenly mad interested in the genre when there's an opportunity to defend a bit of the old racism to talk about zeitgeisty local acts like bloody NWA.

We can talk about Siyo, Class Az, Nugget, Rapthor if knowledge of hip hop is that important to you. But it isn't relevant to the topic at hand which is the point is that these guys managed to get eyes on them and sold out the 3 Arena and now they are being (unfairly) pulled up for racism

And now people who think that's mental are being accused of only being interested so they can defend racism.

That's hardly the case and it's not really honest of you to imply it.

Deebles McBeebles

Fair play to them for doing well but they are a parody act. No comparison to NWA needed, NWA had talent.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Just because they aren't targeted at you doesn't mean they don't get to be offensive. If they are popular for "dragging things back" to gangster nonsense, it goes to show there is a market for it.

Do they have a right to do what they do without people trying to shut them down because they find them offensive?

Do they have a right to do what they do and be immune from criticism? If this criticism is gaining traction then that too has a "market" so to speak.

It's an emerging and evolving market and scene here with many people very very involved and invested. Versatile, like it or not, are one of the mainstream voices and faces of it. They're happy enough to take the money and fawning that comes with that, they can take the responsibility too.

Eric Cartman

Mary Bewildered Numskull wrote: »

Do they have a right to do what they do and be immune from criticism? If this criticism is gaining traction then that too has a "market" so to speak.

It's an emerging and evolving market and scene here with many people very very involved and invested. Versatile, like it or not, are one of the mainstream voices and faces of it. They're happy enough to take the money and fawning that comes with that, they can take the responsibility too.

The irish rap scene isn't worth having if we set parameters like so many want where white artists cannot discuss working class experiences, race or any other number of topics.

The rubberbandits started all this craic before blindboy went off on a socialist tangent , had songs about sniffing bags of glue etc... Irish people love hating irish success for some reason.

Mary Bewildered Numskull

Mary Bewildered Numskull wrote: »

Do they have a right to do what they do and be immune from criticism? If this criticism is gaining traction then that too has a "market" so to speak.

It's an emerging and evolving market and scene here with many people very very involved and invested. Versatile, like it or not, are one of the mainstream voices and faces of it. They're happy enough to take the money and fawning that comes with that, they can take the responsibility too.

That's a very valid point well made.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Eric Cartman wrote: »

The irish rap scene isn't worth having if we set parameters like so many want where white artists cannot discuss working class experiences, race or any other number of topics.

Luckily that's not what's happening.

The rubberbandits started all this craic before blindboy went off on a socialist tangent , had songs about sniffing bags of glue etc... Irish people love hating irish success for some reason.

Yes and you'll notice they didn't catch this degree of flack, despite some pretty provocative lyrics around race and sex and drugs. God almighty go listen to Kneecap, even Kojaque and the lads, offensive subject matter is not the problem here.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

[Deleted User] wrote: »

That's a very valid point well made.

Thank you

Bobblehats

Mary Bewildered Numskull wrote: »

And we're talking about Irish hip hop, despite the insistence of people here who are suddenly mad interested in the genre when there's an opportunity to defend a bit of the old racism

mcmoustache

Outside of the Rubber Bandits, I don't think I've heard any Irish rap since Scary Éire or whatever they were called. That was around 20 years ago so the scene may have changed.

Eric Cartman

Mary Bewildered Numskull wrote: »

Luckily that's not what's happening.



Yes and you'll notice they didn't catch this degree of flack, despite some pretty provocative lyrics around race and sex and drugs. God almighty go listen to Kneecap, even Kojaque and the lads, offensive subject matter is not the problem here.

"many hip hop artists are moving away from the gangster nonsense" is just your way of saying that you don't like the working class reality that many artists have displayed through the years, Luckily we don't have lads pretending to be the hardest lads on the street corner blasting people with machine guns etc... but I feel versatile because one of the lads went to private school are held to a standard that theyre not allowed participate in talking about drugs or make a comedy song parodying old school compton ego tracks because of their upbringing.

Eric Cartman

mcmoustache wrote: »

Outside of the Rubber Bandits, I don't think I've heard any Irish rap since Scary Éire or whatever they were called. That was around 20 years ago so the scene may have changed.

this side up , mango & mathman, few others, its really gaining traction.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Eric Cartman wrote: »

"many hip hop artists are moving away from the gangster nonsense" is just your way of saying that you don't like the working class reality that many artists have displayed through the years,

No it's my way of saying the words and meaning that are in the actual sentence. On what basis whatsoever are you saying I "don't like the working class reality"?

In fact if a neutral party wants to take a peek through our respective posting histories and see if one of us looks like they have a problem with working class people I'd welcome that. Would you?

Luckily we don't have lads pretending to be the hardest lads on the street corner blasting people with machine guns etc... but I feel versatile because one of the lads went to private school are held to a standard that theyre not allowed participate in talking about drugs or make a comedy song parodying old school compton ego tracks because of their upbringing.

They make their living talking about drugs, what are you on about?

Boom_Bap

The first recorded popular mainstream rap song that hit the charts had similar lyrics and levels of offensiveness. Heck, reading through the lyrics it reads as a horribly misogynistic song......but that's similar to the Friends in 2019 conundrum.



Some lyrics:

"Well, I'm Imp the Dimp, the ladies' pimp" - calling all ladies his whores


"I said, "he's a fairy, I do suppose
Flyin' through the air in pantyhose" - the word fairy meant the same back then as it does now.



"He can't satisfy you with his little worm
But I can bust you out with my super sperm!" - this is interesting because like the Versatile lyrics, it's discussing the difference between male genitalia.




I'm sure everyone has heard that song and never taken offense.

XVII

sold out the standing area of the three arena in 30 minutes.

Always Tired wrote: »

I'd imagine their average fan is 14 years old

yehh

Eric Cartman

Boom_Bap wrote: »

The first recorded popular mainstream rap song that hit the charts had similar lyrics and levels of offensiveness. Heck, reading through the lyrics it reads as a horribly misogynistic song......but that's similar to the Friends in 2019 conundrum.



Some lyrics:

"Well, I'm Imp the Dimp, the ladies' pimp" - calling all ladies his whores


"I said, "he's a fairy, I do suppose
Flyin' through the air in pantyhose" - the word fairy meant the same back then as it does now.



"He can't satisfy you with his little worm
But I can bust you out with my super sperm!" - this is interesting because like the Versatile lyrics, it's discussing the difference between male genitalia.




I'm sure everyone has heard that song and never taken offense.

people are only giving out for 3 reasons

1) the lads are white
2) the lads have started to make some money out of it
3) it was revealed the other day that eskimo supreme went to private school so the left isnt giving him the 'ahh poor council flat boy doesn't know any better' apologism for his wording of things.

Boom_Bap

Eric Cartman wrote: »

people are only giving out for 3 reasons

1) the lads are white
2) the lads have started to make some money out of it
3) it was revealed the other day that eskimo supreme went to private school so the left isnt giving him the 'ahh poor council flat boy doesn't know any better' apologism for his wording of things.

People are giving out because some are looking for offense anywhere and will pick apart lyrics to a song to find something wrong.
Plus there is the sprinkling of the fabled Irish begrudgery thrown in as well.

nthclare

Boom_Bap wrote: »

People are giving out because some are looking for offense anywhere and will pick apart lyrics to a song to find something wrong.
Plus there is the sprinkling of the fabled Irish begrudgery thrown in as well.

Ohhh the perpetually outraged and offended.

Without saying anything draw your own conclusions .... .. ....... ....... ....... ... ..... ... ..... . ...... .. .......

Make up your own mid snowflakes....

sabat

'We Sell Brown' is a work of satirical genius and probably the most direct, savage and incisive attack on the sheer idiocy of the average Irish drug dealer from any media source. I'm surprised they didn't get threatened by "Mr Flashy and the Gucci Gang" because of it.

4068ac1elhodqr

Bring back the days of Grandmaster Flash & the fab'5, with their merry (educational) tale of social morality 'white lines'.
Grime (if that's even music/rap) is one step further down into the gutter these days.

What mentor or role model(s) do dedicated rap (or music of black origin) fans hold up to these days as 'inspirational'?
With Bill Cosby locked up, Barry O' out of work, OJ-Simpson of questionable morals - does it just leave 'ball (or sports) playaz'?

Assetbacked

Mary Bewildered Numskull wrote: »

Do they have a right to do what they do and be immune from criticism? If this criticism is gaining traction then that too has a "market" so to speak.

It's an emerging and evolving market and scene here with many people very very involved and invested. Versatile, like it or not, are one of the mainstream voices and faces of it. They're happy enough to take the money and fawning that comes with that, they can take the responsibility too.

I love this. Justifying your suppression of free speech, as follows;

1. Call something racist.
2. Point made against such a claim.
3. Call point 1. a legitimate right to criticism yet dismiss point 2. as it is deemed by you to be racist.

mcmoustache

Eric Cartman wrote: »

people are only giving out for 3 reasons

1) the lads are white
2) the lads have started to make some money out of it
3) it was revealed the other day that eskimo supreme went to private school so the left isnt giving him the 'ahh poor council flat boy doesn't know any better' apologism for his wording of things.

I think it's more simple than that.

It's the everyday Outrage Cycle.

1. Something happens that causes someone to take offence.
2. They take to twitter where some like-minded idiots affirm the offensiveness.
3. Some pointless "journalist" writes about the "scandal", often with a selection of tweets from the idiots mentioned earlier.
4. It shows up here on boards and is presented as something far bigger than it actually is.


Personally, I don't see people's complaints about misogyny and racism in rap music being taken too seriously. There will always be people getting outraged about something but the outrage rarely catches the wider imagination of real people.

tigger123

Apparently they're from the mean streets of Ballsbridge.

quokula

mcmoustache wrote: »

I think it's more simple than that.

It's the everyday Outrage Cycle.

1. Something happens that causes someone to take offence.
2. They take to twitter where some like-minded idiots affirm the offensiveness.
3. Some pointless "journalist" writes about the "scandal", often with a selection of tweets from the idiots mentioned earlier.
4. It shows up here on boards and is presented as something far bigger than it actually is.


Personally, I don't see people's complaints about misogyny and racism in rap music being taken too seriously. There will always be people getting outraged about something but the outrage rarely catches the wider imagination of real people.

Yep usual outrage cycle

1) Somebody says or does something somewhat offensive
2) Somebody else mentions that it's offensive
3) Outrage merchants get OUTRAGED that somebody dared to be offended by something
4) Rants immediately get launched against "the Left", and if the offending thing was racist or the offended person was non-white, then all the better because then they can channel their closet racism into attacks on other races as part of their outrage

mcmoustache

Eric Cartman wrote: »

The rubberbandits started all this craic before blindboy went off on a socialist tangent , had songs about sniffing bags of glue etc... Irish people love hating irish success for some reason.

This is a particular favourite of mine. Is it misogynistic and crass? I mean it's a song about needing a bag of glue to ride a fat person so, I guess it is.

Is it offensive? Absolutely.

Is it a cracking tune? Definitely.

And this big fat chick behind the counter
Looks me up and down
She's foaming at the mouth
Man she's checking me out
She says "Excuse me man, but would you like, to go out for a meal tonight"
So I says yaa, chalk it down
She took me out for dinner in the Horse and Hound
We had a BLT, a cuppa tea, she scootched her stool pure close to me
She runs her big fat fingers up my skinny little thighs
Says "let's go back to mine"
Now, is she an ugly bird?
Or a big fat ride
Ah man I can't decide
So I sniffed some glue, to clear my head
Then rode her rotten on her mothers bed

A bag for me, a bag for you
Let's get wrecked on bags of glue!
Cause there's no way I'm riding you
Unless I'm wrecked on bags of glue!

She has a big fat ass, but she has no class
And I could do better, but I think I'll pass
Cause I can't resist, when she insists
To stuff her mouth with chicken every time we kiss
This love we have, there's no respect
But she's a big fat ****er, what does she expect?
I'm hypnotized, by her puffy eyes
And her sixteen chins and her massive thighs
I take her out, and she stuffs her mouth
With expensive food that'll give her gout
She's the ketchup, I'm the chicken wings
My queen, and I'm the burger king
But man you see I just can't seem to ride her when I'm sober
So I sniff a dirty bag of glue and then I bend that fat bird over