No One Ever Really Dies... Just Look at Pharrell
Can history die? Can culture? Truth? Well the United States history is one of rapid transformations, making for a relatively short span of events but with a whirlwind of interpretations. In the time between 1850 and 1950 our nation saw the Black person upgrade from second-class citizen to semi-first-class citizen with Constitutional rights. But that is just the tip of the cultural iceberg. Many criticize today's celebrities for repeating what's already been done before. Death occurs in cultural memory, and it is the responsibility of the artist to resurrect it. Guess who accomplished this: none other than Pharrell Williams and Rihanna Fenty.
History is alive and culturally intertwined in the music video for their iconic, ear-opening track Lemon. This syncopated rhythm paired with the visual themes will altogether leave you shook. In the music video you can see Mette Towley in her buzz-cut prime after getting a cut from the bad gal herself, Miss Rihanna Fenty. You can watch the music video below or here.
Let's break down the lyricism as the multifaceted mosaic that it is.
In short, Pharrell has had run-ins with attractive women from long and far willing to do anything for him to make their cheeks clap. As hip hop artists do in order to set the "untouchable" tone, Pharrell is feeling himself—which is interesting to hear from a guy who looks the same as he did in 2003. The fourth line is an allusion to rapper T.I.'s court case in 2007. Meaning, women really, really want him to make their cheeks clap. This simile does the job, but I would have preferred "Want me to beat it like Black Wall Street," because the people of that Tulsa community really beat the system. But that would throw off the rhyme scheme so I'll leave the game to him.
Being the long-respected musician he is, Pharrell must be talking about the questions he receives from the media and from critics. Then he repeats what his response is to said inquiries. The term "drinking the Kool-Aid" typically means blindly complying to words or orders, unaware of its consequences for oneself. In this line, the Kool-Aid is hateful rhetoric and oppression; the dude is none other than the commander in chief. Current president Donald Trump has repeatedly called out media sources that defacing his reputation and attempted to discredit them. This includes some of the most trusted news sources like CNN, Times, NBC, ABC, and HIJKLMNOP. We know that even when journalists paint an inaccurate picture of a situation, there is always at least a shred of truth to what they're saying. So when Trump demonizes the news, he demonizes the truth, and when he demonizes the truth, he demonizes himself. Not owning up to the truth about his faults as president only works to his detriment.
In between verses is a sample of underground rapper RetcH's video in which he is standing in an all-white crowd, living his authentic African-American life and paying verbal homage to famous black activists.
Embracing your identity isn't always safe, but in a crowd of elderly folks of a different background, showing love to your people is in good taste.
Pharrell's beats are so poignant that he compares their sharpness to a man in Miami who chomped on another man's face as a result of taking bath salts. Hopefully no listener takes this as a rally for cannibalism.
The song concludes with the repetition of Arlen Specter's "Wait a minute!" sound effect. In terms of political implications, Pharrell is quite possibly drawing parallels to the current debate on health care. Meanwhile, Mette Towley audaciously executes the main choreo as blue-toned light dominates the frame. An emphatic raised fist brings the video to a close.
Lemon is just the first hit to be released from the upcoming album No-One Ever Really Dies. This new collection will be a big deal for their fans who lament their absence as well as those who have a keen ear for music.
For those who are new to the name, N.E.R.D is a group composed of Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley. The band was formed as a project after Haley came into their network. In detouring from their main careers, Pharrell and Chad found a craft that they could sell to the public. At the turn of the century, their name could have been a statement about the musicians themselves and their intellectual approaches to composure. Yet, as of recently the band reinvented the name to mean "No One Ever Really Dies," thus taking a term that is used to tease intellectuals and applying a new layer of connotation to it.
N.E.R.D's sound is a hip hybrid of funk and rock but adopts elements that can be traced to other genres as well. Older songs don't seem to have the same calling-out tone as exhibited in Lemon, so their soon to be released music could very well be saying "We're fed up."
Just on the horizon is their album entitled No-One Ever Really Dies. This work is said to feature Kendrick Lamar, André 3000, M.I.A, Future, Wale, Gucci Mane, and Ed Sheeran, and to make innovations in music in ways never seen before. Not only is this a gain for the featured artists but for Pharrell as well, who doesn't seem to disappear from the public eye long enough to be forgotten.
Let's face facts: Pharrell Williams is 44 years old and his footprint in the music world is immortal. People die eventually, but that impact's something we know for certain never will.
History is alive and culturally intertwined in the music video for their iconic, ear-opening track Lemon. This syncopated rhythm paired with the visual themes will altogether leave you shook. In the music video you can see Mette Towley in her buzz-cut prime after getting a cut from the bad gal herself, Miss Rihanna Fenty. You can watch the music video below or here.
Let's break down the lyricism as the multifaceted mosaic that it is.
The truth will set you free. But first it will piss you off.It is important to note that today, credibility is defined much differently from the days before Wikipedia. We are quick to access new information, but we are also able to take a second look at the source to make an assessment of its validity. We still haven't confirmed how Russia was involved in the 2016 election, or if Pokemon Go is child genocide, or if it was or wasn't Shaggy. We are so much closer and yet so much more skeptical of the truth. But as is, this vague mantra is a powerful statement in any context.
Bad bitches wanna be my bae
Hunt me down like the C.I.A.
Side of my car, tryna see my face
Want me to beat it like the T.I. case
In short, Pharrell has had run-ins with attractive women from long and far willing to do anything for him to make their cheeks clap. As hip hop artists do in order to set the "untouchable" tone, Pharrell is feeling himself—which is interesting to hear from a guy who looks the same as he did in 2003. The fourth line is an allusion to rapper T.I.'s court case in 2007. Meaning, women really, really want him to make their cheeks clap. This simile does the job, but I would have preferred "Want me to beat it like Black Wall Street," because the people of that Tulsa community really beat the system. But that would throw off the rhyme scheme so I'll leave the game to him.
You keep askin' me where I'm from
About the borders and, "Did I run?"
Keep askin' how I feel 'bout guns
There's a light and dark army, which side you choose? Oh
If not now then when?
And if not me then who?
Don't drink the Kool-Aid, my friends
I tried to tell y'all about this dude
Being the long-respected musician he is, Pharrell must be talking about the questions he receives from the media and from critics. Then he repeats what his response is to said inquiries. The term "drinking the Kool-Aid" typically means blindly complying to words or orders, unaware of its consequences for oneself. In this line, the Kool-Aid is hateful rhetoric and oppression; the dude is none other than the commander in chief. Current president Donald Trump has repeatedly called out media sources that defacing his reputation and attempted to discredit them. This includes some of the most trusted news sources like CNN, Times, NBC, ABC, and HIJKLMNOP. We know that even when journalists paint an inaccurate picture of a situation, there is always at least a shred of truth to what they're saying. So when Trump demonizes the news, he demonizes the truth, and when he demonizes the truth, he demonizes himself. Not owning up to the truth about his faults as president only works to his detriment.
In between verses is a sample of underground rapper RetcH's video in which he is standing in an all-white crowd, living his authentic African-American life and paying verbal homage to famous black activists.
Embracing your identity isn't always safe, but in a crowd of elderly folks of a different background, showing love to your people is in good taste.
You can catch me, Rih, in the new La Ferrar'Rihanna wants you to know of her cultural capital, and she shows it by tossing around names of cultural stars and icons. The LeBron James shoutout is nothing new, as she doesn't mind if the world knows her adoration for him. Calling upon the name of Fonzie from Happy Days, though, pins her as the crème de la crème. Rihanna is letting you know she's far from average.
And the truck behind me got arms
Yeah, longer than LeBron
Just waitin' for my thumb like the Fonz
Bath salt, bitin' speakers in the face
Pharrell's beats are so poignant that he compares their sharpness to a man in Miami who chomped on another man's face as a result of taking bath salts. Hopefully no listener takes this as a rally for cannibalism.
The song concludes with the repetition of Arlen Specter's "Wait a minute!" sound effect. In terms of political implications, Pharrell is quite possibly drawing parallels to the current debate on health care. Meanwhile, Mette Towley audaciously executes the main choreo as blue-toned light dominates the frame. An emphatic raised fist brings the video to a close.
Lemon is just the first hit to be released from the upcoming album No-One Ever Really Dies. This new collection will be a big deal for their fans who lament their absence as well as those who have a keen ear for music.
For those who are new to the name, N.E.R.D is a group composed of Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley. The band was formed as a project after Haley came into their network. In detouring from their main careers, Pharrell and Chad found a craft that they could sell to the public. At the turn of the century, their name could have been a statement about the musicians themselves and their intellectual approaches to composure. Yet, as of recently the band reinvented the name to mean "No One Ever Really Dies," thus taking a term that is used to tease intellectuals and applying a new layer of connotation to it.
N.E.R.D's sound is a hip hybrid of funk and rock but adopts elements that can be traced to other genres as well. Older songs don't seem to have the same calling-out tone as exhibited in Lemon, so their soon to be released music could very well be saying "We're fed up."
Just on the horizon is their album entitled No-One Ever Really Dies. This work is said to feature Kendrick Lamar, André 3000, M.I.A, Future, Wale, Gucci Mane, and Ed Sheeran, and to make innovations in music in ways never seen before. Not only is this a gain for the featured artists but for Pharrell as well, who doesn't seem to disappear from the public eye long enough to be forgotten.
Let's face facts: Pharrell Williams is 44 years old and his footprint in the music world is immortal. People die eventually, but that impact's something we know for certain never will.
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