Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Bitch Bad, Woman Good, Lady Better, They Misunderstood...




 


When episodes of The Real Housewives of ___ and Basketball Wives invade my Facebook and Twitter feeds more than a presidential address, I cringe as proper role models for our little girls continue to become less visible.  Being an artist who is willing to critique a variety of socioeconomic and political issues, Lupe Fiasco’s latest release tackles children’s misperception of women and implications associated with the word bitch.

Although you may not agree with his view, check the video and lyrics below. Just a little food for thought.  



 

Lupe Fiasco – Bitch Bad Lyrics
[Intro]
Yeah
I say bitch bad, woman good, lady better
Hey, hey, hey, hey

[Verse 1]
Now imagine there’s a shawty, maybe five maybe four
Ridin’ ’round with his mama listening to the radio
And a song comes on and a not far off from being born
Doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong
Now I ain’t trying to make it too complex
But let’s just say shawty has an undeveloped context
About the perception of women these days
His mama sings along and this what she says
“Niggas I’m a bad bitch, and I’m bad bitch
far above average”
And maybe other rhyming words like cabbage and savage
And baby carriage and other things that match it
Couple of things that are happenin’ here
First he’s relatin’ the word “bitch” with his mama, comma
And because she’s relatin’ to herself, his most important source of help, And mental health, he may skew respect for dishonor

[Hook]
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
(I’m killin’ these bitches)
Uh, tell ‘em
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
They misunderstood
(I’m killin’ these bitches)

[Verse 2]
Yeah, now imagine a group of little girls nine through twelve
On the internet watchin’ videos listenin’ to songs by themselves
It doesn’t really matter if they have parental clearance
They understand the internet better than their parents
Now being the internet, the content’s probably uncensored
They’re young, so they’re malleable and probably unmentored
A complicated combination, maybe with no relevance
Until that intelligence meets their favorite singer’s preference
“Bad bitches, bad bitches, bad bitches
That’s all I want and all I like in life is bad bitches, bad bitches”
Now let’s say that they less concerned with him
And more with the video girl acquiescent to his whims
Ah, the plot thickens
High heels, long hair, fat booty, slim
Reality check, I’m not trippin’
They don’t see a paid actress, just what makes a bad bitch

[Hook]

[Verse 3]
Disclaimer: This rhymer, Lupe’s not usin’ bitch as a lesson
But as a psychological weapon
To set in your mind and really mess with your conceptions
Discretions, reflections, it’s clever misdirection
Cause, while I was rappin’ they was growin’ up fast
Nobody stepped in to ever slow ‘em up, gasp
Sure enough, in this little world
The little boy meets one of those little girls
And he thinks she a bad bitch and she thinks she a bad bitch
He thinks disrespectfully, she thinks of that sexually
She got the wrong idea, he don’t wanna fuck her
He thinks she’s bad at being a bitch like his mother
Momma never dress like that, come out the house, hot mess like that
Ass, titties, dress like that
All out to impress like that
Just like that, you see the fruit of the confusion
He caught in a reality, she caught in an illusion
Bad mean good to her, she really nice and smart
But bad mean bad to him, bitch don’t play your part
But bitch still bad to her if you say it the wrong way
But she think she a bitch, what a double entendre

[Hook]

[Outro]
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
You’re misunderstood
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, greatest motherhood
(I’m killin’ these bitches)



 

Monday, July 9, 2012

Moroccan Spiced Pulled Pork

As I've said in the past, I evaded the “other white meat” for over decade before we resurrected our love affair for one another. That's not to say I’d order a pork chop or shank at a restaurant, but I definitely can appreciate a low and slow-cooked rack of ribs or pork shoulder.

After a 24 hr brine to preserve moisture, I massaged the pork shoulder with blend of moroccan spices and chipotle then roasted it for 15 hours until the meat separated from the bone.   


A lover of anatomy, I took a little time appreciating the differences between the human and porcine scapula while shredding the finished product...but that's another story. So back to our regularly scheduled program...




I grabbed a mound of fragrant and slightly smokey pulled pork, dipped it in the au jus, and placed it on top of a warm, crusty but doughy Vienna roll. A fan of Memphis-style barbecue, I prefer for the meat to be the star of the show   Therefore, I added just a small amount of my from scratch BBQ sauce.  For textural and flavor balance, I added some homemade apple slaw and pickled jalapeƱos and squash atop the majestic mountain of pork.

I paired the pulled pork with a libation composed of mesquite honey-infused bourbon, ginger beer, and splash of OJ.  Eat up!!







The Score
 

Shoulder to Shoulder – Rebecca Fergusson




Satisfy My Soul – Bob Marley
 


A.D.H.D – Kendrick Lamar 

 
Slow and Steady – Of Monsters and Men