Big ups to James, who is garnering a great deal of attention for banging on the glass ceiling and knowing how to do it like we really need to. The benefit to those known  as “big booty girls,” who have become a birthday wish for every man who one is just an aside and a bookmark in musical annals. From Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” to George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog” with that infamous line “Nothing but the dog in you,” a certain style of celebration has always been part of who we are. Historically, Slick Rick was best recognized for the way he flipped his lyrics and made us understand their dual meaning, but like Trinidad James, the flash and all that’s implied in being draped in gold has at times obscured the message in the music. Clearly hip-hop has a common muse and that muse is bling and materialism … and that is nothing new.

Big ups to independent thinkers like 2 Chainz who truly came around and talked about “riding around getting it,” because the expectation of independent pursuit is “to get it.”

So the fact that we may not like or appreciate the sentiment or the approach from other young hustlers who are spitting lyrics and misogynistic raps, keep in mind that owning one’s business and owning one’s future is tantamount to owning one’s style. And the fact is that if you are not listening to the lyrical quality or taking away the value inherent in “riding around gettin’ it” then maybe you are missing the whole point of the song. The point is that even if you have the gold, you need more.