So I was driving into work this morning and flipping through the radio stations when "Dead and Gone" came on. Now I know the song is played out but its still kind of catchy and I was almost at work so I kept listening. And the lyrics were quite different from the ones I heard in the clubs and in people's cars and all. it was a radio edit, the most noticeable change is calling a "n-word" a "homie" instead and there were other differences too I know this has been going on for ages since when I first started listening to hip-hop/rap from the birth of Snoop and all. I just dont get it. Why write up two different lyrics for what is essentially the same song. Is cursing those few words that important to the song? Why cant the find a middle ground? I know there are still a decent amount of radio edits that have words censored. Growing up listening to Nuthin but a G Thang all I heard was the radio edit and when i bought the chronic cd when I listened to the song I actually still preferred the radio edit because I felt the cd version was just fulled with unnecessary cussing. I am not well versed in hip hop or rap culture I know some of you are much more than I am so please enlighten me on why this is seemingly a must for most artists and songs?
this made me think of this girl i work with. and i think its funny i told her i thought it was weird. anyways she cusses like a sailor and when i started hanging out with her most of her cds were edited. thought it was interesting at least
That's the exact reason they create two versions of the song, one to get radio play and the other to make you buy the song/album. A lot of the radio edits just have pauses or silences instead of the words. Editing just plain upsets me but I understand it and I would rather hear unedited versions.
In "How Do U Want It" by Tupac the verse "All I want is money F*** the fame I'm a simple man" is changed to "All I want is money PLUS the fame I'm a simple man" in the radio edit. Two completely different meanings...it baffles me.
LOL you gotta be kidding me! Nuthin but a G thang without the cussing is like an NBA game without the ball what did they replace the n-word in "two loc'd out ------s so we craaayzay!" and the best punch line of em all: "You know, and I know, I flow some ol funky $#it" and the chorus "so who gives a ---- about those?" .. I can't see how you could replace those naughty words, and I freaking love this song.. now granted, some cursing in rap songs is just plain stupid and unnecessary, but this is a classic oldie that would be ruined without it's cussing essence
If you guys want to hear a stupid radio edit, listen to the song "Lose my Soul" by Toby Mac. The CD version features Kirk Franklin saying the words "are you a pimp, hustler, tell me what's your title." The radio edit changes that to "are you a punk, hustler, tell me what's your title." It also edits out Kirk Franklin's intro to the song where he has a slight monologue talking about how he wants to get somewhere, he's trying to be somebody, then asks "Toby can you get with your boy?" This of course references Jesus since the beginning of the song starts like a prayer. Oh, and this is a radio edit for the Christian music stations and even on XM/Sirius. I completely understand why profanity is changed for play over the radio(as referred to in the OP), but this is just over the top. I am sorry, but a christian music artist should not have to create a watered down radio edit for some of their songs to play on a christian radio station.
I hate when they make unneccessary edits, like in T.I.'s Rubberband Man when he says Taliban, or in Eminem's "Crack a bottle" when they censor rubbers. Rubbers is not profane.
that is so stupid to me I hate euphemisms what is the point of not saying a word. . but allowing you to say a word that leaves no doubt that you meant the other word I hated how the would take out SMOKING INDO . . .then the sound of Exhales or Instead of **CKING they have some woman moaning . . . Rocket River
Now I ain't sayin she a gold digger But she aint messin wit no broke - broke. Kanye I love Ye but dude even sings that version LIVE sometimes. Almost like he's doin it just clowning, and fair enough he can do whatever the eff he wants. Its just that it sounds so stupid.
I was flabbergasted when I heard that "chrome 45" was edited out of that stupid Everclear song "what it's like". Radio sucks. Just really, really sucks. Thank god for mp3 players, and kpft on the weekends.
Cursing in rap music is just the artist expressing themselves in the manner they are most accustomed to. It also portrays the culture they are conveying and grew up in. I, myself, prefer the original versions of the music as the artists intended. I also understand that edited versions serve their purpose. YOu guys complain about it, but just like when you have kids, you try not to curse around them. Kids will eventually curse, we all do it. But you try to postpone it as long as possible, and just don't have them surrounded by it so they don't do it all the time. It is a form of expression, but excessive use of it make a person seem stupid/ignorant. The same applies to music for me. In moderation, unlike gratuitous female nudity in movies. I'm all good with that.
The old Nelly song Country Grammer chorus sound worse in the edited version than the unedited version. It actually sound preverted. I guess saying words in code that means gun is not worse than saying not which put a worse implication on the last words. Unedited I'm goin down down baby, yo' street in a Range Rover Street sweeper baby, cocked ready to let it go Edited I'm goin down down baby, yo' street in a Range Rover Zoom zoom zoom, cocked ready to let it go Lil John get low edited was pointless it still sound preverted To the window, to the wall To the sweat drop down my balls To all you b****es crawl To all skee skee mother****er All skee skee got dam To all skee skee mother****er All skee skee got dam edited To the window, to the wall To the sweat drop down my To all you crawl To all skee skee skee skee skee skee To all skee skee skee To all skee skee skee skee skee skee To all skee skee skee
i understand the artist impression part but it seems to me at times that the artists now go a bit over the top and the radio edits really dont mean anything like the original like for example ludacris' area codes: radio edit I've got pros, in different area codes i go what the heck is having a pro? is luda gay? what does that mean? as opposed to the original version of I've got hoes, in different area codes I go play on playa while i believe the radio is being much more excessive in what they do censor now i still think artists can find a good middle ground. and while the cd version of nuthin but a g thang is what i listen to now as a kid all i heard was radio edits so when i got the cd it was totally different from what i heard on the radio and i felt kind of jipped because i couldnt play the music in my room because my parents would get pissed with all the cussing in it
uhm .. i think PROs refers to PROFESSIONALS . . ie. maybe short from prostitutes . . .which is another word for HOES Rocket Rive just my idea
I actually like some edited versions of songs better. "What you know" from T.I. is much better in it's edited form. As far as to why? Well, there still are markets where there aren't and Rap/R&B channels. So they have to create super squeaky clean versions to get airplay on pop/top 40 stations. Atleast that was the case when I used to DJ.
