Mango

5y

Half the smarts, but twice the heart
Look at the picture, eyes had a spark
Sputtering, at the bar mutterin'
Money comes and goes
Broke today, but tomorrow who knows?
Ten years ago she was just some hoe
Five years after that, I'm in love
And if you ask me today, I could give a f***
Go figure

This entire stanza is about change both materially and in terms of perspective. Ups and downs. It actually echos his signature refrain "you can't take it with you". There's a bitterness and despair to it as well. The fact that he places "she was just some hoe" in that transitory state means its not just a flat statement. It speaks more to "his" own personal growth and subsequent decay than the actual nature of the female subject. Billy is cynical and skeptical of pretty much everything. There is a paranoia at the heart of his work. An anxiety. A dread. It's very personalized, but who's to say if this isn't just a character sketch? Why even root it in his actual person?

If you mean why would he say "hoe", I can't speak to his feelings on censoring that stuff. Billy is an extremely private figure. He's not exactly in the position to be subjected to the standards of a role model. I think he's making music for adults. Drake doesn't have to say hoe to convey far more damaging stereotypes to a way more impressionable audience. I think that word, like any other, depends on the significance you lend it. Billy doesn't celebrate it, endorse it, or condone it. The person using it in that song is broken and miserable.

He just did an entire project with a female artist in Moor Mother. Backwoodz signed and put on a female artist in Fielded. I have no reason to think he harbors or displays misogyny.

sabbatical_

5y

This reads like an add women and stir approach

Mango

5y

Not really. None of that post reads as pandering. Would you care to be more specific? You responded to a pretty lengthy post with a pithy remark.

Mango

5y

Not really. None of that post reads as pandering. Would you care to be more specific? You responded to a pretty lengthy post with a pithy remark.

sabbatical_

5y

Add _ and stir is one type of tokenization that is used to pass off exclusive inclusion as real inclusiveness. Add anything that was previously excluded to a toxic system that was designed to exclude them and stir: call the ugly mix inclusive/non-toxic.

Mango

5y

The toxic system of... Billy Woods' artistic expression? The boutique Backwoodz label? You are ascribing a lot of power to a niche artist of relatively slight underground notoriety. It's an absurd premise to even engage with.

Moor Mother arguably had a bigger year than Billy did with True Opera. It was not charity when they met as equals on a great record. To posit that Fielded's signing is simply affirmative action when they clearly treasure her inclusion in their music and work together to platform and promote her work is frankly insulting. To further speculate it was out of some guilt for misconduct is beyond the pale. Your cynical appraisal of these people as corporate progressive types reeks of incorrectly applied theory.

I think you should write to these women with your bizarre critiques. I strongly encourage it.

sabbatical_

5y

bro i was talking about you saying this

"He just did an entire project with a female artist in Moor Mother. Backwoodz signed and put on a female artist in Fielded. I have no reason to think he harbors or displays misogyny."

I'm not saying anything about billy woods. I have no reason to believe it and neither can i know .But i was rather sayin that the logic that you apply to deduce that he wouldn't be a misogynst is kinda flawed. It is the same as sayin i hang out with black friends so im not racist. Just cause someone works worked with some female artists doesn't mean they cant be sexist. Again i don't have anything against woods just that your logic felt kind of flawed to me that's it.

Mango

5y

I was showing that Billy and Backwoodz are platforming female artists. That's an action that materially benefits women. Merely "having a female friend" is not the same thing. The "I have a black friend" trope is usually invoked to fend off criticism of some terrible comment or deed. This an entirely different different context. There is no initial misconduct.Again, the context of your criticism is all wrong.

Are we pretending you didn't refer to Billy and Backwoodz as a "toxic system" that tokenizes women now? Or are you realizing maybe your gender theory abstractions should be a bit more focused?

Marcus is Dust

5y

!!

WRU

5y

billy just cant get a nine huh

Goo

5y

Can someone sum up the 50 pages of this thread to me real quick lol

Can't be bothered to go through it all

Goo

5y

Can someone sum up the 50 pages of this thread to me real quick lol

Can't be bothered to go through it all

Aftermathbws_

5y

Billy woods has a top tier discography and you should check out his albums. Essential listens are hiding places, brass, today I write nothing, shrines and paraffin 😂 but you can’t go wrong with pretty much anything he’s released from the 10’s up to now

Marcus is Dust

5y

I believe Goo is already tuned in

Aftermathbws_

5y

Billy woods has a top tier discography and you should check out his albums. Essential listens are hiding places, brass, today I write nothing, shrines and paraffin 😂 but you can’t go wrong with pretty much anything he’s released from the 10’s up to now

Marcus is Dust

5y

I believe Goo is already tuned in

Goo

5y

Been tuned in! But I haven't heard some of his lower profile releases