Blurred Lines.

Boom_Bap

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

The verse I quoted was by MC Ren, not Ice Cube.

Blurred Lines reached Number 1 on the US Top 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It's a hop-hop song.

No, I chose an older (and hugely influential) song to show how long misogyny has been part of hip-hop.

In fairness, it was probably written by Cube :pac:

Blurred Lines is definitely not a hip hop song. No. Way. It has Pharrell on production, but he is not necessarily just producing hip hop these days. If so, would that put Daft Punk into the hip hop catagory?

There are many many many examples in rap songs of misogyny. But to counter that, there are many many many examples of rap songs that are the opposite.
Rapping started as a form of bragging, through the evolution that eventually led to comparisons of the person that was being opposed as being a female (amongst many other things) but this is the one that gave most harm in the rap off. Then once records were being made, some rappers took the gloating to extremes.

In relation to the lawsuit, the only people that should held accountable should be people at Thicke's label that didn't get proper clearance before the song was released or commited to an album.

Hitchens

this is the biz

Rabbo

Hitchens wrote: »

this is the biz

I'm no expert but that sounds like a rip off of Blurred Lines. Maybe Pharrell and Thicke could sue them and recover the money they lost today

JacquesDeLad

I just saw a clip of one of Marvin Gaye's family wearing dark glasses, crying and saying she felt free from the chains of Pharrell Williams.

They should go after Kanye West for 'Gold Digger' next.

bigar

I see the Gaye family more as leeches getting money from a 40 year old song they had absolutely no input in. Copyright should end when the creator dies in my eyes.

InTheTrees

bigar wrote: »

I see the Gaye family more as leeches getting money from a 40 year old song they had absolutely no input in. Copyright should end when the creator dies in my eyes.

Except that would be disrespecting Marvin Gaye. He created something that earns a lot of cash, its a bit much to say he cant leave the rights to it to anyone he wants to.

I'd rather his family had the cash than "robin thicke"(!).

Dravokivich

InTheTrees wrote: »

Except that would be disrespecting Marvin Gaye. He created something that earns a lot of cash, its a bit much to say he cant leave the rights to it to anyone he wants to.

I'd rather his family had the cash than "robin thicke"(!).

A lot taken by a comment in these articles of him leavung the rigths. It happens by default as the copyright goes to the estate for 50 or 75 years after the death of whoever created the intellectual property. The lenght of the period depends on the region.

MakeEmLaugh

Boom_Bap wrote: »

There are many many many examples in rap songs of misogyny. But to counter that, there are many many many examples of rap songs that are the opposite.

Maybe so, but Thicke has been the object of much more ire over this song than countless other rap/hip-hop/r&b/whatever-the-f*ck artists whose songs were equally misogynist.

It's selective outrage.

AndonHandon

Evie Nutty Mushroom wrote: »

Or two years ago. Whichever.

No, I was asking what song you were talking about!

floggg

JacquesDeLad wrote: »

I just saw a clip of one of Marvin Gaye's family wearing dark glasses, crying and saying she felt free from the chains of Pharrell Williams.

They should go after Kanye West for 'Gold Digger' next.

Would be a bit harsh for the Gaye family to sue Kanye for Golddigger - particualrly given the large sums they likely payed to Ray Charles' family when they cleared the sample.

floggg

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

Maybe so, but Thicke has been the object of much more ire over this song than countless other rap/hip-hop/r&b/whatever-the-f*ck artists whose songs were equally misogynist.

It's selective outrage.

Actually, it you look at the treatment Rick Road received for using rape lyrics, you'll see that's just not true.

The (deserved) response to his song (about date rape drugs) was much harsher than to blurred lines. He lost sponsorship deals and had a lot of people refusing to play his song as a result. People may not have heard about it here though because he's not that popular here.

In contrast blurred lines received significant airplay and TV/award show appearances despite the controversy over the lyrics and video.

The problem with your argument is you aren't comparing like for like.

Firstly, while a lot of rap is misogynst (though a lot isn't), it isn't as offensive as lyrics celebrating rape/rape culture. People's outrage is usually proportionate to the outrageousness of the the content.

Secondly, the outrage will usually also be proportionate to the songs popularity and reach. Blurred lines received more visible criticism simply because the song was more visible than any rap song that year.

Plenty of rappers have received similar back lashes over lyrics. Back when Eminem was interesting and edgy, controversy followed him every where he went (rape lyrics was just one of the many reasons people were offended by him). He still says some controversial stuff, but since he's not very good any more nobody pays much attention.

Equally, artists like Nelly received lots of criticism, including cancelled shows due to protests, over songs like Tip Drill (don't think it has any rap themes, but it's outrageously offensive, yet rather catchy). Since Nelly is mainly known for that Kelly Rowland song here, nobody hears much about it but Tip Drill caused a lot of (deaerved) outrage in the States.

eternal

I love Nelly even though some find him mainstream, Nellyville was pretty good.

Penny Tration

AndonHandon wrote: »

No, I was asking what song you were talking about!

"Happy."

bjork

eternal wrote: »

I love Nelly even though some find him mainstream, Nellyville was pretty good.

I liked the one about the time he ran away from the circus

4zn76tysfajdxp

AndonHandon wrote: »

No, I was asking what song you were talking about!

Oh, sorry. Happy.

Vinculus

Use them thongs, dance with those thongs
Stoke the fire!

spiralism

Delighted they got sued for that song.

Couldn't give a **** about plagiarism, but they deserved to get sued for that song, it's one of the worst songs ever. Those opening 3 notes are indelibly scarred into my brain til the day i die.

MakeEmLaugh

spiralism wrote: »

Delighted they got sued for that song.

Couldn't give a **** about plagiarism, but they deserved to get sued for that song, it's one of the worst songs ever. Those opening 3 notes are indelibly scarred into my brain til the day i die.

Then you're an idiot. $7 million will pass from Pharrell Williams and co to people who had no input in the creation of Blurred Lines whatsoever, because of the alleged plagiarism.

If you don't like the song, that's your opinion, but it doesn't mean Nona Gaye deserves $7 million of Pharrell William's money.

MakeEmLaugh

floggg wrote: »

The blurred lines song is distinctly rapey though - it's premise is that Thicke refuses to accept a woman saying "No" actually means it, and that she secretly wants him to take her roughly.

That's far worse than call somebody a bitch or hoe.

We aren't going to see eye to eye on this one. The evidence that Blurred Lines is about rape is speculative at best. It stems almost entirely from the line 'I know you want it'.

That same line has been used in other songs by the likes of

- Twista (Want My Love)
- Nelly (Love in This Club, Part II)
- Donell Jones (What's Next)
- Fat Joe (Another Round)
- Roscoe Dash (Sidity)
- Ne-Yo (Think About It)
- Snopp Dogg (Let's Get Blown)

Not only has the controversial line been used in multiple other songs, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke both denied it was about rape (and since when did songs have 'premises' anyway? What was the premise of 'Like a Rolling Stone'?)

Why would two successful artists potentially ruin their respective careers by writing a song endorsing sexual assault?

The evidence that 'Blurred Lines' is 'about rape' is no stronger than the evidence that The Las' There She Goes is about heroin, because of the lines "racing through my brain... pulsing through my vein... no one else can heal my pain".

It's a theory. Theories are fun, but they're not the same as facts.

floggg

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

We aren't going to see eye to eye on this one. The evidence that Blurred Lines is about rape is speculative at best. It stems almost entirely from the line 'I know you want it'.

That same line has been used in other songs by the likes of

- Twista (Want My Love)
- Nelly (Love in This Club, Part II)
- Donell Jones (What's Next)
- Fat Joe (Another Round)
- Roscoe Dash (Sidity)
- Ne-Yo (Think About It)
- Snopp Dogg (Let's Get Blown)

Not only has the controversial line been used in multiple other songs, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke both denied it was about rape (and since when did songs have 'premises' anyway? What was the premise of 'Like a Rolling Stone'?)

Why would two successful artists potentially ruin their respective careers by writing a song endorsing sexual assault?

The evidence that 'Blurred Lines' is 'about rape' is no stronger than the evidence that The Las' There She Goes is about heroin, because of the lines "racing through my brain... pulsing through my vein... no one else can heal my pain".

It's a theory. Theories are fun, but they're not the same as facts.

I very much doubt it was intentional. Its the attitude they adopt that people are troubled by - that a woman saying no is actually just saying it for show, and that they are they ones who really knows what she wants and needs. And given that his follow up album seems to have been some weird public attempt at winning his wife back after cheating, I wouldn't doubt that Thicke has some strange attitudes to women.


Nor is it one line - its the song as a whole matched with the video.

Now, personally I am ok with the song - but Im not a woman so its easy for me to be unconcerned. And i don't think the song should be banned or anything, and I really like it as a pop tune.

But I can see why people would be pissed.

Also, why would any pop artist ruin their careers saying and doing all the stupid things they do. It wasn't logical for your man from East 17 to brag about all the ecstacy he could do, but he still did it.

Nor was it logical for Rick Ross to rap about slipping drugs into a girl's drinks without her knowing.

It would appear however that some musicians, just like non-muscians, are stupid.

Baby Jane

"I know you want it" isn't rapey in my opinion. It can just mean "You're giving off signals that you fancy me". There's also the line "The way you grab me, must wanna get nasty" so that's even more than a signal. Also, a guy grabbing a woman in a bar or wherever wouldn't be overlooked like this!

The lines "I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two", "your last guy, he too square for you; he don't smack that ass and pull your hair like that", "Not many women can refuse this pimpin'", "Do it like it hurt; what you don't like work" are a bit iffy though in my opinion. There's no indication that the woman being sung/rapped about is into the above.

Also don't see the necessity of the word "bitch" to mean just woman or girl. And wtf is the "You're a good girl" thing about? It's like something my gran would have said! :pac: (Note: it's not "offensive" but just a bit silly and patronising).

I'm not in agreement that it should be banned or anything, but people can give their view on it.

There's more of a focus on this than on much more misogynistic lyrics in rap, simply because this is known by far more people.

sara7

Ok its the same beat .. bitta high pitch voicing but thats where the similarties end .

Wacker The Attacker

brummytom wrote: »

I don't really think they sound overly similar, tbh. Just a simple bass line and a bit of shouting - is that it?

Hey hey hey

johnny osbourne

cos youre a good girl

Wacker The Attacker

The song itself is a dog turd.

The only thing worthwhile about it is the brunette in the video.

end of the road

apart from similar instruments and a very slightly similar beat there is nothing that can prove any copying. they might have gotten a little inspiration from the original song but then again who knows. so, 2 completely different songs

_Whimsical_

Baby Jane wrote: »

"I know you want it" isn't rapey in my opinion. It can just mean "You're giving off signals that you fancy me". There's also the line "The way you grab me, must wanna get nasty" so that's even more than a signal. Also, a guy grabbing a woman in a bar or wherever wouldn't be overlooked like this!

The lines "I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two", "your last guy, he too square for you; he don't smack that ass and pull your hair like that", "Not many women can refuse this pimpin'", "Do it like it hurt; what you don't like work" are a bit iffy though in my opinion. There's no indication that the woman being sung/rapped about is into the above.

Also don't see the necessity of the word "bitch" to mean just woman or girl. And wtf is the "You're a good girl" thing about? It's like something my gran would have said! :pac: (Note: it's not "offensive" but just a bit silly and patronising).

I'm not in agreement that it should be banned or anything, but people can give their view on it.

There's more of a focus on this than on much more misogynistic lyrics in rap, simply because this is known by far more people.

I think the "good girl" thing is about the girl in question not being the kind of girl who's into the rough stuff you have mentioned. I think it's also inferred that the girl is not single, the "that man is not your maker"," let me liberate you" stuff sounds like she's in a relationship, so a "good girl" wouldn't go off with the singer.
The "good girl" stuff makes it seem less likely she's giving him the com'on and more rapey in my opinon.

bodice ripper

I can't believe we are still talking about this song being rapey. I listen to rapeier stuff on a daily basis.

eternal

The song was over played to death and it does appear to be misogynistic but who takes this seriously though?

eternal

Don't shoot me but is Robin Thicke kinda sexy