Ludacris: Sell-Out or Fraud?

Hearing the conversation Ben was having about his Ludacris blog, I finally internalized exactly what it all really meant.
Here is a man (Ludacris) that has put out these family friendly gems:

• "What's Your Fantasy" ("back seat, windows up...." and "in the dirt, make it hurt"),
• "Southern Hospitality" (I could not find any printable lyrics that I'd put here),
• "Ho" ("I said that you's a ho")
  
• "Area Codes" (Luda has hos in different area codes...it took me forever to find the name of this song, because every site had the lyric for hos spelled as ho's...so I guess Luda is not promoting literacy to his fans)

Are we are expected to believe that he is now REALLY frustrated with the way women are treated in society?

I think not. For years, the intellectual, anti-misogynistic rapper phenomenon has been on the rise. Last year, Talib Kweli played at the George Washington University. This year, Common played, and the Roots played a few years back. Previously, bands that played these shows were bands like Weezer and John Mayer. Clearly, there is a shift in music taste among teenagers (who probably consume music the most). It is absurd to think that there is not a shift taking place, and no one can possibly say that these "socially conscious" rappers have not really made a big impact on the scene--Kweli is getting MTV play for the first time ever, Mos Def is in a great deal of films ("Talladega Nights" and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), the Roots were just signed by Jay-Z to DEF JAM (arguably rap's most storied and successful label) and Common made the theme song for MTV's latest movie "Freedom Writers" and has seen many big roles in Hollywood produced movies You're kidding yourself if you think that there is not a paradigm shift that has taken/is taking place--there is no bigger litmus test than when one of rap's biggest personas ever personally signs them to his record label.

In a way, I think that the "socially conscious rap" is moving to the main rap fans and that "mainstream rap" is being more heavily appreciated by fans of rock and alternative music (this, though, is for another day).

Ludacris had been putting out "club bangers" for years, and the first single from his latest album "Release Therapy" was "Money Maker", a Neptunes (or was it just Pharrell) produced hit in which Ludacris claims that we should just be glad that "Pharrell gave us something good to bump to." I have no problem with this--I have been very intrigued by rap in the last few months as an artform--but he should not try to be anything more than a musician who makes music for people to have a good time to.

He clearly jumped onto the bandwagon with his song "Runaway" because he wants a bigger audience. There is absolutely no doubt about this. If he wants to appeal to more fans, fine--I just hope that they all take "Runaway" for what it is, seeing as it comes out of a misogynistic man's mouth.

Either way, he's guilty of at least one of two sins: he's either a sell-out for changing his breed of music just to attract a new audience (he has NOT changed his style entirely, so you cannot argue that he is growing as an artist--if so, his first single off of his new album would NOT have been "Moneymaker") OR he's a hypocrite for saying that society is wrong and needs to treat women better when he has been, up to this point, been putting out song that clearly objectify women.

I realize that many rap fans will not care and just want to hear good songs (the songs I mentioned other than "Runaway" are great dance tunes, which is all many people care about) but I NEVER want to hear anyone call Ludacris "socially conscious" or say that he is doing a lot for the rights of women.

Am I mad that he has made misogynistic music in the past? While I am not misogynistic, there is a sense of the freedom of speech and artistic control that any artist has. I'm not standing on the conservative side of the fence and saying that rap is counter-productive and useless. Instead, I'm angry about the way that he thinks that he can be made at a society of men who objectify women that he helped to create.

I'm angry at Ludacris for trying to pull the wool over all of our eyes (trying to pull a fast one, if you will). If I was a woman, I'd be sickened and outraged.

Luda, You Jerk

Let’s talk about Ludacris for a second. The man’s had some serious hits, from Missy Elliot combos to Roll Out to all those on Chicken n Beer. But the oddity of his image (please see Word of Mouf album cover), compounded with rumors of him not writing his lyrics, has made him an eccentric rap star if not a unique one. Of course, he’s also been solidly popular since coming out in 2000.

But recently, the man has straight up split his scrotum.

On one side we see him in “Money Maker,” a big bass sexy time song where the video puts him and Pharrell on top of cash stacks strapped with leggy ladies and lipstick. A good song, to be sure, with a Neptune beat (and bass not far from the “Grindin” classic) and a shallow enough message to top the Billboard charts.

On the other side, we see him in “Runaway Love” featuring Mary J. Blige. In the video, he raps in the background as little girls are, in turn, abused by drunken drug abusing parents, victim to gang violence, and stricken with an unwanted pregnancy. From the beginning, he’s decked out in Common gear, you know, that Black Intellectual fit—Kangol-type hat, lots of khakis and earth tones. A sweater vest here and there.

So here’s the question: recognizing that Ludacris did a nationwide tour to promote AIDS awareness, does this song point to his personal development and newfound wish to change the world? Or is it a sad example of using any means to sell a product? Surely Ludacris realizes the current popularity of the social awareness hue in rap, what with the emergence of Common, Talib Kweli, and Mr. Lif from the underground (where that awareness has never been lacking).

How can an artist have two blatantly contradicting songs out at the same time? How stupid do they think we are?!

Are we seriously expected not to realize that one man can say the following:

It took your momma 9 months to make ya

Might as well shake what your momma gave ya

You, you lookin good in them jeans

I bet you'd look even better with me in between

I keep my mind on my money - money on my mind

But you's a hell of a distraction when you shake your behind…

So feel free to get loose and get carried away

So by tomorrow you forgot what you where saying today

And then follow up with these heart-rendered lines:

Little Erica is eleven years old 

Shes steady tryin to figure why the world is so cold 

So she pops x to get rid of all the pain 

Cause shes havin sex with a boy whos sixteen...

Never thinkin bout the consequences of her actions 

Livin for today and not tomorrows satisfaction 

If these lyrics don't prove how much hypocritical bullshit perpetuates what used to be an art form, I don't know what will.