Dear Big Sean,
First off, I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of rap music to begin with—regardless of the tune, lyrics, messages or use of profanity. I’m much more of a Pop/Alternative fan; sometimes I’ll even listen to a bit of Classical when I’m feeling fancy. I’ll also admit that my street cred is close to nonexistent. I never really caught on when it became “cool” in 7th grade to listen to Soulja Boy or Snoop Dog… Instead I preferred my playlists, which mostly consisted of the soundtrack to “High School Musical” (“We’re All in This Together”, anyone?). However, on the rare occasions I do listen to rap, it’s usually while having a casual dance party of one in my living room.
When I first heard your new single “I Don’t F*** with You,” I was a bit surprised at the lyrics. I couldn’t help but cringe. Your use of profanity was filled with such a hatred I’ve rarely been exposed to. I’ve always been conscious to the fact that a lot of rap songs hold messages degrading to women, but your song opened my eyes to how pointed and severe such an argument could be. I was even more offended when I realized your song was about your recent break up with Glee star Naya Rivera. The fact that you were targeting a specific woman made it even more personal. I couldn’t help but imagine Naya’s reaction to the song, let alone having to hear it on the radio, see it performed on TV or experience people singing along to it. I can’t imagine having a song of this nature written about me, containing such a personal message.
I’m not saying you’re the only one who’s used this power before. Every artist draws on personal experiences to create something meaningful. Taylor Swift’s ballad “Out of the Woods” has references to her brief relationship with Harry Styles. Her lyrics describe intimate moments as she revisits a night they “moved the furniture so [they] could dance,” etc. What if Harry didn’t want those details of their relationship published? Does he feel violated now that such intimate moments are shared with the public?
Today, most artists, singers and other innovators have an unlimited amount of creative freedom. We can draw poignant pictures of what interests us, and we can write about events that inspire us. But with the release of “I Don’t F*** With You” (and being the analytical person I am), I can’t help myself but ask: To what extent does this “freedom to create” harm audience members as a byproduct? And how am I, a 19-year-old female, supposed to listen/dance/sing along to music I like without supporting horrible messages such as the degradation of women?
I don’t think there’s one sole answer or a solution to these questions, but I do think that we can sometimes take our creative freedom lightly, unaware of how we can influence or affect our audiences. When that is the case, it is important that we are mindful of how we’re coming across, understanding the effects of what we’re saying and making sure our approach is what we intended.
Maybe our messages will be even more powerful by using such thinking, attracting attention from the public in a desired way. Maybe with this in hindsight, we can work to improve the content we create, challenging our audiences without insulting them.