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BRAND NUBIAN Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down
Released February 2, 1993 Album All for One Record Label Elektra Writer(s) Sadat X, Lord Jamar With the departure of Grand Puba and DJ Alamo from the hip hop outfit Brand Nubian, their second album “In God We Trust” was a surprise success with only 2 of the original members, Sadat X and Lord Jamar, remaining. The album even spawned a hit single that reached the top 100 of the Billboard charts, “Punks Jump up to Get Beat Down”. It is unfortunate that the most commercially successful song on the album also contained homophobic content. The repeated use of the homosexual hateterm “faggot”, as well as a verse taking a direct jab at gays, the song caused minor controversy over its homophobic nature. The lyric in question, though only 2 bars and appearing minor, speaks a much grander message about the views of the rap community on homosexuality: “Though I can freak, fly, flow, fuck up a faggot Don’t understand their ways I ain’t down with gays” The first line makes a direct, violent threat to homosexuals, but it is the second line that creates a greater discomfort; the confusion in not understanding their ways as said by Sadat X and the subsequent disapproval of homosexuality proves the ignorance and misunderstanding on the rap community’s part and therefore the prevalent homophobia in much of rap’s lyricism.
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NOTORIOUS B.I.G. Ten Crack Commandments
In Biggie’s famed track about the commandments of the drug game, his Moses-like position, delivering advice to the new up and comers of the drug game is serious and gruesome. As great of a track as this is with its raw content and slick DJ Premier beat, it’s homophobic remark halfway through does not go Released March 25, 1997 unnoticed. Upon stating the 7th rule of the so called crack commandments, BigAlbum C gie goes on to state that family and drugs don’t mix, and in doing so, presents a Record Label Bad Boy homophobic analogy: 7: this rule is so underrated Writer(s)/Composer(s) Martin Wallace Keep your family and business completely separated Money and blood don’t mix like 2 dicks and no bitch Find yourself in serious shit In stating that 2 genitals of the same sex don’t mix, Biggie is implying that it is wrong and that it is looked down upon. Although the analogy may be referring to the reproductive scenario, the picture the lyric paints can be seen as deroga24
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