“Bitches Ain’t Shit”, a classic of example of gangsta rap, set a precedent for other artists who classified their music as being a part of the gangsta rap genre. Over the years, the song has been performed and covered by other famous musicians such as Ben Folds, as well as notable acapella groups at distinct universities and colleges. However each performance presents a different image, as determined by the race, gender and socioeconomic status of the performer(s).
Dr. Dre, Daz, Snoop Dogg and Kurupt performed the original. All of these performers are Black men who were brought up in disadvantaged neighborhoods and ghettos in and around Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. Ethnographers can infer that their own experiences and their personal accounts influenced their music styling and lyrics. All of the images that are replicated by the edgy lyrics are representative of the stereotypical beliefs of hoods and Black men and women who are raised in these neighborhoods. In these neighborhoods, prostitution, violence and other forms of deviant behavior are highly valued and respected by select neighborhood residents (other Black youths). Growing up in society where hegemonic masculinity is the only true form of masculinity, black men resort to violence and sexual conquests with many women as a way to gain respect and power in an environment due to the over-dominance of the matriarchy in disadvantage neighborhoods (as a result of men getting incarcerated or death), since money is not prevalent and the major factor of power and dignity. Though others can argue that rap artists convey messages with such hard imagery because it is what the consumers the demand. In Misogyny in Rap Music: A Content Analysis of Prevalence and Meaning, the concept of hood narratives is introduced. Since the bulk of rap listeners are white youths who come from middle and upper middle class backgrounds, listening to gangsta rap is one way in which these teens can learn about another culture. Since demand is what drives the industry, the artists need to record songs that reinforce these stereotypes if they want to remain in the rap business game. Personally, I do not think that the original song was made because these rappers wanted to protect their identity as rap artists and they had to follow the orders of high profile businessman. I do not believe that artists who relay such messages actually agree with them, but do it to make the big money. In the article, it said that in order to remain in the business, you must throw away your morals and values. The tone of Dr. Dre and the others artists who collaborated on this project is reminiscent of story telling, as if these scenarios are real-life, which I’m sure many of them are. The beat and sound quality adds to the hardness of the song, which emanates violence and danger.
Ben Fold’s version produces a different image. To begin, the beat is much slower which creates a more subtle and dull tone the song. Knowing that the performer is white and from a middle-class background (originally) makes the narratives less believable, because his credibility on the subject matter is only heresy, not true-life experience. When listening to the song, an image of many students from my high school comes to mind; affluent youths driving expensive cars, smoking marijuana and hooking up with many insecure girls. As it could be argued that the original version as other forms of gangsta rap are seen as a way to legitimize one’s masculinity, I do not think that claim applies to Ben Fold’s version. His image is masculine and I do not think that was one of his motives for covering this song. In my opinion, I believe that Ben Folds covered this song because it appeals to a large audience, as does his music. His music is modern day folk, narratives about social experiences. Consumers appreciate artists who can combine different genres of music into their songs.
In the performance by the acapella group at Columbia, all the performers are college girls. Examining more closely, all the girls appear are Caucasian with the exception of one who looks like Indian or Middle-Eastern. Two of the girls are holding tennis rackets, which could be interpreted as a symbol of power and violence. Different than the male renditions (original, Ben Folds), this version is more dramaticized. In the article, it talks about how female artists usually sing about competition and fighting over man. This is exemplified in this performance, mainly by one of the soloists. The first soloist (green shirt) gets really into it, especially when she says, “That’s some real conversation for your ass” and later when she really expresses herself and says, “Man fuck that bitch”. Honestly, I cannot give you a confident answer as to why these girls choose to cover this song. The only conclusion that I can come to is that they wanted to tell the story from a girl’s perspectives, which focuses on emotion and women’s “cattiness” more so than the males performances. The way that they sing in harmony reinforces the idea that this song is a form of unity for feminism and female power, although not in the most positive light.
The Berkeley performance of “Bitches Ain’t Shit” was the most non-traditional cover. Not only was the racial and ethnic composition of the group the most diverse, but also the acapella group featured both college aged males and females. This distinct property created a different portrayal of the narrative. As Ben Folds sang softly, so did the white male in this performance (first soloist). This could imply that while he is not proud of boasting about his sexual conquests, it is something he must do with his male counterparts to prove his masculinity. Though, the Indian guy got a lot more into it, his words were a lot more emotional and emphasized in the pitch of his voice. Looking at the girls, the Asian girl made the portrayal a lot more dramatic with her tone quality, gestures and eye placement. Though, the white girl in the sweater almost seemed ashamed to say the words and spoke softly. I think that this group covered the song kind of for the same reason that other university acapella groups cover it. It is a song that most college aged students can relate to, as they grew up listening to it and hearing it in a different perspective (not by people who have real “street sense”) does not have the same implications then when the original artists recorded it. The sound quality and beat was not constant; it changed throughout the song to fit the emotional and music quality of each performer.
Each of these performances brings a different image to the table. First, you have credible sources of street knowledge, which are retelling what I presume to be actual true stories. Then, you have a popular folk artist who covers the song, probably for multiple reasons, though I’m sure he was forced by the record industry and then you have two separately different acapella groups who offer the narrative from a strict-female perspective and a coed perspective. Some ways in which these performances are alike are that they are told in a narrative manner, as this song is meant to be sung. Though it becomes more of a dramatic performance for the two acapella groups than with the original and Ben Fold’s version. They are not alike in the sense that the original version has actual Black men who come from these neighborhood conditions, while the others are all middle-class children (implied by variety of factors that include but are not limited to clothing, assumption that they can afford college tuition). While most of these performances are stereotypical as is portrayed through the clarity of language and movement, the Berkeley performance struck me as resistant when the white girl really slowed down her words, it gave it a different spin.
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