When did this all start? Where did they pick this up? Certainly not from positive role models such as Will Smith. It must have something to do with gangsta rap. I remember a few summers ago when the African-American youths were sporting outrageously large knee-length white t-shirts. Maybe this too shall pass and soon they will be calling each other by names like chief or captain.* "Yo chieftain, where da bitchez at tonight?" Have I been missing something in my life? Perhaps I should have a more diverse group of friends. Here are some examples of how the term is used.
- "Yo, these niggas be frontin' and shit, son."
- "Shit son, that Lexus is mad fly."
- "No son, I ain't aksing for no pussy - I got me a bitch."
- "These niggas be shittin' everywhere, son."
I wonder if people would find it strange if I, in all my smart casual glory, started speaking this way.** "Yo son, dat Cotes du Rhone is da bomb." "Shit, these niggas shouldn't be paintin' their shudders that color, son, this is a landmarked district."
I wish I had picked up more of their slang so I can be more in touch with the culture as I live only a few blocks away from public housing, where this type of speak is prevalent. Maybe I would feel more comfortable buying cigarettes over there if I spoke like them.
On the other hand, what if I tried to teach these kids how to speak properly? I could go over to the projects (the p's) on Saturday mornings and give lessons in voice, diction and grammar. If they ever want to get out of the p's, they're going to need to be able to speak in a way that commands respect. I could develop some lesson plans and just show up in the lobby of the Red Hook Houses and start teaching. I think the kids would enjoy it and it would keep them out of trouble for the four or five hours that I'm there every week. I would start out with easy lessons like avoiding double negatives and subject-verb agreement and take it from there. After a few months, these kids will be speaking (and behaving) like Al Roker. And New York City can thank me for it, son.
*"Old Sport" would be an interesting one.
**I actually have in front of my girlfriend and some of my friends - loudly enough for others to hear.
3 comments:
Absolutely hilarious John!!!!!
I try not to judge, especially not based on a (what I hope is a tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic) blog post; however, i must say you really do come off as an asshole. So, in order to make a better judgement, here's a few simple questions:
Do you have any contact with black folks other than tv and rap music?
Do you really assume that all kid's from the p's speak this way?
DO you realize that our president doesn't exactly have the best command of the King's English either? (admittedly, nucular is still better than yo nigga)
Read a couple of your other posts. You really are an asshole, but not in an entirely bad way. You just resent everyone for not being as absolutely cool and intelligent as you. Please stop reading The Great Gatsby ( I would also guess that Catcher in the Rye is one of your favorites, probably American Psycho also) it's making you more of an asshole.
on behalf of the rest of NYC, hope we can someday live up to your expectations.
peace out son
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