Twisting a Sentiment

I managed to catch last week's truly excellent episode of Saturday Night Live, starring the lovely Betty White. To see the genuine enthusiasm that everybody had to see her hosting made me really happy for her. She's a real classy lady. I've watched SNL off and on since forever, and I can honestly say that it was the all-around funniest episode they'd had in a long time. So good job tv!

I have to say though that I was pretty annoyed with the musical guest, Jay-z. I love 99 Problems.
Ghetto Anthem was the first rap song I really liked, but it lured me in by borrowing from a musical I loved, and I admit I never listened to carefully to the words back then. For the first time, I noticed that the rapper compares himself to "Che Guevara with bling on" in his song "PSA", which is really really stupid and inaccurate on dozens of levels.

Then, in the second act, he back with his new song "Young Forever." I know he ripped the hook from Alphaville, but I can't help but associate the song with Rod Stewart's "Forever Young." They're pretty darn similar.

The Rod Stewart Song was one of the big songs of my childhood. I would always be really excited when it came on the radio. Something about the thumping beats and the theatrical synth part really appealed to me, and still does in a nostalgic way.



I just find it sad that Rod Stewart took this theme and sang a song about wishing for all the best things in the world for your child, and Jay-Z took this it and rapped about himself, and the same old rapper tropes; being better than you, drugs, booze, ladies and cars. He talks about how he'll be young forever through his own legacy.

It's a comparison of pure selfless wishes to pure selfish braggart bull. Then at the end of it all, he dedicated the song to Betty White. Yeah, I'm sure that she really appreciates the dedication of a song about how you are going to be famous forever.



I dunno.