Let’s hold CeeLo Green to the same standard he suggests for Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Nicki Minaj
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion did an exceptional job with their unabashed sex-positive jam, “WAP.” Wanna know how we can tell (aside from screaming “MACARONI IN THE POT” at every opportune moment)? Because every hand-wringing, insecure talking head with half a platform can’t help but comment on it. This tendency isn’t new; this is just the kind of thing that happens when female rappers decide to take ownership of their sexuality—you know, similarly to what male rappers have been doing freely for decades, unchallenged by their peers?
To wit, Far Out magazine posted an interview with “Closet Freak” and “Necromancer” singer CeeLo Green, who shared his insights regarding his new album and the state of music today. “There’s a disconnect,” Green said. “It almost sounds unnatural: it sounds digitized and robotic.” While we could certainly take a moment to dig into how this opinion is rarely coupled with a substantial search for all of the quality music available at our fingertips, that’s not the major point here. What sparked some serious curiosity were his opinions that seemingly centered squarely on female rappers—specifically, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion. Green felt compelled to comment on the often adult nature of their songs, which he believes are symptomatic of a serious issue: “A lot of music today is very unfortunate and disappointing on a personal and moral level. There was once a time when we were savvy enough to code certain things. We could express to those it was meant for with the style of language we used. But now music is shameless, it is sheer savagery.”
