(If you or your kids are somewhat astute in hip-hop culture, you could appreciate this, but if not, you might want to catch me at another time:)
You’d have to know my ”tongue-in-cheek,” sarcastic side to understand this post. I have often wondered, in the spirit of those things that make you go “hmmm…,”courtesy of former late night show host Arsenio Hall, if some things are too much of a coincidence to be mere coincidence. As one example, we have made history this year with the Democratic candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. Regardless of what you might think of him, and regardless of whether he wins or not, this is a historical point in time. Is it me, or is it too coincidental to be a coincidence that in the same era, one of the most popular celebrities on pop culture television is Flavor Flav, front man for the group Public Enemy and embarrassment extraordinaire?
Does this brother have to “blow up,” as the kids say, this year?
So, I’m continuing in this vein of thinking when we purchased a new collegiate dictionary on yesterday. As an aside, not too long ago, our neighbors were in the heat of a marital separation, and I loaned the son our original dictionary after the father left the house with a number of items in order to “get back” at the family. Thankfully, the couple decided to get back together, but I somehow still remain separated from my dictionary. I guess I can chalk that up to what I did for love, huh?
Well, there are new words in Webster’s, thanks to these changing times: wi-fi, phishing, etc. Our son even looked up frindle from the book we so enjoyed of the same name. In the book, a kid decides to invent a word, which becomes used so much in his school and then in the larger community, until years later it becomes an official word in the dictionary. That must have been the case with this new entry.
Main Entry:
crunk
Pronunciation:
ˈkrə©¯k
Function:
noun
Etymology:
crunk, word of fluctuating meaning used during the 1990s in lyrics of the rap groups OutKast and Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Date: 2000
: a style of Southern rap music featuring repetitive chants and rapid dance rhythms
If hip-hop is indeed dying, as many in the media say, must we immortalize it by placing these guys in Webster’s Dictionary?
You something is wrong when you are reading a piece of classic literature and go to the dictionary for a definition and the word isn't in the newer dictionary. But when I look up the same word in the dictionary I received for my 8th grade graduation (1983), it is in there. What's up. When I scrolled down and saw Flava I chuckled, but I was upset because he didn't have a big ignorant clock around his neck. I used to love the Arsenio Hall show, so I knew exactly where you were going. But I must say, Public Enemy (especially Chuck D.) was a group of brothers with a message, even if you didn't want to hear it. Like "hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey get down 911's a joke in yo' town. Well, that is true. I've called a couple times recently and the police just don't show. What's up with that! See in 1990 Chuck D. was a prophet—LOL! Ok thanks for the laugh!
Ok, I looked at the picture again. Now I'm laughin' out loud.
Crunk is alive and well in professional dance circles! I love watching the emotions some choreographers are putting to it at times.
Janet
Hey,
I don't know much about Hip Hop but find it very interesting the new words that are making it into the dictionary. Hmmm…I think my 10 year old dictionary is outdated. On a side, I keep telling my son what historic times we are living through. He is very excited to vote for the first time. In the primaries he walked up to the voting desk and almost shouted, " I am here to vote for Obama!" The voter lady (in between giggles) explained to him that he didn't have to tell everyone just to go in the booth and vote. lol It is an amazing journey raising a disabled son. Sometimes I forget to explain everything enough.
Blessings,
Dawn
This would be why my dictionary of choice is Webster's 1828 Dictionary!
If I were to play the guessing definitions game, I would say Crunk was crushed up Junk!
You always make me think…HARD!
Hee hee, Love you.
because of Jesus, Bobbie