SiMH❤ Encore: The Purses and Suits of Happiness

WHERE DID ALL THE ROMANCE GO?

Excuse me but was I under a rock when the most romantic phrase became “Just throw it in the bag” as rapper Fabolous and the Dream teamed up to sing? I am confused and appalled at this because love seems to now be measured by how much a man spends on you and the price tag and label on what he buys. Money, as it turns out, can buy love!!

According to the world today, happiness is not pursued,it is bought. I will use rap as well as r n b as my case study. If one listens to most rap songs it is clear that money,cars and lavish living are the way to obtain happiness. Kid Cudi sang about the “Pursuit of Happiness” but now what I am seeing are the “Purses and Suits of Happiness”.

 

Even listening to a rap “love song” one is appalled at how love and money are put on the same level. From T.I singing “you can have whatever you like” to “I got a bunch of dollars so I can spend on her/so she can be my lady she can be my lover,” as Rick Ross sings, it is so clear that these men think buying expensive cars and purses is the measure of their love. Now don’t get me wrong, it is nice to spend money on your lady but don’t make it seem like it is the only thing you need to do to keep her happy. What saddens me  is that some women are happy with these kinds of relationships not realising that they are worth way more than that Hermes bag he just purchased.

I really  don’t know why women marry rappers. The message I get from most of their music is that they are super materialistic people who think success is measured by the suits they wear, and the price tag of the purse he bought his girlfriend. I heard this song by The Dream called “Make up bag”, in which this tragedy is applied. Besides the awful lyrics I actually managed to find something more appalling, and that is the meaning and message of the song. So basically in this song The Dream cheats on his girlfriend and she finds out.”I been out all night patroning/she sayin sorry won’t get it.”

The chorus is the killer. Firstly it says something about The Dream’s songwriting skills and more importantly it says a lot about the society in which we are living.

“if you ever make ya girlfriend mad/don’t let your good girl go bad/drop five stacks on a make up bag/”

Really? So if a guy messes up then buys me an expensive bag all will be forgiven? That really isn’t a compliment to us women. What connotations does this have on us? How do you even know if the apology is heartfelt? What an appalling song. Sadly,it isn’t just a concept or a song, some ladies would be happy to receive such an expensive apology. Are these the messages music should be conveying. It isn’t just hip hop that died, R n B and pop went with it. Sad day. Marvin Gaye must be turning in his grave. Mercy,mercy me indeed!

To answer the question at the beginning, romance has clearly gone from peoples’ hearts to their pockets. I am all for old school romance not this new type of love. If you really think about it how much thought does it take to charge a pair of Louboutins to your black American express card? Not much, coz your assistant probably does it for you. I am not fooled by this phenomenon, I see it for what it really is. An act, a cover up, a facade. If you think your bling will blind me, you are grossly mistaken.  In this case I will sing along with J.lo and say “my love don’t cost a thing” So as an independent woman I refuse to have my worth measured by that monogrammed purse you want to buy me. Actually I can buy it myself, thank you.

R.I.P R’n’B

When was the last time you heard a really good R and B song? I personally feel like the last good r ‘n’b album I heard was Trey Songz’ Ready, for a while Trey Songz was the bright spark in the sea of R n B but even that did not last long because he decided to release Pleasure, Passion and Pain (or whatever it was called) and RnB found itself on the gurney to the morgue. Neyo was another artist who revived RnB but his last offering Libra Scale wasn’t up to standard. In my Own Words, Because of You and Year of the Gentleman were albums that truly captured the spirit of RnB. There was rhythm  from the well produced beats and Blues from the poetic lyrics and soulful vocals. Where did all that go? What I saw and heard in Libra Scale was a talented artist who was trying way too hard to be cool. I still have a lot of respect for Ne yo besides that dismal performance and I hope his 2012 release The Cracks of Mr Perfect will revive his career and resurrect R n B.

I’m not trying to say that there are no good RnB artists left. I am quite excited about about Frank Ocean and I think he is one to watch. His music is on a depressing wave length but it’s working for Drake though…I think Ocean is really talented and there is just something about his music that keeps you listening to it. I think this guy will go a long way. Jennifer Hudson’s new album I Remember Me is also a silver lining in this cloud. BUT, the question is: will RnB ever return to the days of Keith Sweat, Boys II Men, Joe Thomas and R.Kelly or Total, SWV and Deborah Cox. I really don’t see it happening anytime soon because right now as we speak RnB is 6 feet under.