If you frequently commute on the Sofia subway like me, you are constantly barraged with horrible ads (here & here) and atrocious music. I have promised myself to dedicate a post on this music gem in the near future so stay tuned. In the mean time I am going to hate on "Home" performed by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony feat. Phil Collins. ETO LINK
We all know Cleveland was a sad place even before the financial crisis hit and LeBron James darted for greener pastures in Miami. Still not convinced? ETO OSHTE EDIN LINK
In a nutshell Cleveland is a dirt poor city with predominantly African-American population. Establishing street cred should not be an issue as the city and its numerous run down neighbourhoods offer plenty of opportunities to indulge in drug taking, drug dealing, armed robberies, drive-by shootings, gang banging, etc. So being a Cleveland black native pretty much guarantees you the street cred right off the bat and you don't have to make shit up. However, NY and California are also known as great incubators of street cred so it gets kinda hard to outdo DMX, Dre, Snoop, 50 Cents, and even Eminem. So how did the Cleveland natives from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony topped that act? They kidnapped the whitest dude on mother fucking planet Earth (Phil Collins, a short, bald, British dude, who sings this), filmed it all and showed it in a music video. That would have been the gangsta thing to do!
The band contacted Phil Collins, and he agreed to sing in the video. So they flew to Geneva, Switzerland to film the video. Yes, Geneva! Nothing says gangsta and ghetto like Geneva, the second largest city in one of the countries with highest living standards in the world.
Throughout the video Phil Collins looks out of place or having a Bono-type of epiphany about the harsh reality of living in the ghetto. Just check the 0:32, 1:04, and 3:03 mark of the video.He also looks totally detached at times, like he is having a hard time to relate to the rap lyrics. After all he is a rich white British bloke (bloke = dude, guy in British English!) so can't really blame him.
Black dude 1: My dad left when I was a 3 years old. I have 4 brothers and sisters. Ma mamma raised us all, working 3 jobs. My older brother is in the joint, doing 20 years for armed robbery, my little sis died of an overdose. My best friend got shot in drive-by shooting by rival gang members.
White bloke: Hummm, it has never crossed my mind there can be such hardship out there in the world. I always thought that after my song "A day in paradise" we dealt with this shit...I mean poverty and homelessness. That's a pity, mate.
Black dude 2: Man, I was desperate and broke. I had to suck a dude's cock for crack once.
White bloke: What? You sucked a dude's cock?!?! That's horrible!
Here is another scene in the video that really bothers me.
A lonely white guys surrounded by three black man on empty subway/train station. It is me or the whole scene stinks of robbery/homicide in the making?
Or it is the white dude that you should be afraid of.