Jay-Z Care About Youth Fitness

Although it is veiled as a somewhat militant call to the hip-hop community, careful listeners will notice that Jay-Z's newest hit (feat. Kanye and Rihanna) is actually a call for the youth of this nation to rise up in a different way. Namely, he wants them to get off their hefty loins and "Run This Town."

We get our first hints during Rihanna's introduction to the song, which serves as a disclaimer to those about to participate in this particular exercise:

Feel it comin' in the air
see me the sreets from everywhere
I'm addicted to the thrill
It's a dangerous spooky man
Can't be scared when it goes down
Got a problem, tell me now
Only thing that's on my mind
Is who's gonna run this town tonight...
Is who's gonna run this town tonight...
We gonna run this town

She might as well continue:

Go too fat from eatin' pie
Gotta be atleast this tall to ride
If your pregnant go away
Heart conditions? Can not play
Only thing that on my mind
Who's eligible to run this town tonight...

Of course, if we were to base this only on a few verses, it would be a very unsatisfying reading of the work. However, like all good readings, it is supported by the work itself. Jay-Z's call to wear "all black all everything" clearly indicates a type of uniform set aside for the particular activity at hand. Of course, gym is known for such clothing:
Jay-Z does at one point make a racial statement, one that some may consider insensitive or stereotypical. However, on further examination, it becomes clear that it is a fair steretype: "Back to runnin' circles 'round white folks." Seriously, is anyone going to challenge that? I don't think so. Jay-Z is merely appealing for black children to return to live up to their land speed superiority. His language here is consistent with the over all theme: get off the couch and run your town.

Now, I would be remiss if I did not address Kanye's verse. Although, as it is Kanye, it should be noted that Kanye's verse has absolutely nothing to do with running, towns, obese children, or anything else in the song. Then again, it is Kanye, so what did you expect. This is better addressed in Cracked.com's article, "What if Kanye is Retarded?" http://www.cracked.com/blog/what-if-kanye-west-is-retarded/

It is clear that Jay-Z is aiming to soften his gangster schtick and appeal to a broader audience. Now, as healthcare is taking the limelight, it is clear that Jay-Z doesn't want people to sit and wait for the government to take action, but that along with proper medical treatment, America should be a fit nation concerned with preventative care as well as reforms in the healthcare industry. How true Jay-Z.
One question remains. How does Rick feel about this one?

You Know What Sucks?

When blogs don't update but every five months or so. I'm going to try and update once a week. Don't count on more. This is too much fun for me to really stop. Today, we are going to look at Keri Hilson (feat. Kanye and Neyo) and her song, "Knock You Down."

There is a lot we could say about this song. First, there is Kanye's freakishly obsessive art show ("I'mma take you to an art show that has freakishly large and accurate paintings of you"), the fact that Keri Hilson pretty much only sings "Love gonna knock you down" for the entire song (while falling down, for emphasis), but the most controversial moment comes from Neyo. I do hope you watched the video most of the way through, because Neyo brings up one of the most controversial pieces of hip-hop archeology: the Pimp Ship.

The idea of a Pimp Ship has always been present in hip hop's mythology. In their song "You're Gonna Get Yours," Hip Hop pioneers Public Enemy described their vision of the Pimp Ship as a Buick 98:

"Sucka to the side you know you hate my 98. You're gonna get yours!"

It is possible that the Pimp Ship is a nautical craft, as revealed in the Lonely Island's "I'm On a Boat." Of course, we can not expect Andy Samberg to have discovered the true nature of the Pimp Ship. However, it should be noted that T-Pain collaborates on that song. It is possible that T-Pain's vision of the Pimp Ship as a nautical craft, and that is a valid, if admittedly unexpected, interpretation.
"I never thought I'd be on a boat"

Others believe that the Pimp Ship is lost to history, never to be found again. However, this not deter others from looking. Tupac was last seen looking for the Pimp Ship in the wilds of Madagascar.
Pimp Ship?

Neyo departs from all of these conventions by saying not only that he was commander and chief, but also that he was "flying high." This seems to suggest that he envisions the Pump Ship seems to be a flying craft. Perhaps it is a jet, or a dirigible of some sort. Based on the information given, there is not much we can know. However, there are a few possibilities. We can assume that there were some safety measure in safe, as he was able to avoid the destruction of the "pretty little missile" that knocked him out of the sky. It was probably not Hindenberg or a dirigible of any kind. Rather, it was probably a jet of some sort.
"Flyin' High"

These theories are all based not on experience, but on preference and personality. The Pimp Ship reveals itself to each MC. So, look inside yourself and find your own Pimp Ship.