At first listen, this record doesn't seem to be much more than some disparate and dynamic rapping atop a great sample ("I Choose You" from '70s Motown singer/songwriter Willie Hutch)--a fine little radio song, but essentially nothing more than background music. At least that's what I thought the first several times I heard it. Then one day I (for no real reason) started paying attention to it, and I grew more and more impressed with the song...because of the lyrics.
Most of the time, I pay little attention to lyrics because--most of the time--song lyrics (at least ones I can easily discern) are terrible; in almost every case, the worst part of a pop song are the lyrics. Musicians aren't poets, and lyrics aren't poetry (and don't even mention Jim Morrison). Musicians are musicians--the lyrics are there for the way they mix with the music. Words work because of their rhythm and meter, not because of their meaning. Exceptions exist, though, and Andre 3000, Big Boi, Bun B, and (the late) Pimp C prove that here.
"International Players Anthem" contains not only a great story, but also a subtle (and ultimately complex) lyrical structure as well as a surprising underlying message. The story's about a man (OutKast's Andre 3000) standing at the alter, soon to be wed, and his friends* are making a last ditch effort to convince him to reconsider. At first, the groom talks of having to email his past girlfriends that he's off the market. Then, one friend (Pimp C) reminds him that his bride-to-be used to turn tricks, another (Bun B) tells him he ought to keep a woman as fine as his should be working for him, and yet another (Dre's partner Big Boi) friend warns him of the dangers of alimony should the two ever divorce.
Throughout all four verses, ladies are singing, "I choose you, baby." In between the verses, a male voice (Hutch) sings the same. Why's this significant? The entire drama is playing through the groom's head. The friends' voices represent one part (the bachelor side, wanting freedom and wary of commitment) of the groom's psyche, the ladies' voices representing another part (the matrimonious side, wanting love and stability) of his psyche, and the solo male voice--the one that sings "I choose you"--represents the groom's ulitmate answer and decision. Despite all his fears, despite his buddies wanting him to remain free so that he can still roll with them, the groom chooses to marry. Considering the musical subgenre here, that's a darn-near revolutionary concept.
NOTES
*If you're wondering if real friends would try to make one reconsider marriage at so late a date just because they're solely concerned about their friend's welfare, then the answer is no. Only family members (such as a sister) would do that.
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