Slouching: Lil Wayne goes double-platinum
Lil Wayne’s new album Tha Carter III has now gone double-platinum, selling two million copies in the first nine weeks of its release. It passed one million copies in the first week alone.
These are huge sales, especially in our day of digital music purchasing where people buy singles but not albums.
Speaking of singles, the success of Tha Carter II seems to be driven by the incredible demand for the first single off the album, “Lollipop.”
Music Choice reports that “Lollipop” is now its most popular music video - ever. Damon Williams, VP of Programming for Music Choice said, “Wayne has done an incredible job of consistently delivering what today’s hip-hop fans want. The milestone of realizing over 10 million views for a single video speaks to the power of Lil Wayne’s fan base. Lil Wayne is the best in the game.”
And there is crossover appeal in the song. It not only reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs, it also reached #1 on the “Hot 100″, and #2 on Billboard’s “Pop 100″.
Obviously, a lot of people are buying, listening, and enjoying.
Not bad for a 5 minute song about oral sex.
And when I say “song”, I am referring to the insanely-repetitive, crass, in-your-face musical pornography that comprises “Lollipop.” At this point, should I type in a few of the lyrics so you’ll believe me when I say they are awful? No, better keep the blog PG.
Where is Tipper Gore when you need her?
2008 doesn’t appear to be 1985 (Gore’s testimony before Congress with Frank Zappa). Cultural moral crusaders, from both the political left and right, are completely absent.
Does anyone besides me remember when “booty rap” musicians from 2 Live Crew were considered anti-social deviants, peddling lyrical porn? Sure, the controversy drove up sales of “As Nasty As They Wanna Be” (1989), but at least the music wasn’t automatically mainstreamed into the culture.
But now, something is different. Where once there was cultural agitation leading to thoughtful reflection, now there is nothing but silence. Maybe some of the protests of the past were ill conceived, but at least there was a protest.
No matter what your religious affiliation, would you really want your son to grow up to be the next Lil Wayne? Would you desire your daughter to aspire to be one of the women sexually objectified in these songs and videos?
I’d really like to know whether anyone agrees with me when I state what seems to be blatantly obvious - we have become desensitized to degradation and are apathetic to our moral duty to critique and challenge.
Has our pluralistic sophistication over ruled our prophetic indignation?
Porn culture is here to stay, singing, “Veni, vidi, vici” all the way to the bank.
Scott Lamb pastored Providence Baptist Church in St. Louis for seven years, and now serves as Director of Research for the President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. 
It and all these things, homosexual unions etc.are here to stay and things are only going to get worst. All these things have already been fore told. It is just time for Christians to get serious and align their thoughts with the like-mindedness of God and agree with His ways.
We Christians are facing times of both, great temptations and great testing. Christians at this time like no other must get serious and be e obedient Christians so that we will can experience God’s promise of protection for His obedient children.
D,
My concern goes even beyond the Christian response to this in that the degredation of women and “everything-comes-back-to-porn” culture should have many voices from many religions speaking forth against this.
That there is so much silence, or perhaps befuddlement as to what can even be done, is what I lament.
Have we moved beyond the point where this draws a raised eyebrow?
Scott Lab
The quiet is defeaning, as they say. Oral sex isn’t even “sex” according to former President Clinton. There is so much of this music now that protesting against one particular song or album would be lost in the sea of crud that is being released. They have a right to release it, it is covered under freedom of speech. But there is nothing that says that people have to buy it, and the fact that they are is a shame. Unfortunately the roles of “parents” seemed to have changed. Now people want the government to do everything for their kids so they don’t have to.
This whole issue is really, in my mind anyways, a product of the selfish behavior that is becoming commonplace in adults today. They would rather have fun with their toys instead of watching what their kids are playing with/listening to/etc…
Scott, I share your concern. I’m a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, and I believe in the right to free speech etc etc etc, but it appalls me that people listen to things like this and consider it entertainment. I have a similar feeling when I walk through Blockbuster and see videos that are apparently completely mainstream, and yet look like nothing so much as what I once heard described as “torture porn.” Desensitized indeed. The whole trend is more than disturbing; as a woman I find it a little scary. And when people are struggling to put food on the table they spend money on this stuff? Yikes.
I think it started with Rock and Roll - “Elvis the Pelvis” and such. Making Rap music controversial, as in “Banned in Boston”, will make it more popular. The pesticide for this parasite is church attendence and the unrelenting search for truth - love of God.
Lil Wayne is the best rapper alive. He has gone double platnum when we are in a recession, mortgage crisis, war, etc… artistry creativity and music are free spirits. You dont have the right not to be offended.
Don’t hate because you dont understand the why. If you listen to his lyrics there is alot more than oral sex that he’s talking about. Why dont we talk about his song “Tie My Hands” about Katrina… have you listened to that one?
“For all ya’ll who bought my album, thank you very much, for all yall that didn’t thank you very much” - Lil Wayne
-Sjane
Michael Phelps inspiration is Lil Wayne, the artist of champions.
Any comments?
Sjane, if you think that an Olympic athlete’s, or any athlete’s, choice of “inspiration” somehow validates what is put into music then you’ve seriously underestimated what most people consider important. Michael Phelps has also mentioned that his mom, the legacy of Mark Spitz, and the troops in Iraq have inspired him too. No doubt their double platinum albums will be hitting stores soon. Any comments?
Kid Rock’s newest album hit double plantinum recently as well. I wonder what athletes he inspires…
“Tie My Hands” may be a good song, but that is not why people are buying the album, and you know it. Did people buy the album “All the Right Reasons” from Nickleback because of songs like “Photograph” or “Far Away”? Or was it because of “Rockstar” where the song notes “everybody’s got a drug dealer on speed dial”?
Out of curiosity, why exactly do you think that anyone here does not understand the “why?” I’d like to hear your answer to that…
I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but they are not entitled to impose their beliefs on others. If you don’t like the music, don’t listen to it, but don’t tell me or anyone else not to listen to it. Look at the statistics, has rape, drug use, or violence dramatically increased since the dawn of hip-hop or rock & roll? The last time I checked the answer is NO.
Freedom of speech is what makes America great.
As Lil Wayne says,”Unless you have a black robe and a gavel, don’t judge.”
J. Matthew,
Who is talking about censorship? Not I.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion (or music preference), but some opinions and music are inferior to others.
Go read Aristotle - truth, beauty, goodness - the classical aesthetic critique. What is true, beautiful, or good about lyrics like, “Com’ here, so I can get it juicy for you?”
This is not good art. This is just commercialized sex. It is verbal prostitution. Lil Wayne says to the masses, “Give me your money, and I will rap about stuff that you can get aroused to and have sex to.”
Fine. I’m not calling for censorship. I’m just saying that it is banal and gutteral in the cultural evaluation.
As for the “don’t buy it” argument. Well, if every neighbor of mine decided to paint their house flourescent pink, it would bring me little comfort if they told me, “If you don’t like it, don’t paint your house pink.” My own sensibilities would be assaulted every time the sun came up.
Culture is something we share.