By: Brittany Hobson,
on 6/11/2015
What does it mean to create an artwork? For centuries, we thought we knew the answer. In literature, an author recorded words on a page. In the visual arts, an artist put paint to canvas. In music, a composer jotted down tones and rhythms on a staff as the raw material for his/her creations.
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By: VictoriaD,
on 11/20/2014
Oxford Dictionaries included bae on its Word of the Year 2014 shortlist, so we invited several experts to comment on the growth of this word in music and language.
Today we’re here to talk about the word bae and the ways in which it’s used in hip hop lyrics. Bae is another way of saying babe or baby (though some say it can also function as an acronym for the phrase “before anyone else”). Here are some examples:
Childish Gambino’s “The Palisades”
In this song, Donald Glover sings “Now why can’t every day be like this…Hang with bae at the beach like this.” Judging from the rest of the lyrics and recent pictures of him with a young woman on the beach, I’d say he’s talking about a girlfriend in this case.
Jay-Z’s “30 Something”
In the chorus of this song, Jay-Z repeats the line, “bae boy, now I’m all grown up”. The overall song reads like an updated version of 1 Corinthians 13:11 (“When I was a child, I talked like a child…When I became a man, I put away childish things”). Here bae seems to be standing in for the word baby, as in baby boy.
Pharrell Williams’ “Come Get It Bae”
The video pretty much makes it crystal clear what the use is here: babe, referring to all the dancing ladies presumably.
Lil Wayne’s “Marvin’s Room (Sorry 4 the Wait)”
Bae shows up right at the end of the track, in the line “She call me ‘baby’ and I call her ‘bae’”. Here it’s clear that Lil Wayne’s bae is an alternate version of her baby.
Fifth Harmony’s “Bo$$”
Ok, I know this is actually pop, but I wanted to include it because it’s so catchy. The overall tone of the lyrics is classic girl power, including the line “I ain’t thirsty for no bae cuz I already know watchu tryna say”. Given the content of the rest of the lyrics, it seems like bae is being substituted for the sense in which babe can refer to boyfriend.
It will be interesting to see what kind of cultural capital bae will accrue in the coming years. Will it thrive, or go the way of flitter-mouse? For more on the many and varied terms of endearment the English language has offered through the ages, check out these unusual terms of endearment in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Headline image credit: Post-Sopa Blackout Party for Wikimedia Foundation staff by Victor Grigas (Victorgrigas). CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
The post Bae in hip hop lyrics appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Jason Boog,
on 4/5/2013
The third trailer for Baz Luhrmann‘s adaptation of The Great Gatsby has been released, showing off the movie’s crowded soundtrack. The film will feature songs by Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lana Del Ray–Spotify has a free playlist of the songs.
Much has been written about the music in the new trailer, but nobody has mentioned how a famous green light shines throughout the trailer.
We won’t spoil the plot for you, but a green light at the end of a dock plays a major symbolic role in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. If you want to find out more about the green light, follow this simple Google search.
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By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 3/28/2012
Hip-Hop and rap are experiencing a strong resurgence of late (don’t call it a comeback!). After years of indie rock and pop ruling the airwaves, young people are looking for a new sound to call their own, branching out into electronic and... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 2/1/2012
Get ready for Hunger Games the, uh, game… (Lionsgate is teaming up with Funtactix to build a social game that takes place in the world of Panem. Debuting the same day as the movie, it will give us the first official map of the futuristic... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 7/8/2011
Style icon Nicole Richie and menswear designer John Varvatos joined NBC’s ‘The Fashion Star’ (as celebrity mentors and judges in the upcoming style show, where aspiring designers compete for a multimillion-dollar contract to launch their own... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 5/26/2011
While Mark Zuckerberg says it will eventually (make sense to explore allowing children under age 13 to join Facebook, it’s not a priority at the company. Music, on the other hand, seems to be quite important. Facebook and Spotify are... Read the rest of this post
By: Maryann Yin,
on 2/28/2011
Lindsay Lohan has reportedly signed a £2.1million deal to pose for a nude photography book. According to The Daily Mirror, Academy Award host James Franco will be her partner for this project.
The video embedded shows the pair in the trailer for an imaginary action film in the 2006 film, The Holiday. Lohan and Franco will be shot by celebrity photographer Terry Richardson. In the past, Richardson has snapped the pictures of Lady Gaga, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z, and many others.
The Mirror reports: “Richardson has persuaded Lindsay and James to get involved. He has assured them it will be provocative but tasteful … Obviously there will be comparisons to Madonna’s 1992 Sex book. But James and Lindsay believe theirs will be classier.” (Via Sarah Weinman)
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By: Jason Boog,
on 10/22/2010
As we head home for the weekend, we wanted to make sure you had plenty of publishing headlines to keep you busy. Email GalleyCat to get all our publishing stories, book deal news, videos, podcasts, interviews, and writing advice in a daily email newsletter.
You can now RSVP for our eBook Summit Book Pitch Party on November 3rd. Sign up to enjoy the party or submit your book proposal for a chance to win a free ticket to the summit.
Peter Jackson started work on his adaptation of The Hobbit as casting rumors flew. While you wait, watch the English translation of a Finnish Hobbit miniseries embedded above.
In a smart local strategy, Harvard Book Store launched a bicycle delivery program.
Jay-Z scattered pages from his memoir around the world.
We showed you how to type in your own handwriting on your computer.
Salman Rushdie inked a deal for his unfinished memoir.
Judy Blume wrote a script for Tiger Eyes; her son will direct it.
We unveiled two petition to get authors on Dancing with the Stars.
Still want more? Check out our Weekend Reading archives.
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By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 10/19/2010
Scholastic turns 90 (with the launch of global literacy campaign, Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life that will target kids, parents and teachers alike. As part of the classroom component, Taylor Swift will appear in a live webcast exclusively for... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 8/12/2010
Juicy Fruit's 'Sweet Talk' iPhone app (The soundboard iPhone app comes with a silly, viral-friendly visual twist) (Mobile Behavior)
- Cartoon Network unveils Stop Bullying: Speak Up (a new bullying prevention campaign, at the National Bullying... Read the rest of this post
