some guy..writes a lot of crap

[Big Will]

that guy doesn't know what he is talkin' about.

Edited June 30, 2006 by Big Will

[Schnazz]

Interesting review, though I think it was more of a thesis than a review... But I don't get why ya'll are up in arms, it seemed like a pretty positive review. Jazzy's great on the wheels, check. Will is a great story teller, check. The album gives new folks a chance to check out some hip hop history, check. What more do ya want?

[Turntable]

Amen.

[sonic1988]

that review almost sounds like a review of thr fresh prince DVDs rather than a review of the album. But that review is weird. Especially when they show a pic of Will and the caption says "Will Smith". I mean damn, talk about obvious, lol.

[MaxFly]

Interesting review, though I think it was more of a thesis than a review... But I don't get why ya'll are up in arms, it seemed like a pretty positive review. Jazzy's great on the wheels, check. Will is a great story teller, check. The album gives new folks a chance to check out some hip hop history, check. What more do ya want?

I'm with Schnazz... I thought it was a positive review. It may have been a little more indepth and complicated than it needed to be but as Schnazz said, it was more of a thesis than anything else. He makes some good points. The acceptance of Will into Bel Air society sort of represents the acceptance of hip hop into the mainstream with Will personifying hip hop and the Banks personifying the accepted mainstream... I agree that it's a bit convoluted... and sometimes plain odd... but all in all, it's not that bad.

[Hero1]

Hip-hop's rise was due, in part, to its ability to incorporate and reformat elements from the TV generation into its postmodern collage.

The song's sample of "I Dream of Jeannie" is a slice of television lore that also infuses a marvelous tension between the fantasy of a yes-woman "Jeannie" and Smith's funny tirade against the ladies.

the show's dialogue continually refers to Jazzy Jeff & the Prince's music.

Will Smith, then, becomes the personification of "good" hip-hop, taken in by upper class blacks and whites and recognized for what he has to offer, often in spite of his quips and quirks.

His constant teasing of his rich uncle Phil's weight makes more sense when viewed as hip-hop's counter-critique of middle and upper class black Americans who were highly skeptical of rap's entrance through the metaphorical door. "You've gotten too comfortable," hip-hop would say. "You got too big and forgot about the struggle." And that's exactly what Will says.

So no the writers wern't writing fat jokes on a sitcom..they were critiquing upper class black americans thoughts on rap!!! :nhawong:

hailing from the poorer and more street savvy side of the tracks, represented the "other side of hip-hop". Jeff was "bad" hip-hop. Where Will Smith got through the door with songs like "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" and "Parents Just Don't Understand", Jeff kept getting thrown face-first out of the house.

:shakehead:

The aggression is there, plus the peculiar shout out to rap's constituents, in particular the "streets" and the "homies on the blocks":

:shrug:

[scyhigh99]

Okay. First off, I think everyone can agree that this review was "positive" in tone; the author definitely discussed the album and JJFP in a favorable light. That's not really up for debate, and I don't think anyone has argued against that, so let's not confuse things. The issue is about the "thesis," as Shnazz aptly called it, or the whole weaving together of the FPOBA story and JJFP's place in mainstream American culture, hip-hop history, etc.

I agree with Tim that the writers and actors in FPOBA weren't consciously trying to create a show with characters and themes that paralleled any real-life themes in the rise of JJFP or anything else. FPOBA wasn't secretly some complex allegory; it was in fact a straight-shooting sitcom. I agree that the crew on the set were probably much more concerned about coming up with good fat jokes than they were with making some sort of shadowy greater "statement."

But I don't think the author would argue that point, either; at no point did he say that any of the parallels he discusses were preconcieved or intentional. I'm pretty sure the "thesis" angle in the article was just an attempt to be clever, and to spice up a ho-hum album review with a gimmicky comparison to illustrate certain points. Did it work? I would say no - hence my earlier quote about writing often being reduced to "inflating weak ideas" - but I don't think he was an idiot not making any sense, so much as a bored writer trying a little too hard to be "interesting."

And done.

Edited July 1, 2006 by scyhigh99

[Hero1]

^^^^ what Dave said :1-say-yes: :3-japsmile:

[Jonny 5]

I thought that was an interesting read, I can see where he's coming from... just looking at it from an angle I guess we've never really looked at before.

[E - Style-Greesy - E]

Well a lot of things he said might not be politically correct or even a little absurd but his review was positive and its good publicity I guess.

Yeah, I somehow thought the same! :sick: