On my way into work today I turned my Sirius to Backspin-and low and behold, Me So Horny was on. I was taken back to my middle school days and remembered what a big deal that album was. A bit of info for those of you that were never part of the hip hop fan club:
Back in 1990, Miami based rap group the 2 Live Crew got into trouble for the explicit lyrics on the album As Nasty as They Wanna Be. The album was banned for sale in parts of Florida, and some record store clerks actually got arrested for selling it. Of course, all the controversy actually ended up helping sales of the album, when people wanted to find out what the fuss was about. "Banned in the U.S.A." is a rap protest song about the persecution the group underwent. The chorus is based on Bruce Springsteen's hit "Born in the U.S.A.". The song ended up being the group's biggest hit, reaching #20 on the Hot 100.
Now I like the song mainly because it reminds me of middle school and the fun it was to be a kid. No worries of work, money, or any of that. The song isn't of high artistic quality- not in the least. But, it made a difference and upheld the first amendment. A song with lyrics like
I'm like a dog in heat, a freak without warning.
I have an appetite for sex 'cause me so horny.
Oh, so horny....Ohh, so horny...Ohh, so horny.
Me love you long time.
Isn't that crazy? God I love this country.
I must admit I plagiarized the above synopsis...I won't say the group underwent "persecution"...I think the whole banned thing is the only reason they are remembered.I don't ignore that there were plenty of musical revolutionary moments before and after, that were of much larger scale and for a better reason. (hello-the 60's??) Its just one that I lived through.
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