Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides information about the vernacular American saying "Congratulations. You just played yourself".
This post also provides information about the sneakerhead culture in the United States and how the "Congratulations, you just got played" saying is connected to that culture.
The content of this post is presented for linguistic and socio-cultural purposes.
Selected comments given below from the discussion thread of the embedded video not only provide information and examples of the saying "You just played yourself" but also provide information about sub-sections of African American culture and [other] American cultures, including sneakerhead culture/s/
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of the YouTube video that is embedded in this post.
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BACKGROUND: THE VERNACULAR MEANING OF THE WORD "PLAYED"
The saying "Congratulations, you just played yourself" is a relatively recent (2015) extension of the vernacular saying "You got played".
Here's urban dictionary's top definition [to date] of the word "played"
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Played
"Played
Made a fool of, chumped, taken advantage of."
by Droopy August 07, 2003
-snip-
"You got played" is a shortened form] of the saying "You got played for a fool".
Here's information about the saying "You got played for a fool" from a website for people learning English:
https://www.italki.com/question/92972?hl=en-us
"What does "You got played" mean?
"Best Answer - Chosen by Voting
This is short for 'you were played for a fool' or 'played like a fiddle (or any instrument)' and means you were fooled into doing something. You were naive, or unsuspecting, and therefore taken advantage of by someone else. The 'play on words' in this expression is that you, like a musical instrument, had to 'play' the tune that someone wanted to hear: you got played by them."
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WHAT "YOU PLAYED YOURSELF" MEANS
A November 23, 2016 urban dictionary entry submitted by BryScher gives this meaning of "played yourself":
"played yourself"To mess up terribly".
-snip-
BrySchec also noted that this saying was "made famous by DJ Khaled: "Congratulations, you played yourself".
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Played%20yourself
-snip-
I agree that a person who played himself or herself has "messed up terribly". But the way that a person "messed up terribly" is by saying something that reveals that he or she is foolish, ignorant, or "unhip" or by doing something that shows that he or she is foolish, ignorant, and/or not hip.
Instead of someone else causing you to say something foolish or to act foolishly, you did it to yourself.
The next section provides another definition of the saying "You played yourself" as well as information about that saying's connection to the Hip Hop record producer DJ Khaled.
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DJ KHALED AND THE SAYING "CONGRATULATIONS, YOU JUST PLAYED YOURSELF"
From http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/congratulations-you-played-yourself
"About
Congratulations, You Played Yourself is a catchphrase spoken by DJ Khaled which means to reveal one’s own weaknesses. The catchphrase is commonly applied to images, videos, and other media in which the subject or original poster ends up as the butt of a joke.
Origin
On September 23rd, 2015, Complex uploaded a video* in which Khaled shows off his sneaker closet. During the segment, Khaled says the phrase “Congratulations, you played yourself” ...
In case you are not up to date with today's slang terms, “playing yourself” according to the Urban Dictionary means, “Screw things up for yourself. Let yourself down. Betray yourself by acting in a way that's opposite to your own interests or (conscious) intentions.” Currently if you've been on Instagram or Twitter lately you've seen the DJ Khaled memes that say “Congratulations, you played yourself” to various scenarios.
[...]
What I've learned is some people have been “playing themselves” and not even knowing it. I hope this article have helped in preventing you from embarrassing yourself any longer."...
-snip-
*That video is given below.
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Khaled DJ Khaled (Khaled Mohamed Khaled, November 26, 1975) is "an American "record producer, radio personality, DJ, record label executive, and author who "was born in New Orleans, Louisiana of Palestinian parents who immigrated to the United States".
DJ Khaled is also a noted sneakerhead. Information about "sneakerheads" is given below.
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WHAT ARE SNEAKERHEADS?
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneaker_collecting
"A sneakerhead is a person who collects, trades, or admires sneakers as a hobby. A sneakerhead may also be highly experienced in distinguishing between real and fake replica sneakers. Sneaker collecting is a hobby often manifested by the use and collection of shoes made for particular sports, particularly basketball and skateboarding.
The birth of sneakerhead culture in the United States came in the 1980s and can be attributed to two major sources: basketball, specifically the emergence of Michael Jordan and his eponymous Air Jordan line of shoes released in 1985, and the growth of hip hop music. The boom of signature basketball shoes during this era provided the sheer variety necessary for a collecting subculture, while the hip-hop movement gave the sneakers their street credibility as status symbols.[1] The sneakerhead culture has emerged in the United Kingdom[2] and the Czech Republic in the last decade.
Styles and marketing
Several popular brands and styles of sneakers have emerged as collectors items in the sneakerhead subculture. Popular collections include Air Jordans, Air Force Ones, Nike Dunks, Nike Skateboarding (SB), Nike Foamposites, Nike Air Max, and more recently, the Nike Air Yeezy. Shoes that have the most value are usually exclusive or limited editions. Also certain color schemes may be rarer relative to others in the same sneaker, inflating desirability and value. More recently, sneaker customs, or one-of-a-kind sneakers that have been hand-painted, have become popular as well.
[...]
Sneakerhead subculture
The sneakerhead subculture originated in America during the late 1980s and had gone global by the end of the 1990s. Hardcore sneaker collectors in Britain, Europe,[5] and the US[6] buy online and go to outlets, sneaker events, swapmeets, parties, and gatherings in search of rare, deadstock, vintage, and limited edition shoes to invest in.[7] Originally popular among urban black youth and teenage white skateboarders, by the 21st century, it had also gained a sizeable Asian following especially in Malaysia,[8] India, and China.[9]
[...]
As of 2016, the most desirable[14] colors for sneakers and apparel were black,[15] red,[16] and white[17] due to their longstanding association with late 1980s new wave music, the Michael Jordan era of basketball,[18] and old-school hip hop.[19]” ...
-snip-
This page also has a section on “Sneakerhead slang” which was said to have developed “During the 2010s, sneakerheads influenced by hip hop fashion and skater subculture”.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Complex Closets : DJ Khaled Shows His Sneaker Closet
Complex Published on Sep 23, 2015
DJ Khaled gives Joe La Puma a view of his sneaker closet and collection, which features rare Air Jordans, Yeezys, and more.
-snip-
As per this blog's policy regarding profanity, note that this video contains one example of profanity: the word "sh&t".
**
Yeezys" are "sneakers designed by rapper Kanye West" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneaker_collecting.
DJ Khaled says forms of the "play yourself" saying at least three times in this video before he says "Congratulations, you've played yourself":
1:19- 1:20 “You see this room...I call this “Don’t ever play yourself.”
1:43 “Don’t ever play yourself’. know what I’m sayin.
3:21 This is no junk brand...“Don’t play yourself”.
The most quoted line from this video: "Congratulations, you got played", occurs at 6:36. However, the beginning of that conversation about what he would say when he confronts the thief who stole one of his set of sneakers begins at 6:34.
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
This compilation includes selected comments that provide examples of or explanations for the saying "You played yourself". I've also included comments in this compilation that provide some information about sneakerhead culture as well as comments from some people who are critical of that culture.
In addition, I've selected comments that provide some information about Black cultures in the United States (for instance, the sub-thread of comments beginning with #1 and ending with #11 which indicates that "sneakerhead" culture began with and is most closely associated with Black people and the comments beginning at #12 and ending at #33 which I read as documenting the custom some [not all] Black Americans have of not wearing shoes inside their houses and not allowing others to wear shoes inside their houses).
For the historical record, I've also included some comments that I consider to be culturally insensitive (such as comment #2 that includes the word "fag" meaning a homosexual person or a "homosexual" lifestyle, comment #16 "All arabs wear sandals", and comment #46 that includes the phrase "retarded lifestyle").
The comments in this compilation are given in relative chronological order, with the oldest year's comments given first, except for replies. I've added only a few editorial comments, and I've assigned number to these comments for referencing purposes only.
2015
1. TheMightyWill
"Why is collecting sneakers such a big deal?"
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Reply
2. SebsExotics
"+TheMightyWill African American males like to outdo each other with expensive belts, shoes, shirts with propaganda on it, expensive fag pants etc."
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Reply
3. Ezekiel F
"+TheMightyWill some people can'y move on"
-snip"
I think this comment means "Some people can and you [should] move on [to some other topic],"
**
Reply
3. JustJayson12
"+SebsExotics He's Not African American though"
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Reply
4. Gavin Free, 2016
"+TheMightyWill you must be white or asian"
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Reply
5. TheMightyWill, 2016
"+Gavin Free
ayy Gavino Free!! And yes, I am :P"
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Reply
6. TheNat Gamer, 2016
"+Gavin Free What's wrong with white people?"
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Reply
7. Gavin Free, 2016
"+TheMightyWill nothing, its just white people don't get the culture"
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8. TheNat Gamer, 2016
"I am white and I am a sneakerhead..."
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9. Forrest Lin
"Im asian and i collect"
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10. SebsExotics1 year ago
+JustJayson12 Some other people do it to. I am not racist, I hate all races equally by the way. I do not hate one race, I hate them ALL :).
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Reply
11. JDaRealz
"Collecting sneakers??? It's more than collecting. It's a lifestyle!! Don't ever ever ever ever ever EVER!!! Disrespect it again OK!!!"
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12. Porcum Means Pig
"All those Jordans and he's wearing socks and sandals."
**
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13. MrYnoter
"Not just any sandals....Gucci sandals..."
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14.Chicago Harlem Street
"He's in his home, who wears shoes in the house?"
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15. Thunder Bearer
"+Porcum Means Pig And why would you be wearing sneakers when you are at home?"
**
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16. Gamer2478
"All arabs wear sandals"
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17. Pavlakos V
"Soooooooooooooo true mannn!"
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18. Pavlakos V
"+Thunder Bearer dude some shoes are never worn,cleans soles so why not?"
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19. Victor Guerrero
"+Porcum Means Pig Hes in the crib"
-snip-
"crib" = an African American Vernacular English word for someone's house (I first heard this term in 1969 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I don't know when it was first used).
**
Reply
20. Tyree Marsee
"+Porcum Means Pig----- Im dead 😂😂😂.... But bro got Money💰💸"
-snip-
"I'm dead" means that . This commenter considers the name "Porcum Means Pig" to be funny. Hence, the saying "I'm dead", meaning I laughed so hard it felt like I was dying".
I think "but bro got money" means that DJ Khaled can do whatever he wants to do because he's rich.
**
Reply
21. snowyo318
"I have plenty of shoes and wear my benassi swoosh and socks 70 percent of the time lol it's a down south thing"
-snip-
"down south" = Southern region of the United States (for example, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama etc)
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Reply
22. NhiQuann
"Gucci flip flops are more expensive"
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23. Yoni Macaroni
"+Porcum Means Pig First of all they're Gucci, second, who wears shoes in the house? Most people are just barefoot in their house. It's his house he can wear anything he wants in his own home."
**
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24. Dylan warbritton
"he does not want to ruin his sneakers"
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25. Carissa Cornelius
"That's what I was thinking"
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26. Yoni Macaroni
"+Carissa Cornelius They're Gucci, plus it's HIS OWN HOME."
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27. sarftie
" 1. They're slides
2. It's his house"
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28. Rafael Moreno
"+NhiQuann Gucci flip flops are 150$ those shoes go from 300$ to priceless"
**
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29. Clark Kegley
"Shows off 400-pair shoe masterpiece. Wears flip flops."
**
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30. Ethan C
"+Clark Danger they're gucci"
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Chicago Harlem Street
31. "We wears shoes in the house?"
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32. Chicago Harlem Street
"Unless you want your house dirty"
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33. Zebede Zandale
"+Clark Danger The difference is that he doesn't see them as wearable shoes, rather piece of art. The reason why he is on slippers not on them."
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2016
34. Crying Seal
"Kids in Africa could have eaten those shoes"
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35. Samourai
"HAHAHA"
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36. Siyabonga Gwaza
"why our kids would eat shoes?"
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37. Vain Glory
"+Siyabonga Gwaza Ppl in the western world we're constantly bombarded with marketing from foreign aid groups that push the idea that most kids in Africa are dying of hunger. Kids in africa are dying... Of hunger, will you help? So western kids decide to make light of it with dark humor."
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38. shaiska
"@Crying Seal are YOU giving money to kids in Africa ? stop being a hypocrite !"
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39. Wyatt Stancil
"why does he keep saying "know what I'm saying"
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40. OZHKAR1
"Wyatt Stancil don't play yourself x12"
-snip-
My take on this comment is that since so many people had already written that DJ Khaled had repeatedly said "You know what I mean", to again write that DJ Khaled had said this is to use a "played out" line (something that is "old" and "needs to be retired"). And saying something that is "played out" makes a person look foolish and "unhip".
**
41. Sean Briggs
"gotta be at least 1,000,000 in shoes in resale value"
**
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42. Cho0segoose
"plus his custom shoes which are worth more"
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43. Secular Student
"How many starving children could this dude feed with all them sneakers he don't need? #ExcessiveGreed"
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44. Chris Brathwaite
"You wanna feed the kids take your own money and do it. I hate when people criticize people who work for their own money about fuckin donating it somewhere."
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45. Yes Im Going To Be That Guy
"+Chris Brathwaite right"
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46. Lodestarrobot
"+Chris Brathwaite
1. This is about khaled's retarded waste of money
2. Not everyone can just donate money, that's the reason the rich were the ones needed to move the economy (which in theory khaled is doing by buying so many jordans)
3. All the money he makes is from mediocre music that just so happened to have mainstream artists anyone with a shallow taste in music just loves to gobble up"
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47. Lodestarrobot
"I guess on the nature of what he's collecting. Shoes are made to be worn, and to just have them sitting there seems like a waste. in addition, as others have mentioned before, his collection is pretty shi&&y* compared to what he's boasting."
-snip-
* This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
**
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48. Lodestarrobot
"+UnknownAssassin310 I think greed also implies extravagance, such as pap johns not providing health insurance to buy more gold encrusted sodie pops, or the waltons driving their employees into poverty so they can afford yet another stadium full of vintage cars"
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49. Moneyfromaps
"you have the power to feed children too. that's your responsibility as well. what have you done"
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2017
50. Darin Moreland
"Jose Zamora only one pair boi u playing ur self"
-snip-
This comment was written in reference to Jose Zamora's comment that he only had one pair of a certain brand of sneakers. "Boi"= "boy"
**
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51. Fiji anz
"Darin Moreland OKAY AND HE HAS 1 PAIR U EXPECT HIM TO HAVE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS? NO ONE GOT TIME TO PAY 160-400$ FOR A PAIR OF SNEAKERS . PEOPLE DONT HAVE MONEY LIKE THAT I SHOULD BEING SAYING BOI TO YOUR COMMENT AND YOU PROBARLY HAVE SKETHCERS, AND DONT COMMENT BACK "ACTUALLY I HAVE MORE THAN DJ KHLAD". OR WHAT EVER HIS NAME IS"
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52. KidRaph
"what is Dj Khaled even famous for?"
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53. Realdoses
"he makes hits every year"
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54. Metro B
"+KidRaph He's a DJ that is famous for making multiple big collaborations with big name artists every year. He also makes beats for songs but not all."
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55. Don Rozay
"Making all this hits songs, don't ever play yourself."
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56. seri
"+KidRaph hes made hella hits and is a producer"
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57. Jam Bar
"hold this L"
-snip-
Here's information about the meaning of "L" from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=L submitted by Tvhj_ December 04, 2013,
"To lose, or to take a loss. The L comes from the word lose/ loss."
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58. SlazerFis
"+KidRaph Congratulations. Ya played yourself"
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59. GreenGoblinHD
"damn this guy must have a lot of feet"
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60. penguinbrucelee
"Don't ever play yourself"
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Showing posts with label American Vernacular English. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Vernacular English. Show all posts
Friday, April 21, 2017
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
More Comments With African American Vernacular English About Michelle Obama's 2016 Speech
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about First Lady Of The United States (FLOTUS) Michelle Obama's 2016 DNC speech.
Part II showcases a video about Michelle Obama that was played at that convention right before her speech. Part II also includes selected comments about Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama that were included in a July 26, 2016 Black Kos Tuesday's Chile article. This post showcases a video introducing First Lady of the United States ((FLOTUS) Michelle Obama that was shown immediately before her speech to the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/07/certain-vernacular-words-phrases-in.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases a video of First Lady Of The United States (FLOTUS) gave at the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
A link to a full transcript of that speech is included in this post along with a review and a synopsis of that speech.
That post also includes selected comments about that speech from twitter and other internet sites that include vernacular American English words and phrases. This post also includes definitions of many of these vernacular words and sayings.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, political, etymological, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Michelle Obama for her words, actions, and her positive role modeling. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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EXCERPT FROM DAILY KOS ARTICLE
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/07/26/1551653/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile Black Kos, Tuesday's Chile, by Black Kos, Our FLOTUS brings down the house at the DNC2016;Commentary by Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver-Velez" /07/26
"Yes — “our” First Lady.
Black folks lay a special claim to First Lady Michelle Obama. Sure, she is beloved by many people worldwide and across party lines here in the U.S. However she will always have a major place in the hearts of black Americans — not just because of her position as the first black woman to become a First Lady, alongside of her very special husband, our POTUS, Barack Obama — she is our heart because of who she is.
I tuned in to watch the DNC yesterday, from the beginning. I was elated to see so many women, and men of color representing Democrats, up on that podium. What a difference from the sterile, almost monochromatic RNC — the party of hate, racism, sexism and xenophobia.
I was not happy about the sporadic outbursts and boos from a certain segment of the “couthless” attending the DNC. I was keeping an eye on Black Twitter at the same time, and there were loud rumblings about how we were gonna erupt into a “take off your earrings” moment if those folks dared to diss Michelle.
It didn’t happen. Michelle Obama dropped the mic and brought the house down, to rounds and rounds of applause. As the cameras cut away from her speech from time to time to scan the onlookers, the smiles, tears and intense emotions displayed told the story.
In case you missed the intro before she took the stage — here it is."...
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Michelle Obama Intro Video
Democratic National Convention, Published on Jul 25, 2016
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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA'S DNC SPEECH
From http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/07/26/1551653/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile Black Kos, Tuesday's Chile, by Black Kos, 2016/07/26
These comments are given without notations or explanations. They are given in chronological order, with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order. I've assigned to these comments for referencing purposes only. All of these comments are from July 26, 2016
1. Ian Reifowitz Jul 26 · 04:04:13 PM
"Michelle was awesome. Her speech thrilled me, I couldn’t have been more excited and proud. Thanks for a great selection as always, and Happy Tuesday, friends!"
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2. Denise Oliver Velez - Ian Reifowitz Jul 26 · 04:07:22 PM
"Thanks Ian.
She got good press — except from wingnuts who don’t believe her quote about slaves building the WH. They are so damn ignorant."
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3. Vita Brevis Jul 26 · 04:07:28 PM
"Happy Tuesday all. Michelle Obama’s speech last night was everything. EVERYTHING. Just popping in for a minute.... Peace. Love. Chocolate."
**
4. ord avg guy Jul 26 · 04:08:17 PM
The FLOTUS was absolutely amazing. It takes a lot to get tears to well up from me just watching a speech. Michelle Obama managed tdo it last night.
**
5. JoanMar - ord avg guy Jul 26 · 04:14:52 PM
"I cry far too easily and it is so annoying. But I didn’t feel annoyed as I cried last night. She was beautiful. The speech was just awesome. And who would you say is the better speaker now? Michelle or her husband? What a great problem to have. :)"
**
6. Denise Oliver Velez Ian Reifowitz Jul 26 · 04:07:22 PM
..."She got good press — except from wingnuts who don’t believe her quote about slaves building the WH. They are so damn ignorant.
**
7. Ian Reifowitz Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 04:08:57 PM
Their ignorance is not our country’s bliss...."
**
8. justiceputnam Jul 26 · 04:58:06 PM
RogueJusticeNominee @justiceputnam
The RW thinks the White House was built by guest workers.
9:15 AM - 26 Jul 2016
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9. JoanMar Jul 26 · 04:08:55 PM
...Yes, Sis, our FLOTUS is all sorts of awesome! I turned into the morning shows this morning and everybody agrees that it is one of the best speeches in the history of party conventions.
As my bro CK pointed out, she threw a little shade but it was so beautifully done, so subtly that many people may have missed it.
http://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12282760/transcript-michelle-obama-dnc-speech
She was talking about her husband and his character and his decency and grace. Haha. Absolutely loved it!
**
10. Its the Supreme Court Stupid Jul 26 · 04:11:49 PM
"Greetings to the porch! Michelle’s speech last night was amazing. I am facing a really tough decision: Who am I going to miss more? Michelle or Barack? Arggghh! I can’t decide!"
**
11. Denise Oliver Velez - Its the Supreme Court Stupid Jul 26 · 04:21:12 PM
"Both!!!"
**
12. mallyroyal Jul 26 · 04:15:22 PM
"it’s well known in our community, but little discussed out of it (that I’ve seen) that we didn’t really warm to Barack until we got to know Michelle.
she’s like a distillation of the greatest women in our community, and we all did a collective “well if this brilliant and beautiful sista from the South Side loves him...”
**
13. Denise Oliver Velez mallyroyal Jul 26 · 04:17:05 PM
"Hey Cuz.
Yup. She gave him bona fides."
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14. Denise Oliver Velez - JoanMar Jul 26 · 04:14:30 PM
"Loved her subtle shade — heh — she is good at it."
**
15. Denise Oliver Velez Chitown Kev Jul 26 · 04:36:10 PM
I just posted aji’s tweet about that — here’s part of it — shows the resentment of being told — y’all better not boo :)
Julia Prodis Sulek @juliasulek
Rowdy California Sanders delegates told by fellow delegates: "hands off Michelle Obama." This is what they did."
11:02 PM - 25 Jul 2016 · Wells Fargo Center, United States
**
16. mallyroyal - Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 04:42:35 PM
"good for the planners, cause when I tell you every black soul in that hall would have gone OFF..!
maaaaaaan lol."
**
17. freshwater dan Jul 26 · 04:35:37 PM
"I'm not familiar with the "Take off your earrings" reference."
**
18. Denise Oliver Velez - freshwater dan Jul 26 · 04:40:41 PM
"heh — when Sistahs get ready to throw down — they take off their earrings so they aren’t ripped out of their ears"
**
19. Chitown Kev - freshwater dan Jul 26 · 04:42:48 PM
"It’s an…..uh...“inner city” reference for when someone is ready to fight"
**
20. Chitown Kev - Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 04:44:29 PM
"lol, I was watching an old episode of Living Single when Max and Regine got into a fight and Max ripped off Regine’s weave, lol (it was the 100th episode I think, you can find it on youtube"
**
21. Denise Oliver Velez - Chitown Kev Jul 26 · 04:47:17 PM
"Will look for it. Chile — don’t be messin’ up a weave."
**
22. Denise Oliver Velez Chitown Kev Jul 26 · 04:46:18 PM
"i know several girls — black, latina and italian who have earlobes that were ripped."
**
23. Pithy Cherub - freshwater dan Jul 26 · 04:56:15 PM
"If a black woman takes off her earrings and tells you to hold her purse, somebody is getting a beatvdown right royally. :)"
**
24. Denise Oliver Velez Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 04:57:57 PM
"Latinas too :)"
**
25. Pithy Cherub - Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 05:02:12 PM
"Yep. My sister in law, a bad a** Latina weighing 100 lbs told a lady twice her size that and she was breathing fire. The lady ran away.lol"
**
26. Denise Oliver Velez - Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 05:15:26 PM
"That’s from growin up with mom’s expert with “la chancleta/ la chancla ”
(for those who don’t speak Spanish — that’s a sandal or flip flop— which gets lobbed like a boom-a-rang by mama"
**
27. mallyroyal - JoanMar Jul 26 · 04:55:46 PM
"it sounds like a joke but some of my friends were in that hall. they’d have done exactly that, and broke out the vaseline just in case lmaooo"
**
28. Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 04:54:55 PM
"I love Michelle Obama for wearing Christian Siriano's dress last night. He was the ONLY designer that would dress Leslie Jones for the Ghostbusters 2 premier. No one else would help her! That is the essence of Black Girl Magic. Michelle knew who helped a sister out!
Earlier this year, Michelle used the exact language of sleeping in a White House built by slaves in an exceptional commencement address.
Y'all, some privileged California, ugh on not representing my state well, Berners were gonna get laid the eff out if they booed Michelle. That was made very clear. Black folks not having that childish behavior....
**
29. Denise Oliver Velez - Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 04:57:29 PM
"That is so beautiful! Thank you — didn’t know the backstory"
**
30. Pithy Cherub - Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 05:04:13 PM
"Yep I wrote a tweet thanking him. But I remembered as soon as I saw the dress last night. Michelle was representing!"
**
31. JoanMar - Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 04:58:56 PM
"I didn’t know that. That’s huge. Let’s throw his name out there: Christian Siriano.
I am not a huge fan of Leslie Jones, but when I heard of how she was dissed, my heart went out to her. Great of the FLOTUS to honor him like that.
The dress was beautiful!”.
**
32. wasatch Jul 26 · 07:30:22 PM
It felt false to wish people a good week last week, as the RNC was so horrifying to me (and I’m not even one of their nominee’s targets, other than being a woman over 50 with generous proportions and boring clothes, a “fat pig” in Trumpese).
But this week? Hallelujah! What a turnaround. Other than the few booing nihilists (pray for laryngitis!) this convention is a whole new world.
And Michelle turned me right around from the lingering effects of the scary people.
Can I call Michelle the next time I have a nightmare? You know she’d be the best.
Will have to return to that speech. There was this combination of mature, dead-serious steel with a soothing warmth and light touch that is so very powerful. That’s First Lady Obama all over. Layered, intelligent, and lots to unpack in that speech.
Enjoy the rest of the convention! Have a great week!!"
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about First Lady Of The United States (FLOTUS) Michelle Obama's 2016 DNC speech.
Part II showcases a video about Michelle Obama that was played at that convention right before her speech. Part II also includes selected comments about Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama that were included in a July 26, 2016 Black Kos Tuesday's Chile article. This post showcases a video introducing First Lady of the United States ((FLOTUS) Michelle Obama that was shown immediately before her speech to the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/07/certain-vernacular-words-phrases-in.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases a video of First Lady Of The United States (FLOTUS) gave at the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
A link to a full transcript of that speech is included in this post along with a review and a synopsis of that speech.
That post also includes selected comments about that speech from twitter and other internet sites that include vernacular American English words and phrases. This post also includes definitions of many of these vernacular words and sayings.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, political, etymological, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Michelle Obama for her words, actions, and her positive role modeling. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
****
EXCERPT FROM DAILY KOS ARTICLE
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/07/26/1551653/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile Black Kos, Tuesday's Chile, by Black Kos, Our FLOTUS brings down the house at the DNC2016;Commentary by Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver-Velez" /07/26
"Yes — “our” First Lady.
Black folks lay a special claim to First Lady Michelle Obama. Sure, she is beloved by many people worldwide and across party lines here in the U.S. However she will always have a major place in the hearts of black Americans — not just because of her position as the first black woman to become a First Lady, alongside of her very special husband, our POTUS, Barack Obama — she is our heart because of who she is.
I tuned in to watch the DNC yesterday, from the beginning. I was elated to see so many women, and men of color representing Democrats, up on that podium. What a difference from the sterile, almost monochromatic RNC — the party of hate, racism, sexism and xenophobia.
I was not happy about the sporadic outbursts and boos from a certain segment of the “couthless” attending the DNC. I was keeping an eye on Black Twitter at the same time, and there were loud rumblings about how we were gonna erupt into a “take off your earrings” moment if those folks dared to diss Michelle.
It didn’t happen. Michelle Obama dropped the mic and brought the house down, to rounds and rounds of applause. As the cameras cut away from her speech from time to time to scan the onlookers, the smiles, tears and intense emotions displayed told the story.
In case you missed the intro before she took the stage — here it is."...
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Michelle Obama Intro Video
Democratic National Convention, Published on Jul 25, 2016
****
SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA'S DNC SPEECH
From http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/07/26/1551653/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile Black Kos, Tuesday's Chile, by Black Kos, 2016/07/26
These comments are given without notations or explanations. They are given in chronological order, with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order. I've assigned to these comments for referencing purposes only. All of these comments are from July 26, 2016
1. Ian Reifowitz Jul 26 · 04:04:13 PM
"Michelle was awesome. Her speech thrilled me, I couldn’t have been more excited and proud. Thanks for a great selection as always, and Happy Tuesday, friends!"
**
2. Denise Oliver Velez - Ian Reifowitz Jul 26 · 04:07:22 PM
"Thanks Ian.
She got good press — except from wingnuts who don’t believe her quote about slaves building the WH. They are so damn ignorant."
**
3. Vita Brevis Jul 26 · 04:07:28 PM
"Happy Tuesday all. Michelle Obama’s speech last night was everything. EVERYTHING. Just popping in for a minute.... Peace. Love. Chocolate."
**
4. ord avg guy Jul 26 · 04:08:17 PM
The FLOTUS was absolutely amazing. It takes a lot to get tears to well up from me just watching a speech. Michelle Obama managed tdo it last night.
**
5. JoanMar - ord avg guy Jul 26 · 04:14:52 PM
"I cry far too easily and it is so annoying. But I didn’t feel annoyed as I cried last night. She was beautiful. The speech was just awesome. And who would you say is the better speaker now? Michelle or her husband? What a great problem to have. :)"
**
6. Denise Oliver Velez Ian Reifowitz Jul 26 · 04:07:22 PM
..."She got good press — except from wingnuts who don’t believe her quote about slaves building the WH. They are so damn ignorant.
**
7. Ian Reifowitz Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 04:08:57 PM
Their ignorance is not our country’s bliss...."
**
8. justiceputnam Jul 26 · 04:58:06 PM
RogueJusticeNominee @justiceputnam
The RW thinks the White House was built by guest workers.
9:15 AM - 26 Jul 2016
**
9. JoanMar Jul 26 · 04:08:55 PM
...Yes, Sis, our FLOTUS is all sorts of awesome! I turned into the morning shows this morning and everybody agrees that it is one of the best speeches in the history of party conventions.
As my bro CK pointed out, she threw a little shade but it was so beautifully done, so subtly that many people may have missed it.
Thank you all, thank you so much. It is hard to believe that it has been eight years since I first came to this convention to talk with you about why I thought my husband should be president. Remember how I told you about his character and his conviction? His decency and grace? The traits we have seen every day he has served our country in the White House.
http://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12282760/transcript-michelle-obama-dnc-speech
She was talking about her husband and his character and his decency and grace. Haha. Absolutely loved it!
**
10. Its the Supreme Court Stupid Jul 26 · 04:11:49 PM
"Greetings to the porch! Michelle’s speech last night was amazing. I am facing a really tough decision: Who am I going to miss more? Michelle or Barack? Arggghh! I can’t decide!"
**
11. Denise Oliver Velez - Its the Supreme Court Stupid Jul 26 · 04:21:12 PM
"Both!!!"
**
12. mallyroyal Jul 26 · 04:15:22 PM
"it’s well known in our community, but little discussed out of it (that I’ve seen) that we didn’t really warm to Barack until we got to know Michelle.
she’s like a distillation of the greatest women in our community, and we all did a collective “well if this brilliant and beautiful sista from the South Side loves him...”
**
13. Denise Oliver Velez mallyroyal Jul 26 · 04:17:05 PM
"Hey Cuz.
Yup. She gave him bona fides."
**
14. Denise Oliver Velez - JoanMar Jul 26 · 04:14:30 PM
"Loved her subtle shade — heh — she is good at it."
**
15. Denise Oliver Velez Chitown Kev Jul 26 · 04:36:10 PM
I just posted aji’s tweet about that — here’s part of it — shows the resentment of being told — y’all better not boo :)
Julia Prodis Sulek @juliasulek
Rowdy California Sanders delegates told by fellow delegates: "hands off Michelle Obama." This is what they did."
11:02 PM - 25 Jul 2016 · Wells Fargo Center, United States
**
16. mallyroyal - Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 04:42:35 PM
"good for the planners, cause when I tell you every black soul in that hall would have gone OFF..!
maaaaaaan lol."
**
17. freshwater dan Jul 26 · 04:35:37 PM
"I'm not familiar with the "Take off your earrings" reference."
**
18. Denise Oliver Velez - freshwater dan Jul 26 · 04:40:41 PM
"heh — when Sistahs get ready to throw down — they take off their earrings so they aren’t ripped out of their ears"
**
19. Chitown Kev - freshwater dan Jul 26 · 04:42:48 PM
"It’s an…..uh...“inner city” reference for when someone is ready to fight"
**
20. Chitown Kev - Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 04:44:29 PM
"lol, I was watching an old episode of Living Single when Max and Regine got into a fight and Max ripped off Regine’s weave, lol (it was the 100th episode I think, you can find it on youtube"
**
21. Denise Oliver Velez - Chitown Kev Jul 26 · 04:47:17 PM
"Will look for it. Chile — don’t be messin’ up a weave."
**
22. Denise Oliver Velez Chitown Kev Jul 26 · 04:46:18 PM
"i know several girls — black, latina and italian who have earlobes that were ripped."
**
23. Pithy Cherub - freshwater dan Jul 26 · 04:56:15 PM
"If a black woman takes off her earrings and tells you to hold her purse, somebody is getting a beatvdown right royally. :)"
**
24. Denise Oliver Velez Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 04:57:57 PM
"Latinas too :)"
**
25. Pithy Cherub - Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 05:02:12 PM
"Yep. My sister in law, a bad a** Latina weighing 100 lbs told a lady twice her size that and she was breathing fire. The lady ran away.lol"
**
26. Denise Oliver Velez - Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 05:15:26 PM
"That’s from growin up with mom’s expert with “la chancleta/ la chancla ”
(for those who don’t speak Spanish — that’s a sandal or flip flop— which gets lobbed like a boom-a-rang by mama"
**
27. mallyroyal - JoanMar Jul 26 · 04:55:46 PM
"it sounds like a joke but some of my friends were in that hall. they’d have done exactly that, and broke out the vaseline just in case lmaooo"
**
28. Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 04:54:55 PM
"I love Michelle Obama for wearing Christian Siriano's dress last night. He was the ONLY designer that would dress Leslie Jones for the Ghostbusters 2 premier. No one else would help her! That is the essence of Black Girl Magic. Michelle knew who helped a sister out!
Earlier this year, Michelle used the exact language of sleeping in a White House built by slaves in an exceptional commencement address.
Y'all, some privileged California, ugh on not representing my state well, Berners were gonna get laid the eff out if they booed Michelle. That was made very clear. Black folks not having that childish behavior....
**
29. Denise Oliver Velez - Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 04:57:29 PM
"That is so beautiful! Thank you — didn’t know the backstory"
**
30. Pithy Cherub - Denise Oliver Velez Jul 26 · 05:04:13 PM
"Yep I wrote a tweet thanking him. But I remembered as soon as I saw the dress last night. Michelle was representing!"
**
31. JoanMar - Pithy Cherub Jul 26 · 04:58:56 PM
"I didn’t know that. That’s huge. Let’s throw his name out there: Christian Siriano.
I am not a huge fan of Leslie Jones, but when I heard of how she was dissed, my heart went out to her. Great of the FLOTUS to honor him like that.
The dress was beautiful!”.
**
32. wasatch Jul 26 · 07:30:22 PM
It felt false to wish people a good week last week, as the RNC was so horrifying to me (and I’m not even one of their nominee’s targets, other than being a woman over 50 with generous proportions and boring clothes, a “fat pig” in Trumpese).
But this week? Hallelujah! What a turnaround. Other than the few booing nihilists (pray for laryngitis!) this convention is a whole new world.
And Michelle turned me right around from the lingering effects of the scary people.
Can I call Michelle the next time I have a nightmare? You know she’d be the best.
Will have to return to that speech. There was this combination of mature, dead-serious steel with a soothing warmth and light touch that is so very powerful. That’s First Lady Obama all over. Layered, intelligent, and lots to unpack in that speech.
Enjoy the rest of the convention! Have a great week!!"
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Certain Vernacular Words & Phrases In Internet Comments About Michelle Obama's 2016 DNC Speech
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about First Lady Of The United States (FLOTUS) Michelle Obama's 2016 DNC speech.
Part I showcases a video of First Lady Of The United States (FLOTUS) gave at the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
A link to a full transcript of that speech is included in this post along with a review and a synopsis of that speech.
This post also includes selected comments about that speech from twitter and other internet sites that include vernacular American English words and phrases. This post also includes definitions of many of these vernacular words and sayings.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/07/more-comments-with-african-american.html for Part II of this post. Part II showcases a video about Michelle Obama that was played at that convention right before her speech. Part II also includes selected comments about Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama that were included in a July 26, 2016 Black Kos Tuesday's Chile article.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, political, etymological, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Michelle Obama for her words, actions, and her positive role modeling. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
****
EXCERPT OF AN ARTICLE ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA'S 2016 DNC SPEECH
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michelle-obama-speech-reaction_us_5796dff1e4b0d3568f8457b3?section= Democrats And Republicans Agree: Michelle Obama Absolutely Nailed It by Ed Mazza, July 26, 2016
"Stirring speech draws praise from across the political spectrum.
When the Democratic National Convention opened on Monday to a chorus of boos from Bernie Sanders supporters, much of the attention focused on what the runner-up for the nomination would say to calm his faithful following.
But someone else stole the show.
First Lady Michelle Obama won praise for giving a stirring and optimistic speech in which she managed to attack Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump without once mentioning his name.
Praise for the speech came from across the political spectrum"...
****
EXCERPTS OF A SYNOPSIS OF MICHELLE OBAMA'S 2016 DNC SPEECH & A HYPERLINK TO A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THAT SPEECH
From https://www.romper.com/p/transcript-of-michelle-obamas-dnc-speech-affirms-her-family-first-ethic-15022
kATHERINE DON, July 26, 2016 Transcript Of Michelle Obama's DNC Speech Affirms Her Family-First Ethic
"Now that the Obama era is coming to an end, the legacy of the 44th President of the United States is coalescing into a clear form. And while his achievements and controversies in the areas of health care, climate change, and international relations will be well-recorded by historians, it's also the case that President Obama will be remembered as a true family man, not least because first lady Michelle Obama has been both a supportive spouse and a knowledgeable advocate for her husband's policies. As the transcript of Michelle Obama's DNC speech affirms, family and politics are inextricably linked.
From the outset, it was clear that Obama intended to draw a connection between personal responsibility and political ethic. Soon after taking the stage to loud cheers from the crowd in Philadelphia, Obama said that her and Barack's daughters are "the heart of our hearts, the center of our world." She described their experiences as parents soon after moving into the White House, saying that "we as parents are their most important role models. And let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady, because we know that our words and our actions matter, not just to our girls, but to children across this country."...
In a 2013 Vogue interview, President Obama elaborated on his family's ethic as both public and private figures. "Everything we have done has been viewed through the lens of family," he said. "Beyond just the immediate family to the larger American family, and making sure everybody’s included and making sure that everybody’s got a seat at the table."
It was in this spirit of inclusiveness that the first lady passionately, forcefully, and beautifully threw her support behind Hillary Clinton, stating, "Hillary understands that the president is about one thing and one thing only. It's about leaving something better for our kids."
-snip-
Those comments are followed by a full transcript of Michelle Obama's convention speech.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Michelle Obama praises Hillary Clinton at the DNC 2016 (Full speech)
NJ.com, Published on Jul 25, 2016
First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the crowd and delegates during her primetime speech on day one of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
****
SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA'S DNC SPEECH
These comments are from various internet sites. The sites are quoted in no particular order. I've also included definitions/explanations for the vernacular words, phrases, and sayings that are found in these comments. Additions and corrections are welcome
All of these comments are from July 26, 2016.
I've assigned to these comments for referencing purposes only.
From https://twitter.com/hashtag/michelleobama?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag
1. Joy Taylor
".@FLOTUS is just incredible. She is a Queen, an inspiration, such power and grace. Love her. #DemsInPhilly #MichelleObama"
**
2. Fortune FeimsterVerified account (Los Angeles, CA)
"Yes!!! My queen!! #MichelleObama #DNCinPHL"
-snip-
-snip-
A contemporary ("hip") spelling of "yes" is "yass" or "yass".
Here's what "queen" means in these and other comments referring to Michelle Obama:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/queen gives these definitions for "queen":
3
a : a woman eminent in rank, power, or attractions
b : a goddess or a thing personified as female and having supremacy in a specified realm
c : an attractive girl or woman; especially : a beauty contest winner
-snip-
While Michelle Obama currently is the First Lady of the United States, this country isn't a monarchy. The commenters who refer to Michelle Obama as a queen probably are using the meanings given in 3 a, b, and/or c. In addition, many African Americans use the term "queen" as a general referent for any Black woman who isn't rachet. example: (young Black man speaking to a young Black woman he doesn't know) "Hello, queen.".
**
3. Laura
"@SheWhoVotes
#MichelleObama NAILED IT! She is an amazing speaker! Melania's poor imitation just didn't even hold a damn candle."
-snip-
from http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/94841/what-does-nailed-it-mean
[this use of] "nailed it" means you got something exactly right, or did something perfectly. You can think of someone trying to hammer a nail into a board. They hit the nail so perfectly that the nail goes straight into the board very well."...
-snip-
From http://www.dictionary.com/browse/can-t-hold-a-candle-to
"can't hold a candle to definition
An expression describing a person or thing that is distinctly inferior to someone or something else: “Senator Nelson is extremely knowledgeable, but as a speaker, he can't hold a candle to Senator Delano.”"
**
4. Haaretz.comVerified account
"WATCH: Michelle Obama's 'masterful' take down of Trump at the DNC http://dlvr.it/LtRTpr
#DNCinPHL #MichelleObama"
-snip-
"Take down" here means something like "a humiliating defeat". Here's some entries from for "take down" http://www.dictionary.com/browse/takedown
6. Informal. the act of being humbled.; 7.
Wrestling. a move or series of maneuvers that succeeds in bringing a standing opponent down onto the mat.
**
5. MainStreetEnt. @MainStreetEnt20
"MainStreetEnt. Retweeted Alex Lange
#MichelleObama on fire 🔥🔥" [This comment is followed by two pictorials of flames.]
-snip-
"on fire" - A term that people use when someone is doing great and they are unable to be stopped.
Man, that dude is on fire
by lunar shadows September 16, 2004 http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=on%20fire
**
6. Ahmed Shihab-EldinVerified account (Brooklyn, NY)
"I wake up every morning in a house that was built of slaves." #MichelleObama telling it like it is. crying. <3" -snip- "telling in like it is" = telling the unvarnished truth -snip- The word “crying” here probably means "I’m crying (I'm overwhelmed by my emotions because of that speech)." -snip- From http://slangdefinition.com/3-meaning-heart-shape/
"What does <3 mean? = Heart / Love"
"The issues are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters." #MichelleObama #RNCinCLE"
-snip-
Michelle Obama's statement that "The issues are not being black and white" may refer to Black people and White and may also refer to issues being either one way or another way. "140 characters" refers to tweeting and is an indirect reference to Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump penchants for regularly using tweeter to make political comments and other comments. Michelle Obama's comment here is an example of what one commenter referred to as "dignified shade" - "throwing shade" = a classy way of criticizing or insulting someone.
****
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michelle-obama-dnc-speech_us_5796c902e4b02d5d5ed2ac9b "Michelle Obama: Who Do You Want As Your Children’s Role Model?
The DNC crowd went wild during the first lady’s blockbuster speech" 07/25/2016 by Kate Sheppard And Laura Barron-Lopez
8. Allen Barrett
"BING!!! that's the sound of one being hit out of the park. That's what a non-plagiarized speech sounds like. Thank you, Michelle Obama!"
**
9. Susan Swann
"FLOTUS hit it out of the park! She's all class, intelligence, and compassion. I'm so going to miss the President and First Lady, history will be kind to this pair. Looking forward to Clinton continuing on with progressive policies!"
-snip-
From http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/hit+one+out+of+the+park
"hit (something) out of the (ball)park
To do or perform something extraordinarily well; to produce or earn an exceptional achievement. An allusion to hitting a home run in baseball that lands outside the stadium."
-snip-
Another commenter just wrote "Bam!!". That's probably another way of referring to Michelle Obama's speech hitting it out the park. Some commenters wrote that Michelle Obama hit a gram slam. Here's what that saying means:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_slam_(baseball)
"In baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners ("bases loaded"), thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play"...
**
10. Jerome Brians
"Stunning speech. When she reminded us that the white house was built by
blacks under forced labor....then provided the picture of her daughters playing
on the white house lawn....that was deep."
-snip-
"Deep" here probably means "very profound". Another African American Vernacular term for (this meaning of) deep is "heavy".
**
11. Rico Dixon
"The Obama's have always been a class act. They have occupied the White House without controversy or shame. Their children have never brought rumors or speculation to the Office of Commander in Chief. Lead by example.... I believe they have."
**
12. Marie Staley Lavender
"As per usual, the First Lady was flawless. If Donald Trump had 1/1,000th the class of Michelle Obama he might - and I stress the word might - be a somewhat tolerable human being. Splendid speech FLOTUS."
**
13. Melody Shaw
"She's all class. She is authentic, no acting there. I have once again, felt such an immense respect for the First Lady. As a woman, mother, and grandmother and a citizen of our country I felt a commonality that I've felt from no other First Lady. There was always this air of elitism, class difference, privilege? Not sure how to define it, but there was a *separateness* from former First Ladies. I never felt they truly understood what it was like for me, an average female living an ordinary existence. I never felt that former First Ladies *GOT* my ordinary concerns. I had feelings at times it was my own personal, monumental struggle raising my daughter and that ALL mothers sort of feel the same way. Problems like how to provide healthcare, food and housing. How to balance helping my daughter grow and still protect her and keep her safe. Or how to bring my daughter up to be fearless and bold, yet still retain poise and dignity. Michelle gets it, she totally gets it. She may not struggle the same way yet she does understand that we all as parents struggle to provide, to be supportive, to raise our kids to be good people. We are living and making history here, and I truly FEEL it thanks to her. Her words uplifted me, touched me deeply. Michelle, she's the real deal."
-snip-
"all class" = totally having class, being classy, being a class act
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classy
classy : adjective
Simple Definition of classy
: having qualities that make someone or something special and attractive
: showing impressive character : very good, kind, etc.
classier, classiest
: having or showing class: as
a : elegant, stylish
b : having or reflecting high standards of personal behavior
c : admirably skillful and graceful
-snip-
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/class%20act
class act
: an example of outstanding quality or prestige
-snip-
"Gets it" = totally understands what another person says or feels or is experiencing
-snip-
From http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/the-real-deal
"the real deal" = informal A person or thing considered to be a genuine or supremely good example of their kind"
**
14. Linda Ayres
"I have mad love for First Lady Obama. she is the epitome class and courage. She is the quintessential role model for the next generation."
-snip-
"Mad love" = lots of love; "Mad" here is an intensifier that probably comes from Jamaican Patois.
**
15. Jacob Harris
"First Lady Michelle Obama was astonishing! Mics all around the country were dropping simulataneously."
-snip-
"Mic drop" - a figurative phrase which means that what was said was so good that nothing else needs to be said, or there can be no effective comeback
**
16. Julie Pearson
"I'm not affiliated with any US political party (I'm not American) but she has a good point. You don't want some thin skinned leader who lashes out without thinking and behaves like a spoiled child."
-snip-
"thin skinned"
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin%E2%80%93skinned
easily bothered by criticism or insults : very sensitive
**
17. Mike Letteriello ·
"Our black and brown peeps started to turn this convention around, and our black woman-in-charge ramped it up into high gear."
-snip-
"peeps" = colloquial clip of the word "people"
In this comment "black" means African Americans and other people with any (Black) African descent.
In the United States "brown people" usually refers to Latinos, and may also refer to other ethnic groups such as Native Americans, South Asians (people from India, Pakistan etc), and people from the Middle East. That said, just as most Black people aren't actually the color "black", many "Brown people" aren't actually the color "brown".
-snip-
"ramped it up" = increased the energy (of the convention)
into high gear = the highest it can go
**
18. Van-Anh Vu ·
"The Republican should thank their lucky stars that FLOTUS indicated she has no intention to run for office. Michelle would crush it!"
-snip-
"thank their lucky stars" = to acknowledge one's good fortune; be grateful: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/thank-one-s-lucky-stars
-snip-
This saying comes from the astrological belief that the stars (planets) contribute to a person having good or bad fortune.
-snip-
"crush it" = here means "to win without any doubt" (This is a very positive connotation.)
In this comment "crush it" is the same as "kill it", "slay it".
****
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tdl5NCJvuY
Michelle Obama's entire Democractic convention speech, CNN Published on Jul 25, 2016
19. JeremyLinte
"Michelle Obama gracefully destroys Trump without stooping to his level or mentioning his name:
"When I think about the kind of president I want for my girls and all our children...I want someone with the proven strength to persevere. Someone who knows this job and takes it seriously. Someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down into 140 characters. Because when you have the nuclear codes at your finger tips, and the military at your command, you can't make snap decisions. You can't have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well-informed." "
-snip-
Read the definition of "thin skin" in comment #16 given above.
**
20. #It's Just Me
"Yass! Girl!! Go!!! Get!!!! It!!!!!"
-snip-
Yass!= Yes!
Go get it" is an exclamation that is encouragement and support for what was said as well as a statement of agreement for what was said. "Go get it!" also means to continue doing what you are doing. "It" means "the prize (what you are trying to) win, the end goal that you are striving for or the successful achievement of what you are talking about.
-snip-
Some other commenters here and elsewhere said "You go girl!". That saying has the same meaning as "Go get it".
**
21. gary fontana
"Trump guy here but WOW!!! She killed it. Was amazing start to finish. Happy for her"
-snip-
"Killed it" here means to do something extraordinarily well. "Slayed" is another way of saying "killed it".
**
22. butterflybloom
"She is a good role model to her children as well as for other women and children. She aint no trophy wife. She will be missed as first lady and I am glad she tried to help other children besides her own as a first lady."
-snip-
"trophy wife"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophy_wife
"Trophy wife is an informal term for a wife, usually young and attractive, who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband, who is often an older and wealthy "sugar daddy". The term trophy husband is the male equivalent.
Referring to a spouse as a trophy wife usually reflects negatively on the character or personality of both parties
-snip-
The term "trophy husband" is rarely used.
**
23. Blue Beetle CA
"smh this is all so wack"
-snip-
"smh" = shake my head (in irritation, exasperation etc)
"Wack" = dumb, silly
**
24. Reply
A1Googler
"+Flish Football lol I know, right?"
-snip-
The word “right” written as a question at the end of a statement may be a shortened form of "Do you agree with me?". However, in my experiences as an African American, the word "right" at the end of a sentence isn't asking a question. Instead, it’s a shortened form of the sentence "I know that’s right" [with "right" meaning "correct"].
**
Reply
25. Flish Football
"hater alert"
-snip-
From http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hater
"a person who thrives on showing hate toward, criticizing, or belittling other people or things, usually unfairly"
-snip-
"hater alert" = a figurative notice/announcement to other people that there is one or more haters in the area.
**
26. Crinkly Cormorant
"Wake up in a house built by slaves...smh...this woman is such a race baiter."
-snip-
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=race%20baiter by default013 September 29, 2009
...One who insinuates that racism or bigotry is a dominant factor with regards to an event that either does not involve race or in which diverse cultures are involved are simply a minor element."...
**
Reply
27. lsbloom
"She was talking about how far we've come. Baiting implies using rhetoric to incite anger--not pride."
**
Reply
28. Terrance Williams
"Not bait , but facts."
**
Reply
29. Sabi
"Why do Republicans try to negate facts and science by blaming political correctness or race baiting?"
**
30. DJ KHALED SQUAD #WeDaBest
"Best first lady ever. She has impacted the lives of many young women who have looked up to her. And all her haters can do is make fun of her looks. Sad"
-snip-
Read the definition for "haters" above.
"Sad" = shortened form of the sentence "That's sad".
**
31. creatorsist
"Such an elegant and intelligence speech from FLOTUS... love trumps hate. Too bad massive haters!"
-snip-
“Massive” here is probably the Jamaican Patois use of the word meaning = too bad there are lots of haters [in this nation or in this world].
**
32. STS ESSENTIALS CHANNEL
"Damn she shaded Trump with that 140 characters jab talking about him tweeting lol!! Get him Michelle, shade that fool Trump!"
-snip-
shaded= threw some shade (insulted)
-snip-
140 character = refers to twitter
-snip-
jab = pointed, piercing comment
****
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyEeMkl_sHw [Video that is embedded above]
33. Tony Ramos5
"You gotta hand it to Bernie for taking the high road. He could have made things very, very messy."
-snip-
From http://www.yourdictionary.com/high-road
"The definition of high road is the morally proper choice.
An example of taking the high road is when someone calls you a name and you just turn and walk away instead of getting into an argument."
**
34. NoRegretsForOurYouth
"Trump just got owned"
-snip-
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Owned
"Owned
v. owned, 0wned, pwned, 0wn3d, pwn3d, own3d.
v. tr.
To be made a fool of; To make a fool of; To confound or prove wrong; embarrasing someone: Being embarrased.
I owned you in counter-strike. You were owned at the party yesterday."
by Quick Reply September 20, 2003
-snip-
Read the difference between "got owned" and "owned" as used in the comment given as #36.
****
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michelle-obama-speech-reaction_us_5796dff1e4b0d3568f8457b3?section=
35. Michael Ian Black ✔ @michaelianblack
"Michelle just Beyonceed that joint."
10:24 PM - 25 Jul 2016
-snip-
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=beyonce-d
"Beyonce'd
Singing the sh&t* out of a song.
Related: see Celine'd
Damn, she Beyonce'd that song
#sing #beyonce #singing #riffing #vocals:
by Turd E. Fergusson June 22, 2011
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this definition.
-snip-
Other definitions of "beyonc'd" are quite negative.
-snip-
"that joint" = that place (meaning that convention.)
**
36. "Ben Domenech ✔ @bdomenech
Michelle Obama owned tonight. An incredible speech."
11:12 PM - 25 Jul 2016
-snip-
"Owned" here means that the night belonged to her. (Her speech was the best. She won that night.)
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about First Lady Of The United States (FLOTUS) Michelle Obama's 2016 DNC speech.
Part I showcases a video of First Lady Of The United States (FLOTUS) gave at the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
A link to a full transcript of that speech is included in this post along with a review and a synopsis of that speech.
This post also includes selected comments about that speech from twitter and other internet sites that include vernacular American English words and phrases. This post also includes definitions of many of these vernacular words and sayings.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/07/more-comments-with-african-american.html for Part II of this post. Part II showcases a video about Michelle Obama that was played at that convention right before her speech. Part II also includes selected comments about Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama that were included in a July 26, 2016 Black Kos Tuesday's Chile article.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, political, etymological, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Michelle Obama for her words, actions, and her positive role modeling. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
****
EXCERPT OF AN ARTICLE ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA'S 2016 DNC SPEECH
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michelle-obama-speech-reaction_us_5796dff1e4b0d3568f8457b3?section= Democrats And Republicans Agree: Michelle Obama Absolutely Nailed It by Ed Mazza, July 26, 2016
"Stirring speech draws praise from across the political spectrum.
When the Democratic National Convention opened on Monday to a chorus of boos from Bernie Sanders supporters, much of the attention focused on what the runner-up for the nomination would say to calm his faithful following.
But someone else stole the show.
First Lady Michelle Obama won praise for giving a stirring and optimistic speech in which she managed to attack Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump without once mentioning his name.
Praise for the speech came from across the political spectrum"...
****
EXCERPTS OF A SYNOPSIS OF MICHELLE OBAMA'S 2016 DNC SPEECH & A HYPERLINK TO A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THAT SPEECH
From https://www.romper.com/p/transcript-of-michelle-obamas-dnc-speech-affirms-her-family-first-ethic-15022
kATHERINE DON, July 26, 2016 Transcript Of Michelle Obama's DNC Speech Affirms Her Family-First Ethic
"Now that the Obama era is coming to an end, the legacy of the 44th President of the United States is coalescing into a clear form. And while his achievements and controversies in the areas of health care, climate change, and international relations will be well-recorded by historians, it's also the case that President Obama will be remembered as a true family man, not least because first lady Michelle Obama has been both a supportive spouse and a knowledgeable advocate for her husband's policies. As the transcript of Michelle Obama's DNC speech affirms, family and politics are inextricably linked.
From the outset, it was clear that Obama intended to draw a connection between personal responsibility and political ethic. Soon after taking the stage to loud cheers from the crowd in Philadelphia, Obama said that her and Barack's daughters are "the heart of our hearts, the center of our world." She described their experiences as parents soon after moving into the White House, saying that "we as parents are their most important role models. And let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady, because we know that our words and our actions matter, not just to our girls, but to children across this country."...
In a 2013 Vogue interview, President Obama elaborated on his family's ethic as both public and private figures. "Everything we have done has been viewed through the lens of family," he said. "Beyond just the immediate family to the larger American family, and making sure everybody’s included and making sure that everybody’s got a seat at the table."
It was in this spirit of inclusiveness that the first lady passionately, forcefully, and beautifully threw her support behind Hillary Clinton, stating, "Hillary understands that the president is about one thing and one thing only. It's about leaving something better for our kids."
-snip-
Those comments are followed by a full transcript of Michelle Obama's convention speech.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Michelle Obama praises Hillary Clinton at the DNC 2016 (Full speech)
NJ.com, Published on Jul 25, 2016
First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the crowd and delegates during her primetime speech on day one of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
****
SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA'S DNC SPEECH
These comments are from various internet sites. The sites are quoted in no particular order. I've also included definitions/explanations for the vernacular words, phrases, and sayings that are found in these comments. Additions and corrections are welcome
All of these comments are from July 26, 2016.
I've assigned to these comments for referencing purposes only.
From https://twitter.com/hashtag/michelleobama?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag
1. Joy Taylor
".@FLOTUS is just incredible. She is a Queen, an inspiration, such power and grace. Love her. #DemsInPhilly #MichelleObama"
**
2. Fortune FeimsterVerified account (Los Angeles, CA)
"Yes!!! My queen!! #MichelleObama #DNCinPHL"
-snip-
-snip-
A contemporary ("hip") spelling of "yes" is "yass" or "yass".
Here's what "queen" means in these and other comments referring to Michelle Obama:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/queen gives these definitions for "queen":
3
a : a woman eminent in rank, power, or attractions
b : a goddess or a thing personified as female and having supremacy in a specified realm
c : an attractive girl or woman; especially : a beauty contest winner
-snip-
While Michelle Obama currently is the First Lady of the United States, this country isn't a monarchy. The commenters who refer to Michelle Obama as a queen probably are using the meanings given in 3 a, b, and/or c. In addition, many African Americans use the term "queen" as a general referent for any Black woman who isn't rachet. example: (young Black man speaking to a young Black woman he doesn't know) "Hello, queen.".
**
3. Laura
"@SheWhoVotes
#MichelleObama NAILED IT! She is an amazing speaker! Melania's poor imitation just didn't even hold a damn candle."
-snip-
from http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/94841/what-does-nailed-it-mean
[this use of] "nailed it" means you got something exactly right, or did something perfectly. You can think of someone trying to hammer a nail into a board. They hit the nail so perfectly that the nail goes straight into the board very well."...
-snip-
From http://www.dictionary.com/browse/can-t-hold-a-candle-to
"can't hold a candle to definition
An expression describing a person or thing that is distinctly inferior to someone or something else: “Senator Nelson is extremely knowledgeable, but as a speaker, he can't hold a candle to Senator Delano.”"
**
4. Haaretz.comVerified account
"WATCH: Michelle Obama's 'masterful' take down of Trump at the DNC http://dlvr.it/LtRTpr
#DNCinPHL #MichelleObama"
-snip-
"Take down" here means something like "a humiliating defeat". Here's some entries from for "take down" http://www.dictionary.com/browse/takedown
6. Informal. the act of being humbled.; 7.
Wrestling. a move or series of maneuvers that succeeds in bringing a standing opponent down onto the mat.
**
5. MainStreetEnt. @MainStreetEnt20
"MainStreetEnt. Retweeted Alex Lange
#MichelleObama on fire 🔥🔥" [This comment is followed by two pictorials of flames.]
-snip-
"on fire" - A term that people use when someone is doing great and they are unable to be stopped.
Man, that dude is on fire
by lunar shadows September 16, 2004 http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=on%20fire
**
6. Ahmed Shihab-EldinVerified account (Brooklyn, NY)
"I wake up every morning in a house that was built of slaves." #MichelleObama telling it like it is. crying. <3" -snip- "telling in like it is" = telling the unvarnished truth -snip- The word “crying” here probably means "I’m crying (I'm overwhelmed by my emotions because of that speech)." -snip- From http://slangdefinition.com/3-meaning-heart-shape/
"What does <3 mean? = Heart / Love"
**
7. Ahmed Shihab-EldinVerified account (Brooklyn, NY)"The issues are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters." #MichelleObama #RNCinCLE"
-snip-
Michelle Obama's statement that "The issues are not being black and white" may refer to Black people and White and may also refer to issues being either one way or another way. "140 characters" refers to tweeting and is an indirect reference to Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump penchants for regularly using tweeter to make political comments and other comments. Michelle Obama's comment here is an example of what one commenter referred to as "dignified shade" - "throwing shade" = a classy way of criticizing or insulting someone.
****
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michelle-obama-dnc-speech_us_5796c902e4b02d5d5ed2ac9b "Michelle Obama: Who Do You Want As Your Children’s Role Model?
The DNC crowd went wild during the first lady’s blockbuster speech" 07/25/2016 by Kate Sheppard And Laura Barron-Lopez
8. Allen Barrett
"BING!!! that's the sound of one being hit out of the park. That's what a non-plagiarized speech sounds like. Thank you, Michelle Obama!"
**
9. Susan Swann
"FLOTUS hit it out of the park! She's all class, intelligence, and compassion. I'm so going to miss the President and First Lady, history will be kind to this pair. Looking forward to Clinton continuing on with progressive policies!"
-snip-
From http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/hit+one+out+of+the+park
"hit (something) out of the (ball)park
To do or perform something extraordinarily well; to produce or earn an exceptional achievement. An allusion to hitting a home run in baseball that lands outside the stadium."
-snip-
Another commenter just wrote "Bam!!". That's probably another way of referring to Michelle Obama's speech hitting it out the park. Some commenters wrote that Michelle Obama hit a gram slam. Here's what that saying means:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_slam_(baseball)
"In baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners ("bases loaded"), thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play"...
**
10. Jerome Brians
"Stunning speech. When she reminded us that the white house was built by
blacks under forced labor....then provided the picture of her daughters playing
on the white house lawn....that was deep."
-snip-
"Deep" here probably means "very profound". Another African American Vernacular term for (this meaning of) deep is "heavy".
**
11. Rico Dixon
"The Obama's have always been a class act. They have occupied the White House without controversy or shame. Their children have never brought rumors or speculation to the Office of Commander in Chief. Lead by example.... I believe they have."
**
12. Marie Staley Lavender
"As per usual, the First Lady was flawless. If Donald Trump had 1/1,000th the class of Michelle Obama he might - and I stress the word might - be a somewhat tolerable human being. Splendid speech FLOTUS."
**
13. Melody Shaw
"She's all class. She is authentic, no acting there. I have once again, felt such an immense respect for the First Lady. As a woman, mother, and grandmother and a citizen of our country I felt a commonality that I've felt from no other First Lady. There was always this air of elitism, class difference, privilege? Not sure how to define it, but there was a *separateness* from former First Ladies. I never felt they truly understood what it was like for me, an average female living an ordinary existence. I never felt that former First Ladies *GOT* my ordinary concerns. I had feelings at times it was my own personal, monumental struggle raising my daughter and that ALL mothers sort of feel the same way. Problems like how to provide healthcare, food and housing. How to balance helping my daughter grow and still protect her and keep her safe. Or how to bring my daughter up to be fearless and bold, yet still retain poise and dignity. Michelle gets it, she totally gets it. She may not struggle the same way yet she does understand that we all as parents struggle to provide, to be supportive, to raise our kids to be good people. We are living and making history here, and I truly FEEL it thanks to her. Her words uplifted me, touched me deeply. Michelle, she's the real deal."
-snip-
"all class" = totally having class, being classy, being a class act
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classy
classy : adjective
Simple Definition of classy
: having qualities that make someone or something special and attractive
: showing impressive character : very good, kind, etc.
classier, classiest
: having or showing class: as
a : elegant, stylish
b : having or reflecting high standards of personal behavior
c : admirably skillful and graceful
-snip-
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/class%20act
class act
: an example of outstanding quality or prestige
-snip-
"Gets it" = totally understands what another person says or feels or is experiencing
-snip-
From http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/the-real-deal
"the real deal" = informal A person or thing considered to be a genuine or supremely good example of their kind"
**
14. Linda Ayres
"I have mad love for First Lady Obama. she is the epitome class and courage. She is the quintessential role model for the next generation."
-snip-
"Mad love" = lots of love; "Mad" here is an intensifier that probably comes from Jamaican Patois.
**
15. Jacob Harris
"First Lady Michelle Obama was astonishing! Mics all around the country were dropping simulataneously."
-snip-
"Mic drop" - a figurative phrase which means that what was said was so good that nothing else needs to be said, or there can be no effective comeback
**
16. Julie Pearson
"I'm not affiliated with any US political party (I'm not American) but she has a good point. You don't want some thin skinned leader who lashes out without thinking and behaves like a spoiled child."
-snip-
"thin skinned"
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin%E2%80%93skinned
easily bothered by criticism or insults : very sensitive
**
17. Mike Letteriello ·
"Our black and brown peeps started to turn this convention around, and our black woman-in-charge ramped it up into high gear."
-snip-
"peeps" = colloquial clip of the word "people"
In this comment "black" means African Americans and other people with any (Black) African descent.
In the United States "brown people" usually refers to Latinos, and may also refer to other ethnic groups such as Native Americans, South Asians (people from India, Pakistan etc), and people from the Middle East. That said, just as most Black people aren't actually the color "black", many "Brown people" aren't actually the color "brown".
-snip-
"ramped it up" = increased the energy (of the convention)
into high gear = the highest it can go
**
18. Van-Anh Vu ·
"The Republican should thank their lucky stars that FLOTUS indicated she has no intention to run for office. Michelle would crush it!"
-snip-
"thank their lucky stars" = to acknowledge one's good fortune; be grateful: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/thank-one-s-lucky-stars
-snip-
This saying comes from the astrological belief that the stars (planets) contribute to a person having good or bad fortune.
-snip-
"crush it" = here means "to win without any doubt" (This is a very positive connotation.)
In this comment "crush it" is the same as "kill it", "slay it".
****
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tdl5NCJvuY
Michelle Obama's entire Democractic convention speech, CNN Published on Jul 25, 2016
19. JeremyLinte
"Michelle Obama gracefully destroys Trump without stooping to his level or mentioning his name:
"When I think about the kind of president I want for my girls and all our children...I want someone with the proven strength to persevere. Someone who knows this job and takes it seriously. Someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down into 140 characters. Because when you have the nuclear codes at your finger tips, and the military at your command, you can't make snap decisions. You can't have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well-informed." "
-snip-
Read the definition of "thin skin" in comment #16 given above.
**
20. #It's Just Me
"Yass! Girl!! Go!!! Get!!!! It!!!!!"
-snip-
Yass!= Yes!
Go get it" is an exclamation that is encouragement and support for what was said as well as a statement of agreement for what was said. "Go get it!" also means to continue doing what you are doing. "It" means "the prize (what you are trying to) win, the end goal that you are striving for or the successful achievement of what you are talking about.
-snip-
Some other commenters here and elsewhere said "You go girl!". That saying has the same meaning as "Go get it".
**
21. gary fontana
"Trump guy here but WOW!!! She killed it. Was amazing start to finish. Happy for her"
-snip-
"Killed it" here means to do something extraordinarily well. "Slayed" is another way of saying "killed it".
**
22. butterflybloom
"She is a good role model to her children as well as for other women and children. She aint no trophy wife. She will be missed as first lady and I am glad she tried to help other children besides her own as a first lady."
-snip-
"trophy wife"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophy_wife
"Trophy wife is an informal term for a wife, usually young and attractive, who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband, who is often an older and wealthy "sugar daddy". The term trophy husband is the male equivalent.
Referring to a spouse as a trophy wife usually reflects negatively on the character or personality of both parties
-snip-
The term "trophy husband" is rarely used.
**
23. Blue Beetle CA
"smh this is all so wack"
-snip-
"smh" = shake my head (in irritation, exasperation etc)
"Wack" = dumb, silly
**
24. Reply
A1Googler
"+Flish Football lol I know, right?"
-snip-
The word “right” written as a question at the end of a statement may be a shortened form of "Do you agree with me?". However, in my experiences as an African American, the word "right" at the end of a sentence isn't asking a question. Instead, it’s a shortened form of the sentence "I know that’s right" [with "right" meaning "correct"].
**
Reply
25. Flish Football
"hater alert"
-snip-
From http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hater
"a person who thrives on showing hate toward, criticizing, or belittling other people or things, usually unfairly"
-snip-
"hater alert" = a figurative notice/announcement to other people that there is one or more haters in the area.
**
26. Crinkly Cormorant
"Wake up in a house built by slaves...smh...this woman is such a race baiter."
-snip-
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=race%20baiter by default013 September 29, 2009
...One who insinuates that racism or bigotry is a dominant factor with regards to an event that either does not involve race or in which diverse cultures are involved are simply a minor element."...
**
Reply
27. lsbloom
"She was talking about how far we've come. Baiting implies using rhetoric to incite anger--not pride."
**
Reply
28. Terrance Williams
"Not bait , but facts."
**
Reply
29. Sabi
"Why do Republicans try to negate facts and science by blaming political correctness or race baiting?"
**
30. DJ KHALED SQUAD #WeDaBest
"Best first lady ever. She has impacted the lives of many young women who have looked up to her. And all her haters can do is make fun of her looks. Sad"
-snip-
Read the definition for "haters" above.
"Sad" = shortened form of the sentence "That's sad".
**
31. creatorsist
"Such an elegant and intelligence speech from FLOTUS... love trumps hate. Too bad massive haters!"
-snip-
“Massive” here is probably the Jamaican Patois use of the word meaning = too bad there are lots of haters [in this nation or in this world].
**
32. STS ESSENTIALS CHANNEL
"Damn she shaded Trump with that 140 characters jab talking about him tweeting lol!! Get him Michelle, shade that fool Trump!"
-snip-
shaded= threw some shade (insulted)
-snip-
140 character = refers to twitter
-snip-
jab = pointed, piercing comment
****
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyEeMkl_sHw [Video that is embedded above]
33. Tony Ramos5
"You gotta hand it to Bernie for taking the high road. He could have made things very, very messy."
-snip-
From http://www.yourdictionary.com/high-road
"The definition of high road is the morally proper choice.
An example of taking the high road is when someone calls you a name and you just turn and walk away instead of getting into an argument."
**
34. NoRegretsForOurYouth
"Trump just got owned"
-snip-
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Owned
"Owned
v. owned, 0wned, pwned, 0wn3d, pwn3d, own3d.
v. tr.
To be made a fool of; To make a fool of; To confound or prove wrong; embarrasing someone: Being embarrased.
I owned you in counter-strike. You were owned at the party yesterday."
by Quick Reply September 20, 2003
-snip-
Read the difference between "got owned" and "owned" as used in the comment given as #36.
****
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michelle-obama-speech-reaction_us_5796dff1e4b0d3568f8457b3?section=
35. Michael Ian Black ✔ @michaelianblack
"Michelle just Beyonceed that joint."
10:24 PM - 25 Jul 2016
-snip-
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=beyonce-d
"Beyonce'd
Singing the sh&t* out of a song.
Related: see Celine'd
Damn, she Beyonce'd that song
#sing #beyonce #singing #riffing #vocals:
by Turd E. Fergusson June 22, 2011
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this definition.
-snip-
Other definitions of "beyonc'd" are quite negative.
-snip-
"that joint" = that place (meaning that convention.)
**
36. "Ben Domenech ✔ @bdomenech
Michelle Obama owned tonight. An incredible speech."
11:12 PM - 25 Jul 2016
-snip-
"Owned" here means that the night belonged to her. (Her speech was the best. She won that night.)
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five (example & comments)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases the Hip Hop record "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and provides selected comments from the viewer comment thread of the video showcased below.
The Addendum to this post provides additional selected comments from a sound file of that same record.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five for their musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the producers of this video and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Grandmaster Flash: The Message
Here's an excerpt from the summary of another YouTube video of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrsPhMGN1f4&ab_channel=reelblack
reelblack, June 3, 2020
"Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. The group's members were Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, The Kidd Creole (not to be confused with Kid Creole and Coconuts frontman Kid Creole), Keith Cowboy, Mr. Ness/Scorpio and Rahiem. The group's use of turntablism, break-beat DJing, and conscious lyricism were significant in the early development of hip hop music.
This post showcases the Hip Hop record "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and provides selected comments from the viewer comment thread of the video showcased below.
The Addendum to this post provides additional selected comments from a sound file of that same record.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five for their musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the producers of this video and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Grandmaster Flash: The Message
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-ao9vCz_sg&ab_channel=SuperFlyTV
Super Fly TV, Oct 31, 2013
"The Message" is a song by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. It was released as a single by Sugar Hill Records on July 1, 1982 and was later featured on the group's first studio album, The Message. "The Message" was the first prominent hip hop song to provide a lyrical social commentary. It took rap music from the house parties to the social platforms later developed by groups like Public Enemy, N.W.A., and Rage Against The Machine.
Here's an excerpt from the summary of another YouTube video of this song:
Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - The Message (1982)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrsPhMGN1f4&ab_channel=reelblackreelblack, June 3, 2020
"Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. The group's members were Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, The Kidd Creole (not to be confused with Kid Creole and Coconuts frontman Kid Creole), Keith Cowboy, Mr. Ness/Scorpio and Rahiem. The group's use of turntablism, break-beat DJing, and conscious lyricism were significant in the early development of hip hop music.
In the late 1970s, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five built their reputation and achieved local success by performing at parties and live shows. By 1980, the group had signed with Sugar Hill Records. Under Sugar Hill Records, the group rose to prominence in the early 1980s with their first hit "Freedom". It was not until the release of the song "The Message" in 1982 and the album of the same name that they achieved mainstream success. The song provided a political and social commentary and went on to become a driving force behind conscious hip-hop....
-snip-
Click https://play.google.com/music/preview/Tjgobkoywsy5saj4ibgkfixr3ba?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics&u=0# for the full lyrics to this record.
****
SELECTED COMMENTS
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4o8TeqKhgY
These comments are a sample of those found in that YouTube video's viewer comment thread.
[This video is no longer available. I replaced it by the embedded video given above on September 24, 2020.].
As a community folklorist, I believe that some comments on YouTube videos viewer comment threads are of folkloric (historical, cultural) value in and of themselves in that they document commenters' perspectives, values, and viewpoints.
I'm aware that other people quoting comments from that discussion thread would likely select some other examples as representative of those found in that thread. I didn't select any comment that included anything other than mild profanity. I also didn't select any examples that contained what I considered to be racist and/or homophobic language. In selecting these comments, I was particularly interested in reminiscences from the 1980s.
These comments are presented in chronological order with the oldest dated comments given first (with the exceptions of replies). These comments aren't necessarily in consecutive order, in part because I grouped comments together which were posted in the same year and have the same or similar theme/s.
I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only. I've also included my explanations of certain words or phrases for some of these comments and I posted a comment in response to a question about a slang word.
From (16,694) comments as of 8:00 AM, Feb. 22, 2015
2012
1. Casparus Kruger
"This was the first band I heard doing serious rap. I was about 30 years old at the time. What I found odd was that just a few years later whenever I mentioned 'Grandmaster Flash' to a younger person who talked about rap music--they never knew who they were. Even in that short time, this market suffered from severe saturation and pretty well since then the fame of any particular artist was even shorter-lived than pop bands in previous years."
**
2. Eric Romero
"There are two types of rap nowadays: mainstream and underground. What's the difference? Mainstream rappers are at the mercy of the corporate boardroom members, and you have little to no say in your creativity: you do what they say, or they drop you. Underground rap: you have no one to answer to, and you can be creative with your music. Grandmaster Flash represents a time where rappers could be free in how they speak, things they say, etc...that's the core of hip-hop."
**
3. ceops68
"Imo this was the ONE making hiphop a world culture! Oldschool pimps still imba Love, peace and unity from Denmark"
**
4. Jari Schroderus
"I'm born in 1973, I remember typing "rap music" on a typewriter. Did not do me any good ;-) But this track is still excellent! I remember hearing Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" for the first time on radio around '79-'80 for the first time. The track that (probably) started it all. The only remarkable thing about this is that our family was living in Sweden then (we are from Finland), and I heard it on the radio. Back then the swedes seemed to have a grasp of what's hot for years"
**
5. Julio Cortes
"the ending part is sad"
**
6. VintageSoundsNumber1
reply to Julio Cortes
"It is sad...and it was the sad reality of being a Black guy in inner cities - New-York or elsewhere; thug or not thug- just because of hangin' around in the street doing nothing made you suspect for a white cop...even Black guys in the police were "racist" against their brothers, in a ceratin way...And all of that had changed but a little nowadays...
**
7. differentandalike
"Wow, I remember listening to this everyday when the song was on the radio. It was the biggest rap song of that year. Lot of good memories."
**
8. yazzufrendo
"...back to the roots....that was the time of 'beat street' and street dance...the where you was going in the pharmacy to get white gloves...going to the supermarkt and asking for paperboxes so we could practice at home an the carpet....nice memories"
-snip-
This comment refers to breakdancing.
**
9. carbon273
"without my dad i wouldve never gotten my ear out of mainstream radio shitty "hip hop", he was the one who introduced me to 80's and 90's rap (im 16 btw) and told me his teenage stories about how rap music was fun where everyone in the hood held up a big ass radio blastin them tunes, grafitti was all over even on trains, freestyle battles (dancing) in every corner and how hype to whole era of hip hop was...i wish i was born earlier :("
**
10. EnglishLeprachaun981
in reply to carbon273
"'even on trains'? Graffiti on trains is really common? I'd know- I'm a leprachaun."
**
11. carbon273
in reply to EnglishLeprachaun981
"no not really i live in brooklyn and there isnt any grafitti on trains as for ten to 20 yrs ago there was grafitti all over...i remember my dad saying that when you grafitti your name on a train you could witness your name go all around the city"
**
12. tswagg504
"Does the Bronx still look like this?"
**
13. fog dust
"nyc was a jungle back then now its ugh gentrified up"
**
14. Rudhra Bala
"back when mtv actually showed music..."
**
15. Christina Funderbur
"Ah yes. The origin of skinny jeans in Hip Hop! Finally, a link! lol"
-snip-
Read other comments below about the clothes worn by the men in the video.
****
2013
16. Ezekiel Hobbs
"Who hits the second verse?"
**
17. Afroqbno Acere
in reply to Ezekiel Hobbs
"lol That's a good question bcuz in the video Rahiem is lip-syncing Duke Bootee's verses. Duke Bootee Fletcher is the original author of the song; when the late Sylvia Robinson acquired it & presented it to the Furious Five they initially told her they wasn't interested in a song that was socially conscience bcuz their fan base were accustomed to hearing party anthems. I guess after some coercion on Sylvia's part Melle Mel decided to give in, but for the record this is not a Furious Five song."
**
18. annlucienq
"Sad how little life has changed for so many. This is one of the greatest raps ever."
**
19. The Bigfoot Canvas
"The first official song about the hood, noone from the hood took Rappers Delight seriously."
**
20. uptown POPPY
"i remember tagging on the 2 train with my lee suit and cazals ..a young child running wild damn what happened to hip hop ..what happend to new york????"
**
31. DJjakedrake
in reply to Jeroen Tel
"are you kidding me. nyc is way better now than the early eighties where entire blocks of building were burned down."
**
22. Mike Bennet
"People born after 1980 don't appreciate how much with the times this song was. They don't remember what sections of NYC, Philly, and Baltimore looked like back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Manhattan was full of garbage strewn lots and buildings with broken window. The subways smelled like piss and shit and were full of graphitti and riding them after rush hour was taking your life in your hands. People were desperate and times were bad. Much worse than this recession we are in now."
**
23. Anglynn74
"for those of us who remember inner city urban blight in the early 80s this video should bring back some memories. NYC has gotten much better since then."
**
24. D Ross1
"I remember glass everywhere , I forgot in the 70's plastic hadn,t yet replaced glass so most all containers where glass or aluminum , needless to say there was a lot more broken glass on side walks and parking lots then you see today"
-snip-
This commenter may have meant "in the 1980s" as that was when this rap and video was produced.
**
25. DJjakedrake
"are you kidding me. nyc is way better now than the early eighties where entire blocks of building were burned down."
**
26. daGod Emcee
"This video took place in my hood .grand master flash use to live across the street from me befor when they neva was stars they use to chill in my grand mom house to eat food ,the hood is clean now ,back then in the Bronx it was ruff ,but I miss this day man!!"
-snip-
"used to chill" = spend some time relaxing
**
27. Rob George
"off to get me lino and ghetto blaster see if i still got the moves ......get a doctor on stand by its been a while!"
-snip-
"ghetto blaster" = "boom box" = a large casette player/radio with a handle
****
2014
28. Brendon Cariah
"Duke Bootee should get all the credit for this song he wrote it, he also is the guy who did the second verse , I always thought his flow was so cool and laid back! "my brothers doing bad, stole my mothers tV says shes watching too much, its just not healthy…"
**
29. funkydopebeats
"yep , he's the second Rapper at 0:24 and 2:00
AND he made the whole Beat with Doug Wimbish !
The should rename it to : Duke Bootee & Grandmaster Melle Mel - The Message
Flash can't complain about it , he had nothing zero to do with this Record
He has his own Classic , Adventures of Wheels of Steel"
**
30. brendonkas
"Classic, Grand Master Flash did not lifet a needle to this song his name was used because he was a popular dj, nor did Melle Mel, the man responsible for this Infamous Classic, is Duke Bootee the guy who rapped the second verse!"
**
31. Jacob Lee
"we didn’t actually want to do the message because we was used to doing party raps and boasting how good we are and all that"
-snip-
This quote is attributed to Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five.
**
32. STEPASAUR
"Funny thing is a lot of you bemoaning the state of commercial rap now compared to this song, this song was created 'to be' commercial, Flash wanted nothing to do with it because of that, even the lyrics weren't written by Raheim or Mel, apart from Mel's 'a child is born' verse the majority of the songs lyrics were written by Duke Bootee, a 'cash-in' but none-the-less a game changer"
**
33. Brian Minnesota
"this is when RAP was just starting to become more than just a MC and DJ in chi-town or new york house parties. these early pioneers of rap they didnt have record deals, they sold tape out the trunk of their car and at house parties..anyone who is anyone in the rap game owes alot to grandmaster, eric-b, rakim, sugarhill, L.L. cool J and a huge prop to Don Cornelius ( soul train!) 80's rap the best
-snip-
Chi-town = Chicago
**
34. 7xhunterx
"you forgot krs one,kool g rap,big daddy kane,african bambaataa,grandmaster caz,dj polo,grandstarr"
**
35. Keith Witcher
"Very good classic song. They gave a very good description of what happens in black neighborhoods without cursing. I like Melle Mel's lyrics when he said a child is born with no state of mind, blind to the ways of mankind. God is smiling on you but he's frowning too because only God knows what you'll go through. I like when one of the rappers said because it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny. You gotta have a con in this land of milk and honey. Props to Puff Daddy and Mase for sampling this on Can't Nobody Hold Me Down and props to Ice Cube for sampling it also on Check Yo Self remix. I like The Message album cover. Nice picture."
**
36. Tone Geerkins
"First time I heard this, was an American Soldier "reciting" it as he walked along in front of me, while on exercise in Fiji in the early '80s. as a kiwi I had never heard anything like it...I was hooked!"
-snip-
"Kiwi" = a person from New Zealand
**
37. s99bf0c8
"The verse from 3:44 to 4:44 is unbelievably profound. It's like a concise explanation for why crime, violence and poverty are so perpetuated. The losers of this system are ignored and forgotten, in prison, or dead. The winners simply inspire the kids to follow them down the dark road. It sums up so much in 60 seconds that would years later take a hours of a TV show like The Wire to sum up. Genius."
**
38. aniou ken
"The first rappers had a message POSITIVE despite the violent and difficult a minority context. Today, to my dismay 85% of speech conveyed in the report encourages young people to the surface, delinquency, mediocrity and negativity. Here in France, as elsewhere, a handful of rapper give a conscious message constructive, a rich text, which tends to get you out of shit rather than put you."
**
39. kerndaddy187
"I feel it is my duty as a human being to point out, that the guy in the white pants, by the telephone pole, from the 3:45 to the 4:45 points in this video, strikes the coolest poses in the history of the human race. Madonna talking about strike a pose? she bit off this dudes style! you think I'm lying? watch and learn young grasshopper."
-snip-
"bit off this dude's style" = copied it [stole from it]
"watch and learn young grasshopper" is lifted from the American television series "Kung Fu".
**
40. Jenice Star
"This beat has been sampled so many times lol."
**
41. Joey Fnuts
"When I was like 14 I watched BET every night and my dad would shake his head and make fun of the rap music videos and mimic and mock the rappers. But one day this video came on and he said this is actually good, this guy is talking the real deal."
**
42. Ammar Z
"The last verse is the greatest verse in the history of Rap only second to NY State Of Mind by Nas - Illmatic "
**
43. Joe F
"One of the most IMPORTANT songs in the history of rap!!!!!!"
**
44. oskoolfool12
"FOR THE LONGEST TIME WHEN YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SUGERHILL RECORDS, YOU THOUGHT OF THE FUN RAPPIN SUGARHILL GANG.BUT AS OF JULY 1ST 1982 GRANDMASTER FLASH AND THE FURIOUS FIVE WOULD CHANGE THE RAP GAME WITH THE MONSTER HIT ' THE MESSAGE ' THESE FELLAS FROM THE SOUTH BRONX N.Y. PUT SOME OF THE GREATEST ICONIC LYRICS THAT STILL HOLD UP TODAY. ITS HARD NOT TO SING WITH THOSE INFAMOUS WORDS THAT SAY ( DONT PUSH ME CAUSE IM CLOSE TO THE EDGE....) YOU KNOW THE REST SPIT IT OUT.....PEACE"
-snip-
"spit it out" = say the rap
**
45. eman126100
"I am white guy and I can relate to this guy's life"
**
Reply
46. 13dirty666
"doesn't really matter what colour you are, it's a brilliantly written song which many can relate to in a way"
**
47. Andrew Wilkins
"i was born in the Bronx this is where i'm from. the graffiti the hip hop the crime the crackheads everyday thing in New York. "
**
48. Nathalie Landree
"Back in the days when New York City was New York City, not some generic gentrified city overrun with Starbucks and Chipotle.
-snip-
[This was] "back in the day when etc..."
**
49. Kevin Dorival
"Music with a message is the true #essence of #hiphop. This song is the epitome of conscious rap. Ladies and gentlemen, we must preserve it or lose it forever."
**
50. PaulANUBIS
"Oh my God this tune along with many others from that era (Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, and the like) lit up a white kids life in the cold cloudy Northwest UK"
**
51. playingmusiconmars
"I listened to this song the first time when it was about 20 years old - now 32 years have passed and the song still strikes as it does back when I heard it first. I bet it's the same with people that were around all the way back then. This is not oldschool music - it's timeless music."
**
52. TheMaddest Max1
"I was 15 when I first heard this on the radio, (John Peel BBCr1 RIP) I jumped so fast to grab and press my cassette recorder against the radio (look it up kids) I stubbed my toe so bad I was hopping and hopping in time with the sweet music (eventually my toenail fell off). The point is. This tune's lyrics are inspirational, I'm fairly sure it was listenening to this over and over that prevented me from choosing prison as an option in the first place."
**
53. Pokemonmaster150b
"I know that this track is about poverty in New York, but a lot of it can be applied to the experiences of the less fortunate here in the Philippines.
Just listening to this track reminds me of the outreach programs I volunteered for back in High School."
**
54. James Batchelor
"For 1982 would you say this song sounds more 70's or 80's? Because music in the early 80's still had a strong 70's disco sound to it, but this seems to have a mixture of both."
**
55. Burhan the Somali
"There are still rappers like this guy. They are just not mainstream and are unknown"
**
56. salladloot
"He says "fag" 2 or 3 times. Didn't get any flack for it back then. People are too gay today"
-snip-
My reading of this comment is that in salladloot's opinion, people nowadays are too concerned about offending gay people today. [as if that was something bad i.e. not good]
**
57. theresa campbell
"love this remember skating & dancing to this song "
-snip-
Skating = roller skating in community skating rinks to R&B (Disco) and Hip Hop music.
**
58. ahmed rashid
"Definately a club banger back in the day"
-snip-
“club banger” = a record that was played a lot in nightclubs
**
59. PHILLIP TAYLOR
"SKATING RINK MUSIC"
**
60. Kaleb Hargraves
"This song was on the scarface game! Played so much"
**
61. kickodude
"Is that an MTV Logo in the corner? So this is when MTV actually showed music? Hmmm"
**
62. CaptainEo777AE
"Seriously! They should take away the M in MTV... That channel does not represent what it was originally made for."
**
63. hddr3
in reply to CaptainEo777AE
"The channel now is more like E!.... seems stupid how there is M in MTV yet they haven't played any music for a long time, almost close to 10 years I don't recall music being played there."
**
64. Angry Bells
"This never gets old for me. But imagine wearing that outfit today?"
**
65. Raoul Duke
in reply to Angry Bells
"it will be back in style again like everything else"
**
66. youeatshowieategg
"Somewhat ironic, given how he looks in those boots and that leather cap."
**
67. Fotographic Cinema
in reply to youeatshowieategg
"That was Style Back Then. Unlike Now. No one knows how to Dress"
**
68. Ryan Alex
"What did he say at 1:39? Was he trying to say social security?"
**
Reply
69. TheImmortal00FTW
"He said:
She went to the city and got so so seditty"
**
Reply
70. Will McCollum
"Seditty= another word for "sophisticated""
**
Reply
71. Azizi Powell
"+Will McCollum, "snobish" is a better definition for "seditty" in that it means that a person described that way is acting like she or he is better than other people. "Seditty" is a negative characteristic, while "sophisticated" is positive.
I think "seditty" came from the word "society" or maybe it came from the word "city". Another African American Vernacular English word with the same meaning as "seditty" is "snotty". I'm not sure where "snotty" came from, but I image that it might have come from the phrase "having your nose in the air"."
**
72. djseriousbizness
"@Ryan Kelly he is saying So So Sadiddy. She went to the city and got so so sadiddy / she had to get a pimp she couldnt make it on her own. FYI sadiddy means to act stuck up."
**
73. mikeweirdd
"Big hit in the Netherlands back then. Knew all the lyrics by heart!"
**
74. Kurz Braten
"Gosh, 2014, i'm from Turkey and this could be a portrait of my country.. exept this is US history and BLACK History... Only god knows what you've gone through. going through. we only see the top of the ice berg that media allows us to have a glimpse on..."
**
75. Semolina Pilchard
"Yep, I watched this great song more than 30 years ago on a Dutch tv-show called TopPop. Weekly 'new' clips, woohoo. Now as kid I didn't understand a thing about what they are singing, but I liked the beat and the synthesizer. At that time I found the artists frightening, with their leather outfits, but erm...nowadays they look kinda gay. Talikng bout a shift in style."
-snip-
Read the comments posted above about the clothing fashions in this video. Note that this record includes the word "fag", a word that is generally considered to be offensive in the United States nowadays. Also, the statement that someone "looks kinda gay" is also usually considered to be offensive.
**
76. Percival Brightbottom
"I had the original 12" vinyl of this when it came out in 1982. And I am white. And lived in the south. Best song of the time. Still holds true. Saw them live a year later."
****
2015
77. Brendon Cariah
"A copy of this record is displayed at the Smithsonian!!! SIR DUKE BOOTEE!!!!"
**
78. Rekt Wizard
"This song Was Rap. Before this it was just herd at house./Block Party's. Grand master flash and the furious were the first rap group. They Created The game. Comment if im Wrong. But All the Greats the joined the game. Tupac,Biggie,Eminem,Dr Dre, Easy E , and so on wouldn't be here it wasent for this song. 100% Respect To this song and the band for starting the Game"
**
79. Reggae4lifee
"Sugarhill gang already in '79 and afrika bambaataa in '81.
also, this wasnt the first song of grandmaster flash & the furious five, they were active in '79 too, with 'superrappin'
**
80. David Borgos
"Rapper's Delight was the first hip hop song. This was the first rap record to have a socially conscious theme."
**
81. Larzuk V
"don't understand why the police took them"
**
Reply
82. Jezz Jeremey
"That's the point, It's showing the abuse black people got (still get in some places) in the US. how they were unfairly arrested for merely being in a group and being black."
**
83. DETbarbers
"The symbolizm is amazing and still true to this day. The end with them being hauled off by the police and with everything going on today just goes to show that things are still the same. Sad"
**
84. Alasdair Hewitson
"It's good to hear a rap song which every second word isn't swearing"
**
85. Konstantinos Filopoulos
"those guys turned disco to hip hop... legends"
**
86. Harley Hatcher
"3:45 ...lyrics too good, not only for the actual content but the rhyme structure too was ahead of it's time. then again that goes for this whole song, definitely a milestone in the history of poetry / rap / that thug life lol"
**
87. BballNintendo
"anyone who wants good music doesnt even care about the lyrics. they just want something they can jam to and that's what MUSIC is all about. rap should be considered an art of its own and not music if people are going to over analyze all the lyrics (emphasizing stuff like wordplay, rhyme scheme, subject matter etc). it's more stressful than it needs to be. but that's how they compare rap artists, instead of comparing of enjoyable/pleasing to the ear the music is. the beats and melodies are what make songs. if all you can do is rap you can't call yourself a musician."
**
88. dreadtodred
"COOL song.One of the best rap songs back im my days.Melle Mel was dropping pure science on this tune.Social Commentary at its best.I remember nyc back in the days.The Bronx,Brooklyn,uptown manhattan,and south jamaice were tore up.There was a lot going in this city.These cats were telling like they seen it,I can relate,Ive seen it"
-snip-
"cool" here means very hip; "dropping pure science" = means sharing wisdom; telling the truth; "tore up" = messed up
**
89. BIONIK DIKK
"This is in the Book of Genesis,in the Hip Hop Bible."
-snip-
Genesis is the first book in the Christian Bible.
**
90. misty peek
"I was playing this and my dad just came n doing dance moves and shit. Did not say one word the whole time and just danced out lmao"
****
ADDENDUM
Selected comments from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYMkEMCHtJ4
[The editorial notes prefacing the comments above also apply to these comments.]
All comments (1,315) 8 AM, February 22, 2015
2014
1. Ben Folsom
"Moving on from Rapture, we have the first rap anthem, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's The Message, from 1982. I was living in Italy at the time this song came out, and while most elements of US pop culture took some time to come across the Pond, this song was playing on Walkmans everywhere immediately, it was a huge hit.
This song is notable for its attention to social issues, as previous early hip-hop and rap was mainly about parties and shit and being a badass."
**
2. Ernie Griff
"was The Sugar Hill Gang - Rapper's Delight a hit in your area ?"
**
Reply
3. Ben Folsom
"That was a little before my time, it is definitely a memorable tune, but did not take over the school bus the way The Message did."
**
4. Aquari Warden
"If I had to pick ONE song to explain, solidify, Represent RAP ; it would be the "The Message" If I had to pick ONE VERSE ; it would be " A Child is born with one state of mind.... Truly the deepest poetry ; Second to NONE ! "
**
5. jbscornerstore
"Song changed my life, heard it for the first time when I was about 10 years old on Yo MTV raps...several years later I started writing my own raps, then started B-boying and doing Graff in my early teens, my life has been dedicated to this culture since I can remember! Thank you Flash, Melle Mel, Kidd Creole, Cowboy (RIP), Scorpio, and Rahiem..."
-snip-
b-boy (b-boying) = breakdance boy (also b-girl)
**
6. logicaust
"Still probably top 5 all time everything, for me. The insight, the freshness, the beat, the foresight, the...everything. 1982. Absolute anthem. This is real rap, for me."
**
7. TheSilentSniper
"The brotha beside Melle Mel at 3:50 with his arms folded must be the coolest video bomber of all time. Always standing in a mean b-boy stance and goes with the flow of the beat. Respect."
**
8. Jamil Mukhtar
"Even with their tight leather jackets and jeans, a style the many people today would laugh at and insult, they still spit harder, more real and flow better than most of these rappers. True Rap classsic and great message"
**
9. 1119nj10
"The video is like a time capsule because it shows younger people how NY looked before it was cleaned up in the 1990's. "
**
10. Ellis Cain
"Where was the video shot? Anybody know?"
**
11. dubreil07
Harlem but this is not the Harlem of today. This is when Harlem looked worse than a third world country and was called zombie land.
**
Reply
12. trkk01
"+dubreil07 please gentrification is in full effect. they used to be a lot of mom & pop stores there nothing with changes but harlem lost a lot of soul. "
**
13. Mynamenotimportant
"No Wi-Fi, no cell phones, no laptops, no Starbucks coffee....., must of been a barbaric period...."
**
Reply
14. Jenny Ji
"it was like a jungle sometimes."
**
Reply
15. Max Worthy
"m akes me wonder."
**
Reply
16. IHavenoIDEA814
"How you keep from going under?"
**
17. Reply
bul1881
"Please stop."
**
Reply
18. Badd Lands
"This is when you had no cell phones, and that girl you like either you used a pay phone, or waited for one of your brothers or sisters to get off the house phone with the 100ft cord. And when pagers came out, it was golden!!!.....lofl."
**
19. logicone
"Yeah.. None of that stuff but everything is still the same.."
****
2015
20. Marc-Antonivs Gvzman
"Melly Mel's verse is probably one of the most important verses that explained hip-hop and the way things were in the places the originators of hip-hop were from.
Greatest Rap Song Ever. Urban poetry at its best. Poetry classes in high school and college should use the lyrics to this song to teach and inspire the next generation of poets."
**
21. Jean Gregorio
"En 1982, les radios libres émmettaient enfin de la musique différente de celle des radios nationales, c´est comme cela que les jeunes gens de ma génération ont fait la connaissance avec le mouvement Rap, le mouvement punk et toute une pléïade de courants musicaux jusqu´alors inconnus du grand public en France.
The message est une de ces chansons qui a gravé ma mémoire pour toujours et qui parle du respect que l´on doit á toute personne, quel que soit sa condition...
Aujourd´hui encore je fredonne cet air pendant mes tournées pour me donner du courage à la besogne... Bonne soirée à tous
-snip-
[English translation of French]
In 1982, free radio finally émmettaient different music from that of national radio, that's how the young people of my generation have met with the Rap movement, the punk movement and a whole galaxy of musical currents up 'alors unknown to the general public in France.
The message is one of those songs that has seared my memory forever and that speaks of the respect that must á anyone, whatever his condition ...
Today I hum this tune during my tours to give me courage to the task ... Good evening everyone ^^
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Click https://play.google.com/music/preview/Tjgobkoywsy5saj4ibgkfixr3ba?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics&u=0# for the full lyrics to this record.
****
SELECTED COMMENTS
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4o8TeqKhgY
These comments are a sample of those found in that YouTube video's viewer comment thread.
[This video is no longer available. I replaced it by the embedded video given above on September 24, 2020.].
As a community folklorist, I believe that some comments on YouTube videos viewer comment threads are of folkloric (historical, cultural) value in and of themselves in that they document commenters' perspectives, values, and viewpoints.
I'm aware that other people quoting comments from that discussion thread would likely select some other examples as representative of those found in that thread. I didn't select any comment that included anything other than mild profanity. I also didn't select any examples that contained what I considered to be racist and/or homophobic language. In selecting these comments, I was particularly interested in reminiscences from the 1980s.
These comments are presented in chronological order with the oldest dated comments given first (with the exceptions of replies). These comments aren't necessarily in consecutive order, in part because I grouped comments together which were posted in the same year and have the same or similar theme/s.
I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only. I've also included my explanations of certain words or phrases for some of these comments and I posted a comment in response to a question about a slang word.
From (16,694) comments as of 8:00 AM, Feb. 22, 2015
2012
1. Casparus Kruger
"This was the first band I heard doing serious rap. I was about 30 years old at the time. What I found odd was that just a few years later whenever I mentioned 'Grandmaster Flash' to a younger person who talked about rap music--they never knew who they were. Even in that short time, this market suffered from severe saturation and pretty well since then the fame of any particular artist was even shorter-lived than pop bands in previous years."
**
2. Eric Romero
"There are two types of rap nowadays: mainstream and underground. What's the difference? Mainstream rappers are at the mercy of the corporate boardroom members, and you have little to no say in your creativity: you do what they say, or they drop you. Underground rap: you have no one to answer to, and you can be creative with your music. Grandmaster Flash represents a time where rappers could be free in how they speak, things they say, etc...that's the core of hip-hop."
**
3. ceops68
"Imo this was the ONE making hiphop a world culture! Oldschool pimps still imba Love, peace and unity from Denmark"
**
4. Jari Schroderus
"I'm born in 1973, I remember typing "rap music" on a typewriter. Did not do me any good ;-) But this track is still excellent! I remember hearing Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" for the first time on radio around '79-'80 for the first time. The track that (probably) started it all. The only remarkable thing about this is that our family was living in Sweden then (we are from Finland), and I heard it on the radio. Back then the swedes seemed to have a grasp of what's hot for years"
**
5. Julio Cortes
"the ending part is sad"
**
6. VintageSoundsNumber1
reply to Julio Cortes
"It is sad...and it was the sad reality of being a Black guy in inner cities - New-York or elsewhere; thug or not thug- just because of hangin' around in the street doing nothing made you suspect for a white cop...even Black guys in the police were "racist" against their brothers, in a ceratin way...And all of that had changed but a little nowadays...
**
7. differentandalike
"Wow, I remember listening to this everyday when the song was on the radio. It was the biggest rap song of that year. Lot of good memories."
**
8. yazzufrendo
"...back to the roots....that was the time of 'beat street' and street dance...the where you was going in the pharmacy to get white gloves...going to the supermarkt and asking for paperboxes so we could practice at home an the carpet....nice memories"
-snip-
This comment refers to breakdancing.
**
9. carbon273
"without my dad i wouldve never gotten my ear out of mainstream radio shitty "hip hop", he was the one who introduced me to 80's and 90's rap (im 16 btw) and told me his teenage stories about how rap music was fun where everyone in the hood held up a big ass radio blastin them tunes, grafitti was all over even on trains, freestyle battles (dancing) in every corner and how hype to whole era of hip hop was...i wish i was born earlier :("
**
10. EnglishLeprachaun981
in reply to carbon273
"'even on trains'? Graffiti on trains is really common? I'd know- I'm a leprachaun."
**
11. carbon273
in reply to EnglishLeprachaun981
"no not really i live in brooklyn and there isnt any grafitti on trains as for ten to 20 yrs ago there was grafitti all over...i remember my dad saying that when you grafitti your name on a train you could witness your name go all around the city"
**
12. tswagg504
"Does the Bronx still look like this?"
**
13. fog dust
"nyc was a jungle back then now its ugh gentrified up"
**
14. Rudhra Bala
"back when mtv actually showed music..."
**
15. Christina Funderbur
"Ah yes. The origin of skinny jeans in Hip Hop! Finally, a link! lol"
-snip-
Read other comments below about the clothes worn by the men in the video.
****
2013
16. Ezekiel Hobbs
"Who hits the second verse?"
**
17. Afroqbno Acere
in reply to Ezekiel Hobbs
"lol That's a good question bcuz in the video Rahiem is lip-syncing Duke Bootee's verses. Duke Bootee Fletcher is the original author of the song; when the late Sylvia Robinson acquired it & presented it to the Furious Five they initially told her they wasn't interested in a song that was socially conscience bcuz their fan base were accustomed to hearing party anthems. I guess after some coercion on Sylvia's part Melle Mel decided to give in, but for the record this is not a Furious Five song."
**
18. annlucienq
"Sad how little life has changed for so many. This is one of the greatest raps ever."
**
19. The Bigfoot Canvas
"The first official song about the hood, noone from the hood took Rappers Delight seriously."
**
20. uptown POPPY
"i remember tagging on the 2 train with my lee suit and cazals ..a young child running wild damn what happened to hip hop ..what happend to new york????"
**
31. DJjakedrake
in reply to Jeroen Tel
"are you kidding me. nyc is way better now than the early eighties where entire blocks of building were burned down."
**
22. Mike Bennet
"People born after 1980 don't appreciate how much with the times this song was. They don't remember what sections of NYC, Philly, and Baltimore looked like back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Manhattan was full of garbage strewn lots and buildings with broken window. The subways smelled like piss and shit and were full of graphitti and riding them after rush hour was taking your life in your hands. People were desperate and times were bad. Much worse than this recession we are in now."
**
23. Anglynn74
"for those of us who remember inner city urban blight in the early 80s this video should bring back some memories. NYC has gotten much better since then."
**
24. D Ross1
"I remember glass everywhere , I forgot in the 70's plastic hadn,t yet replaced glass so most all containers where glass or aluminum , needless to say there was a lot more broken glass on side walks and parking lots then you see today"
-snip-
This commenter may have meant "in the 1980s" as that was when this rap and video was produced.
**
25. DJjakedrake
"are you kidding me. nyc is way better now than the early eighties where entire blocks of building were burned down."
**
26. daGod Emcee
"This video took place in my hood .grand master flash use to live across the street from me befor when they neva was stars they use to chill in my grand mom house to eat food ,the hood is clean now ,back then in the Bronx it was ruff ,but I miss this day man!!"
-snip-
"used to chill" = spend some time relaxing
**
27. Rob George
"off to get me lino and ghetto blaster see if i still got the moves ......get a doctor on stand by its been a while!"
-snip-
"ghetto blaster" = "boom box" = a large casette player/radio with a handle
****
2014
28. Brendon Cariah
"Duke Bootee should get all the credit for this song he wrote it, he also is the guy who did the second verse , I always thought his flow was so cool and laid back! "my brothers doing bad, stole my mothers tV says shes watching too much, its just not healthy…"
**
29. funkydopebeats
"yep , he's the second Rapper at 0:24 and 2:00
AND he made the whole Beat with Doug Wimbish !
The should rename it to : Duke Bootee & Grandmaster Melle Mel - The Message
Flash can't complain about it , he had nothing zero to do with this Record
He has his own Classic , Adventures of Wheels of Steel"
**
30. brendonkas
"Classic, Grand Master Flash did not lifet a needle to this song his name was used because he was a popular dj, nor did Melle Mel, the man responsible for this Infamous Classic, is Duke Bootee the guy who rapped the second verse!"
**
31. Jacob Lee
"we didn’t actually want to do the message because we was used to doing party raps and boasting how good we are and all that"
-snip-
This quote is attributed to Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five.
**
32. STEPASAUR
"Funny thing is a lot of you bemoaning the state of commercial rap now compared to this song, this song was created 'to be' commercial, Flash wanted nothing to do with it because of that, even the lyrics weren't written by Raheim or Mel, apart from Mel's 'a child is born' verse the majority of the songs lyrics were written by Duke Bootee, a 'cash-in' but none-the-less a game changer"
**
33. Brian Minnesota
"this is when RAP was just starting to become more than just a MC and DJ in chi-town or new york house parties. these early pioneers of rap they didnt have record deals, they sold tape out the trunk of their car and at house parties..anyone who is anyone in the rap game owes alot to grandmaster, eric-b, rakim, sugarhill, L.L. cool J and a huge prop to Don Cornelius ( soul train!) 80's rap the best
-snip-
Chi-town = Chicago
**
34. 7xhunterx
"you forgot krs one,kool g rap,big daddy kane,african bambaataa,grandmaster caz,dj polo,grandstarr"
**
35. Keith Witcher
"Very good classic song. They gave a very good description of what happens in black neighborhoods without cursing. I like Melle Mel's lyrics when he said a child is born with no state of mind, blind to the ways of mankind. God is smiling on you but he's frowning too because only God knows what you'll go through. I like when one of the rappers said because it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny. You gotta have a con in this land of milk and honey. Props to Puff Daddy and Mase for sampling this on Can't Nobody Hold Me Down and props to Ice Cube for sampling it also on Check Yo Self remix. I like The Message album cover. Nice picture."
**
36. Tone Geerkins
"First time I heard this, was an American Soldier "reciting" it as he walked along in front of me, while on exercise in Fiji in the early '80s. as a kiwi I had never heard anything like it...I was hooked!"
-snip-
"Kiwi" = a person from New Zealand
**
37. s99bf0c8
"The verse from 3:44 to 4:44 is unbelievably profound. It's like a concise explanation for why crime, violence and poverty are so perpetuated. The losers of this system are ignored and forgotten, in prison, or dead. The winners simply inspire the kids to follow them down the dark road. It sums up so much in 60 seconds that would years later take a hours of a TV show like The Wire to sum up. Genius."
**
38. aniou ken
"The first rappers had a message POSITIVE despite the violent and difficult a minority context. Today, to my dismay 85% of speech conveyed in the report encourages young people to the surface, delinquency, mediocrity and negativity. Here in France, as elsewhere, a handful of rapper give a conscious message constructive, a rich text, which tends to get you out of shit rather than put you."
**
39. kerndaddy187
"I feel it is my duty as a human being to point out, that the guy in the white pants, by the telephone pole, from the 3:45 to the 4:45 points in this video, strikes the coolest poses in the history of the human race. Madonna talking about strike a pose? she bit off this dudes style! you think I'm lying? watch and learn young grasshopper."
-snip-
"bit off this dude's style" = copied it [stole from it]
"watch and learn young grasshopper" is lifted from the American television series "Kung Fu".
**
40. Jenice Star
"This beat has been sampled so many times lol."
**
41. Joey Fnuts
"When I was like 14 I watched BET every night and my dad would shake his head and make fun of the rap music videos and mimic and mock the rappers. But one day this video came on and he said this is actually good, this guy is talking the real deal."
**
42. Ammar Z
"The last verse is the greatest verse in the history of Rap only second to NY State Of Mind by Nas - Illmatic "
**
43. Joe F
"One of the most IMPORTANT songs in the history of rap!!!!!!"
**
44. oskoolfool12
"FOR THE LONGEST TIME WHEN YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SUGERHILL RECORDS, YOU THOUGHT OF THE FUN RAPPIN SUGARHILL GANG.BUT AS OF JULY 1ST 1982 GRANDMASTER FLASH AND THE FURIOUS FIVE WOULD CHANGE THE RAP GAME WITH THE MONSTER HIT ' THE MESSAGE ' THESE FELLAS FROM THE SOUTH BRONX N.Y. PUT SOME OF THE GREATEST ICONIC LYRICS THAT STILL HOLD UP TODAY. ITS HARD NOT TO SING WITH THOSE INFAMOUS WORDS THAT SAY ( DONT PUSH ME CAUSE IM CLOSE TO THE EDGE....) YOU KNOW THE REST SPIT IT OUT.....PEACE"
-snip-
"spit it out" = say the rap
**
45. eman126100
"I am white guy and I can relate to this guy's life"
**
Reply
46. 13dirty666
"doesn't really matter what colour you are, it's a brilliantly written song which many can relate to in a way"
**
47. Andrew Wilkins
"i was born in the Bronx this is where i'm from. the graffiti the hip hop the crime the crackheads everyday thing in New York. "
**
48. Nathalie Landree
"Back in the days when New York City was New York City, not some generic gentrified city overrun with Starbucks and Chipotle.
-snip-
[This was] "back in the day when etc..."
**
49. Kevin Dorival
"Music with a message is the true #essence of #hiphop. This song is the epitome of conscious rap. Ladies and gentlemen, we must preserve it or lose it forever."
**
50. PaulANUBIS
"Oh my God this tune along with many others from that era (Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, and the like) lit up a white kids life in the cold cloudy Northwest UK"
**
51. playingmusiconmars
"I listened to this song the first time when it was about 20 years old - now 32 years have passed and the song still strikes as it does back when I heard it first. I bet it's the same with people that were around all the way back then. This is not oldschool music - it's timeless music."
**
52. TheMaddest Max1
"I was 15 when I first heard this on the radio, (John Peel BBCr1 RIP) I jumped so fast to grab and press my cassette recorder against the radio (look it up kids) I stubbed my toe so bad I was hopping and hopping in time with the sweet music (eventually my toenail fell off). The point is. This tune's lyrics are inspirational, I'm fairly sure it was listenening to this over and over that prevented me from choosing prison as an option in the first place."
**
53. Pokemonmaster150b
"I know that this track is about poverty in New York, but a lot of it can be applied to the experiences of the less fortunate here in the Philippines.
Just listening to this track reminds me of the outreach programs I volunteered for back in High School."
**
54. James Batchelor
"For 1982 would you say this song sounds more 70's or 80's? Because music in the early 80's still had a strong 70's disco sound to it, but this seems to have a mixture of both."
**
55. Burhan the Somali
"There are still rappers like this guy. They are just not mainstream and are unknown"
**
56. salladloot
"He says "fag" 2 or 3 times. Didn't get any flack for it back then. People are too gay today"
-snip-
My reading of this comment is that in salladloot's opinion, people nowadays are too concerned about offending gay people today. [as if that was something bad i.e. not good]
**
57. theresa campbell
"love this remember skating & dancing to this song "
-snip-
Skating = roller skating in community skating rinks to R&B (Disco) and Hip Hop music.
**
58. ahmed rashid
"Definately a club banger back in the day"
-snip-
“club banger” = a record that was played a lot in nightclubs
**
59. PHILLIP TAYLOR
"SKATING RINK MUSIC"
**
60. Kaleb Hargraves
"This song was on the scarface game! Played so much"
**
61. kickodude
"Is that an MTV Logo in the corner? So this is when MTV actually showed music? Hmmm"
**
62. CaptainEo777AE
"Seriously! They should take away the M in MTV... That channel does not represent what it was originally made for."
**
63. hddr3
in reply to CaptainEo777AE
"The channel now is more like E!.... seems stupid how there is M in MTV yet they haven't played any music for a long time, almost close to 10 years I don't recall music being played there."
**
64. Angry Bells
"This never gets old for me. But imagine wearing that outfit today?"
**
65. Raoul Duke
in reply to Angry Bells
"it will be back in style again like everything else"
**
66. youeatshowieategg
"Somewhat ironic, given how he looks in those boots and that leather cap."
**
67. Fotographic Cinema
in reply to youeatshowieategg
"That was Style Back Then. Unlike Now. No one knows how to Dress"
**
68. Ryan Alex
"What did he say at 1:39? Was he trying to say social security?"
**
Reply
69. TheImmortal00FTW
"He said:
She went to the city and got so so seditty"
**
Reply
70. Will McCollum
"Seditty= another word for "sophisticated""
**
Reply
71. Azizi Powell
"+Will McCollum, "snobish" is a better definition for "seditty" in that it means that a person described that way is acting like she or he is better than other people. "Seditty" is a negative characteristic, while "sophisticated" is positive.
I think "seditty" came from the word "society" or maybe it came from the word "city". Another African American Vernacular English word with the same meaning as "seditty" is "snotty". I'm not sure where "snotty" came from, but I image that it might have come from the phrase "having your nose in the air"."
**
72. djseriousbizness
"@Ryan Kelly he is saying So So Sadiddy. She went to the city and got so so sadiddy / she had to get a pimp she couldnt make it on her own. FYI sadiddy means to act stuck up."
**
73. mikeweirdd
"Big hit in the Netherlands back then. Knew all the lyrics by heart!"
**
74. Kurz Braten
"Gosh, 2014, i'm from Turkey and this could be a portrait of my country.. exept this is US history and BLACK History... Only god knows what you've gone through. going through. we only see the top of the ice berg that media allows us to have a glimpse on..."
**
75. Semolina Pilchard
"Yep, I watched this great song more than 30 years ago on a Dutch tv-show called TopPop. Weekly 'new' clips, woohoo. Now as kid I didn't understand a thing about what they are singing, but I liked the beat and the synthesizer. At that time I found the artists frightening, with their leather outfits, but erm...nowadays they look kinda gay. Talikng bout a shift in style."
-snip-
Read the comments posted above about the clothing fashions in this video. Note that this record includes the word "fag", a word that is generally considered to be offensive in the United States nowadays. Also, the statement that someone "looks kinda gay" is also usually considered to be offensive.
**
76. Percival Brightbottom
"I had the original 12" vinyl of this when it came out in 1982. And I am white. And lived in the south. Best song of the time. Still holds true. Saw them live a year later."
****
2015
77. Brendon Cariah
"A copy of this record is displayed at the Smithsonian!!! SIR DUKE BOOTEE!!!!"
**
78. Rekt Wizard
"This song Was Rap. Before this it was just herd at house./Block Party's. Grand master flash and the furious were the first rap group. They Created The game. Comment if im Wrong. But All the Greats the joined the game. Tupac,Biggie,Eminem,Dr Dre, Easy E , and so on wouldn't be here it wasent for this song. 100% Respect To this song and the band for starting the Game"
**
79. Reggae4lifee
"Sugarhill gang already in '79 and afrika bambaataa in '81.
also, this wasnt the first song of grandmaster flash & the furious five, they were active in '79 too, with 'superrappin'
**
80. David Borgos
"Rapper's Delight was the first hip hop song. This was the first rap record to have a socially conscious theme."
**
81. Larzuk V
"don't understand why the police took them"
**
Reply
82. Jezz Jeremey
"That's the point, It's showing the abuse black people got (still get in some places) in the US. how they were unfairly arrested for merely being in a group and being black."
**
83. DETbarbers
"The symbolizm is amazing and still true to this day. The end with them being hauled off by the police and with everything going on today just goes to show that things are still the same. Sad"
**
84. Alasdair Hewitson
"It's good to hear a rap song which every second word isn't swearing"
**
85. Konstantinos Filopoulos
"those guys turned disco to hip hop... legends"
**
86. Harley Hatcher
"3:45 ...lyrics too good, not only for the actual content but the rhyme structure too was ahead of it's time. then again that goes for this whole song, definitely a milestone in the history of poetry / rap / that thug life lol"
**
87. BballNintendo
"anyone who wants good music doesnt even care about the lyrics. they just want something they can jam to and that's what MUSIC is all about. rap should be considered an art of its own and not music if people are going to over analyze all the lyrics (emphasizing stuff like wordplay, rhyme scheme, subject matter etc). it's more stressful than it needs to be. but that's how they compare rap artists, instead of comparing of enjoyable/pleasing to the ear the music is. the beats and melodies are what make songs. if all you can do is rap you can't call yourself a musician."
**
88. dreadtodred
"COOL song.One of the best rap songs back im my days.Melle Mel was dropping pure science on this tune.Social Commentary at its best.I remember nyc back in the days.The Bronx,Brooklyn,uptown manhattan,and south jamaice were tore up.There was a lot going in this city.These cats were telling like they seen it,I can relate,Ive seen it"
-snip-
"cool" here means very hip; "dropping pure science" = means sharing wisdom; telling the truth; "tore up" = messed up
**
89. BIONIK DIKK
"This is in the Book of Genesis,in the Hip Hop Bible."
-snip-
Genesis is the first book in the Christian Bible.
**
90. misty peek
"I was playing this and my dad just came n doing dance moves and shit. Did not say one word the whole time and just danced out lmao"
****
ADDENDUM
Selected comments from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYMkEMCHtJ4
[The editorial notes prefacing the comments above also apply to these comments.]
All comments (1,315) 8 AM, February 22, 2015
2014
1. Ben Folsom
"Moving on from Rapture, we have the first rap anthem, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's The Message, from 1982. I was living in Italy at the time this song came out, and while most elements of US pop culture took some time to come across the Pond, this song was playing on Walkmans everywhere immediately, it was a huge hit.
This song is notable for its attention to social issues, as previous early hip-hop and rap was mainly about parties and shit and being a badass."
**
2. Ernie Griff
"was The Sugar Hill Gang - Rapper's Delight a hit in your area ?"
**
Reply
3. Ben Folsom
"That was a little before my time, it is definitely a memorable tune, but did not take over the school bus the way The Message did."
**
4. Aquari Warden
"If I had to pick ONE song to explain, solidify, Represent RAP ; it would be the "The Message" If I had to pick ONE VERSE ; it would be " A Child is born with one state of mind.... Truly the deepest poetry ; Second to NONE ! "
**
5. jbscornerstore
"Song changed my life, heard it for the first time when I was about 10 years old on Yo MTV raps...several years later I started writing my own raps, then started B-boying and doing Graff in my early teens, my life has been dedicated to this culture since I can remember! Thank you Flash, Melle Mel, Kidd Creole, Cowboy (RIP), Scorpio, and Rahiem..."
-snip-
b-boy (b-boying) = breakdance boy (also b-girl)
**
6. logicaust
"Still probably top 5 all time everything, for me. The insight, the freshness, the beat, the foresight, the...everything. 1982. Absolute anthem. This is real rap, for me."
**
7. TheSilentSniper
"The brotha beside Melle Mel at 3:50 with his arms folded must be the coolest video bomber of all time. Always standing in a mean b-boy stance and goes with the flow of the beat. Respect."
**
8. Jamil Mukhtar
"Even with their tight leather jackets and jeans, a style the many people today would laugh at and insult, they still spit harder, more real and flow better than most of these rappers. True Rap classsic and great message"
**
9. 1119nj10
"The video is like a time capsule because it shows younger people how NY looked before it was cleaned up in the 1990's. "
**
10. Ellis Cain
"Where was the video shot? Anybody know?"
**
11. dubreil07
Harlem but this is not the Harlem of today. This is when Harlem looked worse than a third world country and was called zombie land.
**
Reply
12. trkk01
"+dubreil07 please gentrification is in full effect. they used to be a lot of mom & pop stores there nothing with changes but harlem lost a lot of soul. "
**
13. Mynamenotimportant
"No Wi-Fi, no cell phones, no laptops, no Starbucks coffee....., must of been a barbaric period...."
**
Reply
14. Jenny Ji
"it was like a jungle sometimes."
**
Reply
15. Max Worthy
"m akes me wonder."
**
Reply
16. IHavenoIDEA814
"How you keep from going under?"
**
17. Reply
bul1881
"Please stop."
**
Reply
18. Badd Lands
"This is when you had no cell phones, and that girl you like either you used a pay phone, or waited for one of your brothers or sisters to get off the house phone with the 100ft cord. And when pagers came out, it was golden!!!.....lofl."
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19. logicone
"Yeah.. None of that stuff but everything is still the same.."
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2015
20. Marc-Antonivs Gvzman
"Melly Mel's verse is probably one of the most important verses that explained hip-hop and the way things were in the places the originators of hip-hop were from.
Greatest Rap Song Ever. Urban poetry at its best. Poetry classes in high school and college should use the lyrics to this song to teach and inspire the next generation of poets."
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21. Jean Gregorio
"En 1982, les radios libres émmettaient enfin de la musique différente de celle des radios nationales, c´est comme cela que les jeunes gens de ma génération ont fait la connaissance avec le mouvement Rap, le mouvement punk et toute une pléïade de courants musicaux jusqu´alors inconnus du grand public en France.
The message est une de ces chansons qui a gravé ma mémoire pour toujours et qui parle du respect que l´on doit á toute personne, quel que soit sa condition...
Aujourd´hui encore je fredonne cet air pendant mes tournées pour me donner du courage à la besogne... Bonne soirée à tous
-snip-
[English translation of French]
In 1982, free radio finally émmettaient different music from that of national radio, that's how the young people of my generation have met with the Rap movement, the punk movement and a whole galaxy of musical currents up 'alors unknown to the general public in France.
The message is one of those songs that has seared my memory forever and that speaks of the respect that must á anyone, whatever his condition ...
Today I hum this tune during my tours to give me courage to the task ... Good evening everyone ^^
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