This may seem a bit disrespectful - and I certainly don't mean it that way for either Confucians or rappers - but I can't help but sense a Confucian overtone to this well-known song by Fort Minor (a youtube performance here; partial lyrics below, with some strong language):
This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!
Mike! - He doesn't need his name up in lights
He just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic
He feels so unlike everybody else, alone
In spite of the fact that some people still think that they know him
But fuck em, he knows the code
It's not about the salary
It's all about reality and making some noise
Makin the story - makin sure his clique stays up
That means when he puts it down Tak's pickin it up! let's go!
Who the hell is he anyway?
He never really talks much
Never concerned with status but still leavin them star struck
Humbled through opportunities given to him despite the fact
That many misjudge him because he makes a livin from writin raps
Put it together himself, now the picture connects
Never askin for someone's help, to get some respect
He's only focused on what he wrote, his will is beyond reach
And now when it all unfolds, the skill of an artist....
It is Confucian, despite the profanity, in that it emphasizes the performative aspect of life over the reputational and materialistic elements. You have to enact the "name" in order to rightfully claim the name. You can't just live off the repute of the name; you have to live the name. In this case it is about living up to the "code" of rapping. It's not about money or status. What is most important is being "real", making the real music, connecting with the real audience, and cherishing real friends (or, in the lingo of the lyrics: "making sure his clique stays up."). In other words, it's all about the rectification of names. Here's The Man:
Listen, if names aren't rectified, speech doesn't follow from reality. If speech doesn't follow from reality, endeavors never come to fruition. If endeavors never come to fruition, then Ritual an music cannot flourish. If Ritual and music cannot flourish, punishments don't fit the crime. If punishments don't fit the crime, people can't put their hands and feet anywhere without fear of losing them...(13.3)
Interestingly, when laying down this notion of name rectification, Confucius comes close to profanity himself. When he first states how important rectification is, and his interlocutor suggests that this is impractical, Confucius rips him: Hinton's translation has the Sage saying: "You're such an uncivil slob;" while Ames/Rosement renders it: "How can you be so dense!" He's telln' it....
And notice how important the music is to Confucius, too. Could we go so far as to say: It's all about reality and making some noise?
Maybe we could rename the song to: Rectifyn' the Name (it even fits the beat)....
Sam,
That was brilliant. I once used 50 Cent to teach footnotes, but this is far, far better. I've probably heard this song a million times and never thought of it in this context. A little irreverant perhaps, but it's given me a great idea for class...
Posted by: Jeremiah | September 17, 2007 at 06:41 PM
And somehow I think that quote from the Analects would make a decent rap.
Posted by: chriswaugh_bj | September 18, 2007 at 08:47 AM