Deflecting The Worlds Bullets

People usually say “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”. But what about music? There is a small saying similar: Don’t judge music by its language.

The name of the song is called "Never Mind", by a South Korean boy group called Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단), translated to Bulletproof Boy Scouts or BTS. The song itself is by one of the members in the group, Min Yoongi (stage name: Suga). who writes and produces most of their music.

"Never Mind" is part of their 4th mini album called Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa (화양연화 Pt. 2). The group, in several interviews have admitted that there are two translations for the title. In Korea it’s mainly called In the Mood for Love but the literal translation in English is called The Most Beautiful Moment in Life

The whole concept of both mini albums The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt.1 & The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt. 2 are mainly directed toward the youth. It talks about the the love you experience when you're young, but it also express the pain and hardships that come along with it.

"Never Mind" talks about his, Yoongi’s , personal experiences, growing up and how people would always put him down for his passion for music. Though in the end he made it through, and is now doing what he wants to do in life.

The song may be talking about his personal experiences, but it speaks to the audience as a whole. The central idea talks about not giving up and it’s okay to make a mistake.

One of my favorite lines from the song is, translated of course, “If you feel like you’re going to crash then accelerate more, you idiot.” I personally like this part of the song. Because it maybe blunt, but, no matter how hard something gets keep pushing till you make it.

Within the song itself there is a specific line that I think represents a really good use of literary technique called Allegory, symbolizing a greater often abstract concept. Yoongi says “ Moss surely grows on a stone that doesn’t roll.” It shows reference to an old saying “A rolling stone gathers no moss.”. He’s saying, without clearly stating it. That for all the people who were holding him back they’re suck being simple minded. Opposed to a rolling stone that is always moving forward never lacking new ideas or creativity.

Another way the song shows itself is the emphasis on the word "Never Mind" in the song, which is also the title. The word itself is capitalized making it pop out even more. An example would be near the end, the whole group say the word like in a spoken word chorus style, saying the word strongly,

NEVER MIND NEVER MIND
No matter how thorny the road is, run
NEVER MIND NEVER MIND

He also uses the word thorny, showing his use of word choice but also as a metaphor to explain how hard life can be.

The way Yoongi wrote this song is very interesting because throughout the whole song, though he’s explaining his experience. It’s like he’s talking with someone within it. In the song he talks about his experience growing up but then he switches to another point of view as it someone was talking to him.

He wrote in the song “You will make your home go broke/ From that point onwards, I didn’t care/ No matter what anyone said.” It’s like someone was discouraging but he then thought in his head he didn’t care what they said. Also a few lines down gives another example when he mentions the line “ Like I always said hundreds of time every day, “Never mind me” ” he’s talking to people telling them not to worry and to mind their own business.

Overall this song, as well as their others songs, send messages throughout all their music. Even the meaning behind their name holds a significance. The meaning of their name, which personally, I think is very cool and inspiring, is to ‘deflect the world bullets’. In which it reflects in their writing about oppression in society as well as lyrics that relate to young people.

This is one of my favorite songs by them, because on a personal level I can relate to it. Though all their songs are my favorite. I feel that both albums, part 1 and part 2, are more relatable to all youth because it talks about what youth go through, whether it’s love, pain or struggle.

Is Notorious "Big Poppa" Sexist?

Notorious “B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa” is a extremely sexist song, in the eyes of a man and a woman. The ideal man according to this song is someone who is a player and makes fast money, while the ideal woman is a seductress and uses her body as a sexual object to get money for men. In the end, the song says that the more men make the more fame that they have among themselves. With money comes with fame and fame and money comes women. The more a man seduces a woman in a sexual manner the more women will be drawn to them. 

He raps , “The back of the club, mackin hoes, my crew's behind me”. This becomes a significant and striking line throughout the song, because it refers to how men in that day in age and even now treat females and see them as nothing more or less than sex objects and that their not even worth taking them to either a hotel room, their house , or even the woman’s house their good for having sexual intercourse and at that sexual intercourse in the back of the club. He continues on and says “ one of these honies Biggie gots ta creep with/ Sleep with, keep the ep a secret/ I got more Mack than Craig and in the bed. This continues to let women know that, that when you are messing with a male in the industry you become nothing to them but a sex object. You receive no respect from a man unless he wants to have sexual relations and once those sexual relations are over your passed over to the next person in the industry. Many women enjoy being a sex object to men in the industry especially men like “B.I.G”, because they know the benefits with messing with a rapper in the industry. Women do not respect their self either , because if they did then they would not let men such as “Biggie” and his crew screw them. As a women you should never allow a man to discriminate you whether it's through a song or not and it becomes worst , because these women still allow these men to enter their sexual parts into their bodies , but cried about it when it’s all over.

He continues, “Got enough to feed the needy/No need to be greedy/I got mad friends with Benz/C-notes by the layers.” This gives off the “hoodness” of this industries and how it displays among the men that he is around that he has more money than the average person expect his friends in which he put on in this business. Biggie continues and states “ If you got a gun up in your waist please don't shoot up the place/ Cause I see some ladies tonight who should be havin my baby Bay-bee”. This line is striking, because it lets you know that the only thing the industry values is money , their lives and women. Nothing else matters when your life is put on front street and you have no other choice but to survive, in this game you either live or die. 

This song connects to this generation and many generation before hand , the reason being is that artist like Biggie Smalls has set the pathway and foundation for other rappers , artists , even men and women and it gives them the ideal of how a man and women should act and what they reputation is when it comes to society as a whole. Most African-American men and even rappers look up to a legend of Biggie as such , Biggie gives off the style that you can be bigger and size and rock the mic , have all the chicks you please , have multiple sex partners , fall in love and be successful while doing all of that and then some.