“She’s got legs…and she knows how to use them” Do you remember those lyrics? Can’t you just hear that synth laced rock anthem playing in your head over and over as you repeat the lyrics trying to remember when and where you heard it before?
Now what about these lyrics “ I like big butts and I cannot lie…you other brothers can’t deny…” I bet you know how the rest of that song goes. I bet some of you are singing those lyrics right now. You can hear that fast paced electro beat playing and you can see those huge peaches and dancing women from the music video.
So what’s the difference between these two songs? Of course there’s many. The first song “Legs” was written by ZZ top in 1983 from their album Eliminator. The other song is “Baby Got Back” written by Sir Mix-a-lot from his album Mack Daddy back in 1992. Both songs were basically an ode to a man’s favorite part of the female body. The biggest difference is that “Legs”, although a very popular song that even today gets spins all across the country, only reached number 8 on the billboard charts. Sir Mix-a-lot’s song “Baby Got Back” was the second best-selling song in the US in 1992 behind Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”, with sales of 2,392,000 physical copies that year. In 2008, it was ranked number 17 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. Was it the catchy beat? Was it his hard-hitting rap style? I would say NO! Sir Mix-a-lot’s song became an anthem in the streets and in the clubs because of millions of men and women who were also infatuated with the coveted big booty. Some could agree that his song opened up the gates of ‘big booty hell’ in the world of hip-hop. Now as silly as this may sound, there is a very serious situation happening and it should be addressed before it gets out of control.
The public’s infatuation with the “Black Female Booty” dates back to the 19th century when a slave by the name of Saartjie “Sarah” Baartman became famous for her unusually large buttocks. Saartjie suffered from a condition called steatopygia, a highly concentrated amount of fat in the buttocks and thighs. She spent most of her adult life being ridiculed, gawked at, and seen as some sideshow freak. So why would any female today go to extremes to put herself in the same situation as Saartjie?
Modern technology, and in some cases extremely dangerous medical procedures, have changed the game. Women who should be proud of their looks, shape, and the body that God gave them are now filling, injecting, and pumping up their bottoms to extreme proportions. Butt implants and silicone injections have become the new trend for women. From your favorite celebrity to your average around the way girl, bigger bums are the new standard if you want to step your game up. The Internet is filled with before and after pictures from famous rappers like Nicki Minaj to reality stars like Kim Kardashian. And for those who can’t afford the expensive procedure, there are a number of back alley criminals injecting women with deadly chemicals and materials not fit for the human body. And for what?! Just so some “Baller” can recognize you? Just so a man can thirst, and gawk, and make a spectacle out of you? If Saartjie were still around she would say you were hustling backwards. There is nothing wrong with enhancing ones looks. We do this everyday. But we’ve seen the dangers of plastic surgery, breast implants, and other permanent body modifications. And have you seen some of these butt jobs these women are getting? They look horrible. Ladies, don’t believe that guys will think it’s sexy if your booty looks like it belongs on Oprah and you are the size of Jada Pinkett-Smith. We will clown you. It’s just a shame to read the horror stories from women who have received botched up butt jobs while women such as rap groupie Katt Stacks is telling women to get their money together so they can get a fake booty like her.
Ladies, has the hip-hop culture led you to believe that men only want a woman with a big booty? Has hip-hop’s coveting of the gluteus Maximus created a modern day monster? If so please don’t believe the hype. Look, even Sir Mix-a-lot challenged the mainstream norms with his line “I ain’t talkin’ bout Playboy / ‘Cause silicone parts are made for toys” There’s nothing like the real thing believe me.
It’s all good if you were blessed with a nice body. Be proud of the hard work you may have put in to look how you look today. But most of all be happy with who you are inside. Remember there are a lot of things about hip-hop today that are fake. Half of these artists are not who they claim to be and do not do all of the things they say they do. We all just need to keep it REAL with each other
#IMJUSTSAYING
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