Weekly Blog Post 4

“Drive Slow” by Kanye West, Paul Wall, GLC, and T.I. is a music video with multiple messages and contexts. The song incorporates a nostalgic form with each rapper reminiscing about their pre-fame days. One example of a double meaning is when Kanye raps “You never know homie/ might meet some hoes homie, / you need to pump your brakes/ and drive slow homie.” The literal translation is that in order to interact with a prostitute one must drive at a slower pace to attract their attention. After listening to each rapper’s tale, it becomes apparent that there is more to this song. What these lyricists really want the audience to glean from this track is that shortcuts to fame and get rich quick schemes are not worth it. Once one reaches a certain level of fame, they can never go back to their former state. This is exactly what each of these rappers has experienced; therefore, they encourage youth to enjoy their freedom and time with friends. Although rapping might be able to relocate an underprivileged civilian, the trust they shared with their friends before stardom will never be the same once they hit the big time. T.I. expresses his feelings on this subject with the lines “So I guess the moral of this here class/ is life about who make it/ not about who make it the fastest.”

This video is the opposite of a majority of popular rap songs today which glamorize physical wealth and gain. In T.I.’s verse he raps “I never thought that I’d have made it this far rappin’/ for introducing to youth to what we now call trappin’.” This shows his astoundment that he was able to make a sizable income off of rapping about his troublesome youth. This supports the underlying message to take life one step at a time. It was T.I.’s childhood problems that led him to stardom.

I feel this song is a breath of fresh air in today’s age of YouTube and other self-glorifying sites. Rappers like Soulja Boy and Bow Wow lack the life-altering experiences of more mature rappers; accordingly their songs don’t have deep meanings or intricacies. Kanye dropped out of college and T.I. sold dope as a youth. Without these hardships they would not be the people they are today or have a deep appreciation for what they have. Even though these rappers are internationally known, a part of them misses the simplicity of their teenage years where “if you had a car/ you were the Chi-town version of Baby.”