What is Ghetto Fabulous?

[CrimsonTide4]

Yesterday's thread in Chit Chat, http://greekchat.com/gcforums/showth...hreadid=29735, had me thinking this morning.

What is "ghetto fabulous"? What makes something or someone GHETTO FABULOUS? Is it a "black thing" or a "hip hop movement thing"?

Could the Ghetto Fab party simply been Wear Hip Hop Clothes Party or Don't Wear Your Abercombie Gear?


Right or wrong, what comes to YOUR mind when you hear or see the word GHETTO? As a BLACK person, does it irritate you to hear that word used?

I will have more questions throughout the discussion.

[NOWorNEVER]

I think Mary J. Blige/P. Diddy first introduced the term "ghetto fabulous" back in the day (about 9 or 10 years ago) before Mystikal titled his CD the same phrase. And I think it just means taking hood/street behavior, language, dress, and actions to the extreme in a flashy or glamourous (sp?) way. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it. It doesn't really bother me because I'm not ghetto and certainly not ghetto fabulous but I can see how some people associate "ghetto fabulousness" with hip-hop.

Now, the term "ghetto" is totally different. When I hear ghetto, I think of extremely poor, projects, James/Flo/Thelma/JJ/Micheal/Ned-the-Wino/Wilona, graffiti, gangs, etc.

[Blackwatch]

...A very touchy issue. As I read the ghetto fab party post, I began to think about this trend in American pop culture which Michael Eric Dyson calls the "Over popularization of AFRICAN AMERICAN culture". When mainstream culture becomes enamored with what they percieve as African American culture, then we have issues with essentializing African American identity. I think this is the phenomenon we are observing with hip-hop or "ghetto fabulous " culture and our response to it. Ghetto is a term thn is associated with low class or econmic disadvantage in our contemporary times. Historically it may have meant ethnic enclaves, but that is not the case anymore. In our white supremacist society, low class or undesireability is constantly connected to blackness. These ideas of disadvantage and "otherness" have also historically been connected with the idea of white middle class entertainments (think about minstrel shows in the 1800's). Black plight and abjection has seemingly been at the forefront of American pop culture in waves. What we witness today is a resurgence of black plight being seen as entertaining to whites (look at 50 cent's record sales as well as the popularity of Murder Inc. records). With record sales like that, obviously whites are digging black plight again. Not on the level to do anything about it, but simply to fetishistically gaze at the destruction of black life.

The only problem I have with the issue of whites throwing ghetto fab parties is that I think that is the only way that they accept blackness- or what they think true blackness is really about. But I have more of a problem when we as blacks actually think that "ghetto" (read low-classness or undesireable) is the essential black identity. This irks me because it smacks of self hatred in a way that is self destructive. When I teach kids who tell me that i ain't black because I graduated from high school, and from college, and have an advanced degree, this is the real tragedy of the ghetto fab ideal, that it snatches away from our people their divine potential to be great. If they believe this about themselves, when will they see the potential in them actualized?

Blackwatch!!!!!!

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by Blackwatch
...A very touchy issue. As I read the ghetto fab party post, I began to think about this trend in American pop culture which Michael Eric Dyson calls the "Over popularization of AFRICAN AMERICAN culture". When mainstream culture becomes enamored with what they percieve as African American culture, then we have issues with essentializing African American identity. I think this is the phenomenon we are observing with hip-hop or "ghetto fabulous " culture and our response to it. Ghetto is a term thn is associated with low class or econmic disadvantage in our contemporary times. Historically it may have meant ethnic enclaves, but that is not the case anymore. In our white supremacist society, low class or undesireability is constantly connected to blackness. These ideas of disadvantage and "otherness" have also historically been connected with the idea of white middle class entertainments (think about minstrel shows in the 1800's). Black plight and abjection has seemingly been at the forefront of American pop culture in waves. What we witness today is a resurgence of black plight being seen as entertaining to whites (look at 50 cent's record sales as well as the popularity of Murder Inc. records). With record sales like that, obviously whites are digging black plight again. Not on the level to do anything about it, but simply to fetishistically gaze at the destruction of black life.

The only problem I have with the issue of whites throwing ghetto fab parties is that I think that is the only way that they accept blackness- or what they think true blackness is really about. But I have more of a problem when we as blacks actually think that "ghetto" (read low-classness or undesireable) is the essential black identity. This irks me because it smacks of self hatred in a way that is self destructive. When I teach kids who tell me that i ain't black because I graduated from high school, and from college, and have an advanced degree, this is the real tragedy of the ghetto fab ideal, that it snatches away from our people their divine potential to be great. If they believe this about themselves, when will they see the potential in them actualized?

Blackwatch!!!!!!

I also deeply resent the notion that the only genuine AfAm experience can be found in the ghetto. It's something that I personally have experienced. I've been called "oreo" one too many times to, for instance, attack other black folks who aren't interested in an NPHC group.

And if whites throw "ghetto fab" parties, we provide them with fuel for the fire at times. We need to take responsibility for our own images and our own actions. I doubt that people got killed and maimed in the 1960s for us to act like azzclowns.

You see this "crabs in the barrel" syndrome in terms of public figures. We shun clean-cut people while we glorify thugs.

[librasoul22]

I think Blackwatch said it all. I mean, if you look at the thread on Chit Chat, you will see what they think "ghetto" is. Air Force Ones and FUBU. Please. I have seen ghetto, and that ain't it. I think the way the word has been trivialized by our society is damaging. Yet, I have to be honest and admit, I freely call people or things "ghetto." It is sort of hard to closely examine something we take for granted.


I think the difference is, when a white person calls something "ghetto" we automatically assume that they are using the word to refer to blackness in general, however, when blacks say ghetto, it is sort of an understood term for uncouth (not necessarily black).

[damasa]

If you think about it, what is hip-hop? Is hip-hop a musical movement? Is it a subculture? What exactly is hip-hop, or how do you view hip-hop?


I listen to "hip-hop" music almost exclusively (I have my other likes) but for the most part I listen to hip-hop.

I'm talking about real hip-hop too, not this fake Cash Money Millionaires music. I'm talking about Common, Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek, Atmosphere (slug), Juice, Dead Prez, Mos Def, DJ Honda, Goodie Mob...the list goes on.

But is hip hop more than that? Is it more than must the music? Because if hip hop is everythign surrounding the music, including clothes, language, all that, then I'm not truly hip-hop, or am I?

Can I still be hip-hop while rockin' my Gap and J. Crew? To me, it's about the music and nothing more.

[librasoul22]

Originally posted by damasa
If you think about it, what is hip-hop? Is hip-hop a musical movement? Is it a subculture? What exactly is hip-hop, or how do you view hip-hop?


I listen to "hip-hop" music almost exclusively (I have my other likes) but for the most part I listen to hip-hop.

I'm talking about real hip-hop too, not this fake Cash Money Millionaires music. I'm talking about Common, Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek, Atmosphere (slug), Juice, Dead Prez, Mos Def, DJ Honda, Goodie Mob...the list goes on.

But is hip hop more than that? Is it more than must the music? Because if hip hop is everythign surrounding the music, including clothes, language, all that, then I'm not truly hip-hop, or am I?

Can I still be hip-hop while rockin' my Gap and J. Crew? To me, it's about the music and nothing more.

Well, you have good taste in music.

But if you are really in tune with hip hop, surely you have heard of KRS ONE? He is the most outspoken suporter of hip hop CULTURE...not mtv/bet/top 40 hip hop, but the b-boying, DJing, graffiti, and lyricism. THAT is TRUE hip hop culture. Today though, anything "urban" is labeled hip hop and thus the mainstream definition as most people know it.

If you asked ME, I would say no, you are not hip hop. You appreciate conscious hip hop music... nothing more, nothing less.

[damasa]

Originally posted by librasoul22


But if you are really in tune with hip hop, surely you have heard of KRS ONE?

Oh, I know some KRS

[DELTAQTE]

Ghetto Fab=UF Pike Naw j/k but on the real. I peeped the "air force ones" thread and how people are JUST getting on the bandwagon. Air Force Ones are nothing new to the black culture. But you can tell that a lot of people get their "hip hop" knowledge from MTV and BET and know nothing about the culture itself.


Whenever I see Trick Daddy's video "I'm a thug" I think ghetto fab for some reason.



QTE

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by librasoul22
Well, you have good taste in music.

But if you are really in tune with hip hop, surely you have heard of KRS ONE? He is the most outspoken suporter of hip hop CULTURE...not mtv/bet/top 40 hip hop, but the b-boying, DJing, graffiti, and lyricism. THAT is TRUE hip hop culture. Today though, anything "urban" is labeled hip hop and thus the mainstream definition as most people know it.

If you asked ME, I would say no, you are not hip hop. You appreciate conscious hip hop music... nothing more, nothing less.

KRS ONE grew up in my neighborhood.

[ClassyLady]

The "Ghetto Fab Party" thread is one of the main reasons that I tend to stay on "our" side of the street. It seems like there really can't be any intelligent conversations dealing with racial or cultual issues without someone saying something straight up ig'nint.

But, I digress.

The whole concept of "ghetto fabulousness" is just appalling to me. There is absolutely nothing fabulous about the ghetto, contrary to what music videos will have you to believe. People waering $400 jerseys, driving luxury cars, and sporting hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of diamonds have made a lot of people forget what the ghetto truly is and what really goes on there. How many of us know someone who got caught up in the streets or died innocently at a young age? The ghetto is nothing to be glorified and definitely nothing to be used as a party theme.