Wednesday, April 9, 2008

My Poetry's Deep: Too $hort - Don't Hate the Player (Verse One)

Okay, a friend of mine slipped this idea to me a couple months back and I've finally gotten around to giving it a try. If all goes well, we'll be reviving our 'My Poetry's Deep' segment with HHIR's brand of 'lyrical analysis' (LOL). Hit me up on the comments if you like this kinda sh*t (or hate it...or have requests....) Enjoy:

Original*:

Everybody talkin' 'bout they gettin hated/
All these lies is 'bout who they been datin'/
If you never was a player, I cain't hate you/
You know life is one time, you cain't take two/
You seem to think cause you ain't fuckin mo'/
That some other nigga's all up in yo' hoe/
It ain't yo' fault, did you do that?/
You think yo' ex-bitch, gon' ever take you back?/
Hell naw, you still thinkin' you a player/
You only got one girl, you just a square from nowhere/
You starin at the ground, fuck the ceiling/
Love is the word that describes yo' feelings/
You're hooked, you can't leave her alone/
You're like O.J., wait til he brings her home/
You wanna kill her, but you don't wanna play the fool/
You never was a player, we cain't hate you/

Analysis:

To my great dismay, the emergence of self-victimization has dealt negative consequences in the context of our society. Much of these illusory narratives articulated by my contemporaries offer falsehoods of or relating to a sexual nature. Ironically, such self-aggrandizement seems to contradict the structurally polar expressions of one's own professed self-victimization. For this distinct antecedent, I am bound by my convictions to refrain from loathing my troubled peers. Life, as they say, is 'too short'. This stark reality is often met with disbelief and astute skepticism, yet it remains a reality nonetheless. It is crucial for my fellow peers to come to terms with the simple fact that one's success takes nothing away from the efforts of others who have yet to achieve their aspirations. One man's success is not necessarily the consequence of one man's failure. It would be a fundamental error of judgment to assume such a falsehood. Equivalently, an individual who continues to strive towards a goal must resist the temptation to ballyhoo his or her status in the hopes of inflating one's ego. This act of pomposity accomplishes nothing more than exhibiting a vivid portrait of one's character flaws and weaknesses. Like a soldier in a battlefield, one who seeks to participate in a communal activity of competition must be prepared to accept the assured burdens and hazards which are prone towards involvement. Only the select few who have upheld this agreement may be revered at such an accordant level. Having obtained this high title myself, I am implored to uphold my obligations which demand both courtesy and respect towards my contemporaries. The inhabitants of my outer circle are not yet apt towards receiving my critiques nor my enmity.

* Lyrics courtesy of the Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive

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