Sunday Theory

(This is an old post, I had it sitting as a draft. Figured I’d post for the sake of transparency. I am not sure if this is even interesting to me anymore. It certainly doesn’t seem very accurate.)

Is conceptual art, namely John Baldessari’s legendary, game changing (depending on your interpretation of the history of art but, for our use here, I am saying game changing) work ‘I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art’, more or less interesting because it is featured on the New Yorker’s home page in an advertisement for their new New Yorker iPad app? I am, of course, assuming that the title of the article refers to his work. Granted, answering this question depends somewhat on something alluded to in the first sentence – interpretation. But lets just say that Baldessari’s ouevre is both lauded and profoundly hated (because it is) and great and awful (because it is). Assume that you fall somewhere directly in the middle of these camps making you almost neutral and, therefore, almost negating the idea that you may even have an interest in considering this question but think about it regardless.

Consider context. Do not ignore the fact that the New Yorker app is not available on the iPhone yet (something that perturbed me to a healthy degree). Also, Baldessari is a caricature in the photo, a grandfatherly old soothsayer (which is kind of what he is in real life) who strangely, but maybe not accidentally, looks similar to how many people believe God to look. Ok enough.

“My Hood”

[2x]
Every time I do it I do it for my hood
And every time I do it I do it for yo hood
And every time I do it I do it for they hood
It’s understood I do it for the hood

The streets love jeezy and I love ‘em back
If I still had the work I’ll front you a sack
It’s all gravy still reaching wit my words
And make ‘em feel good on the first and the third
Take you back when I was sixteen wits a bankroll
Posted on a corner like a light pole
They used to call us track stars
Before they even stopped we ran to dem cars
And everybody on the block got the same agenda
Hustle from January til the end of December
Wasn’t smokin purple then it was more like bobby brown
On that hen straight dog got a nigga drinking brown (7/11 nigga you know)
You know 10 to 4 shake ‘em up talk shit get my drink and let ‘em go
Even when I’m on the road the gangstas stay in touch
Why you think they love me so much (ha ha!)

[Chorus]

I’m talking bout summertime cookouts and wintertime flights
It ain’t nothing we hearing shots all night
Ford Taurus pulls up everybody run
White boys jump out pointing wit they guns (5-0, 5-0)
Ford Taurus leave everybody came back
Hope dem boyz didn’t find my sack
Real recognize real I suppose
I guess that’s why the gangstas be at all my shows
Got the deal nothing changed but my clothes
Still catch me in the jects fuckin wit dem hoes (projects!)
Like coo-coo cal
Lord I wish mad Lou could see me now
Wish gold mouth was there wish mailman was free
A lot of niggaz crossing over dog no not me
Closest I been in the commercial’s when I watch TV
And everybody know I rep these streets faithfully

[Chorus]

Ford Taurus pull up everybody run
White boys jump out pointing wit they guns
Ford Taurus leave everybody came back
Hope dem boyz didn’t find my sack

[Chorus]
This will be a rather brief post in preparation for a longer exploration. Consider the lyrics above and, in your head, change ‘hood’ to ‘peers’ and words like ‘streets’ to ‘group of peers’ or ‘creative community’.

More soon.

I am reviving Sunday Theory!!

I needed some time off but I’m back!!

In an effort to write a bit more off the cuff in the midst of larger, edited down, re-sized, grammatically perfect endeavors, Sunday Theory shall be my Fort Knox. A bastion from which to launch critical grenades.

More soon…cheers!!!

P