Swag Like Mine
written by Just K
written by Just K
Swagger is yet another indefinable phrase in a long list of hip-hop slang that has spread throughout the masses. What is swagger? Is it the confidence an MC exudes while performing? Maybe it’s uniqueness in flow and delivery that separates one MC from another. It’s quite possible that swagger is charisma, an indeterminable X-Factor that someone is just born with; some just have it, others don’t. Some believe that swagger is an overall style – fashion, demeanor, and ability to stand out from a crowd.
Or maybe it’s just a load of crap.
As of late, this whole swagger thing has gotten way out of control. The first time I heard it in song was on Jay-Z’s Blueprint album. “Well I guess I got my swagger back,” Jay raps in the opening lines of “All I Need.” I thought it was cool, no big deal. How was I to know that “swagger” would suffer the same fate as countless other urban slang terms such as “all that,” “bomb diggity,” and “fo shizzle?” Its overuse is downright heartbreaking. Even worse, “swagger” has also suffered the same fate as words such as “gay” or “awful.” The original meaning of the word has practically disappeared.
What once began as just another synonym for confidence has gradually become an excuse for half-assed lyrics. Let’s take a look at a typical conversation between a pair of rap fans.
Fan 1: “Yo, that song sucks, yo.”
Fan 2: “Naw, man. His swagger is crazy on that joint. It’s like he’s not even trying.”
Fan 1: “True.”
WHAT IS THAT?! Ladies and gentlemen, there is a difference between something seeming effortless and actual lack of effort. When a rapper says he did a song in 5 minutes and it sounds like he did the song in 5 minutes, that’s not a good thing. It’s not called swagger. It’s called a whack song (or in repetitive instances, a whack rapper). So before you go and call a rapper swaggadocious or swaggalicious or swagtastic – before you get caught up in the swagstravaganza, take a moment to actually think about what you’re listening to. Is it really swagger or is it just whack?
Yours truly,
Just Swag
5 comments:
Yooooo.... you are so on the money with this one. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that. People always say a dude has swag in lieu of actual skill. But people are actually cool with that.
yeah its funny how a dope phrase can turn into such a stupid trend.
Great post.
I dont think swag should be a criteria for great music... What does swagg have to do with how the music sounds?
Swag should be with the entertainers aura/ his or her presence. It shouldn't be a criteria for their music.
IF N E ARTIST BRAGS ABOUT DOING A SONG IN 2SECONDS, THEN THEY ARE GARGABE. IM SORRY. Im not saying some great things aren't done in such little time, but come on thats NOT swag...I think the term is called laziness.
Fans who accept that really need to look at themeselves as something less than a fans...
^^ Do you mean Lil Wayne?
I'm sorry, I'm just NOT a believer in his greatness. He needs to start writing, like yesterday. Word to that leaked TI track that he sank on. HELLO!
But I digress...
That conversation sounds like justifacation for a Hov verse. (And one of y'all will be mad at that comment... oh well sue me.)
"Swagger" is overused just as bad as "Hater". I'll stop there... it could get lengthy.
I've missed you HustleHer aka Mimi :)
Oh and I got you with your "Hater" post...
Stay tuned.
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