#rapoet

The meanings of these symbols can range from teasing and driving a willingly drunk person home safely, to driving an unsuspecting person home and taking advantage of them without consent.

What makes these 2 bars of verse interesting is the large number of people who interpret them one way (rape), while the author doesn't confirm their connotations... For my workshop participants this is a perfect example of why there are 3 keys to understanding art: 1. symbols (denotations, physically observable frequencies) 2. meanings (connotations, mentally observable interpretations) 3. agreements (mutually decisions about what symbols mean) In this case, the symbols are few and clear, the meanings are many and less clear, and there is a lack of agreement. When an artist CHOOSES to remain naive to multiple meanings (including unintended) of their expression, and an observer ASSUMES that the intention of the expression could only be one narrow interpretation... We have only symbols and meanings, but no agreements, and not much inspiration, growth, or accountability from EITHER party.

WHAT'S MOST INTERESTING TO ME about this conflict is that involves a very real, painful, and unacceptable act of terror that has no place in our modern day civilization. Take a moment to view the RAINN website, and you'll learn for example that every 2 minutes someone in the U. S. is sexually assaulted. 1. Ross confirms he does not condone using the term "rape", but stops short of explaining what his actual lyrics DID MEAN, or even admitting that his lyrics COULD be interpreted as such.

2. Most reacting to Ross criticize him for describing a rape, (most assume there's no other interpretation by the way), but stop short of addressing what is ACTUALLY HAPPENING in the U.S. every 2 minutes. As if this SERIOUS problem should begin and end with 2 bars from a non-legendary commercial rapper? Here's the BOTTOM LINE

Regardless of what Ross INTENDED his lyrics to mean, the most obvious CONNOTATION is that he's describing a date rape. And regardless of whether anyone ever heard these 2 bars or not, someone in the U. S. is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes, Did you know that about 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim!?

Ironically the entire song, "UOENO (You Ain't Even Know it") consists of Ross and his collaborators describing things they are doing WITHOUT you (the average listener) knowing it. Now STOP! Think about that. For a good minute!

AND think about Hip-Hop's historic role of exposing what is inappropriate or difficult to talk about in other genres. Hip-Hop is a gift and a curse.

The American scape-goat, punishment culture encourages us to throw our garbage in the trunk, instead of leaving it in the rear view mirror... and God forbid we should actually clean up our communities and put the garbage in the garbage bin. If you are reading this, I want you to know that there is a drug (more than one) that can be used to make people less inhibited (do things they normally wouldn't). You better believe there are people slipping this to others without their knowledge, as well as those who choose to take these drugs willingly.

In Conclusion: 1. I don't want to hear about drugs and date rape any more than you, but it's to our family's benefit that we be aware of what is happening right next door to you when "You Ain't Even Know It"

2. I appreciate all those who put energy into reacting to misogyny, violence, drugs, and materialism in rap music, but for those of you don't put AT LEAST as much energy into promoting MCs like Self Suffice, Aisha Fukushima, Political Animals, Lah Tere, Las Krudas, Baba Israel, and the MANY others performing at empowering, community building events like the International Hip-Hop Festival... Then at the end of the day, you're doing more to promote/empower the problem and take attention away from the solution... and "You Ain't Even Know It"