“Mister Trey, welcome, welcome. Have a seat. May I call you Ice? Haw! You know, my children have your independent album — they listen to it all the time. Can’t get them to stop, actually. I’m glad you decided to sign with MegaDeal Recording — I believe we have a lot to offer you — we have a lot to offer each other.”
You talk to me ’bout cooperation
But I got plans for a different kind of operation
Fuck with me and you’re gonna lose face
‘Cause I ain’t no traitor to my race!
“Good. Good. That anger is exactly what we here at MegaDeal want to harness — the anger of youth — I mean, I was young myself, once. I know where you dudes are coming from!”
You think you understand, but you don’t know
Gonna get me a gun and blow! Blow! BLOW!
“Brilliant, Mister Trey. Absolutely brilliant. There are just one or two suggestions our marketing team has come up with — no, please, sit down and hear me out. That’s all I ask.You’ve tapped a primal force, Mister Trey, but you’ve only got a local following, and that’s all you’ll ever have if you don’t find a way to harness that primal force for mass consumption. Will you just consider what I have to say? Good…
“Now, about your attitude towards the Ghetto –“
You shoved us into filthy pens
Took everything that made us men
We did your shit, but now we learn
So racists gonna burn. Yeah, racists gotta burn.
“Yes…well…the thing is, you see, your fixation with…ghetto experience is making it difficult for you to sell more albums in the suburbs — yes, I know they’re mostly white middle-class kids in the suburbs, but our research clearly shows that they have more disposable income than any other group, and that they spend more of it on records. And the best part of it is that they share your anger at authority. All you have to do is tone down the race-based part of your message — make it more general — and you’ll have a multi-Platinum album!”
My fire ain’t gonna be put out by your water
Fuck with me, I’ll fuck with your daughter
“Mmm…yes, I do have to talk to you about that. You realize that those kind of graphically…extreme statements will make it difficult for you to get a video on MTV — wait. Wait — MegaDeal sees no problem with brutal misogyny — it attracts adolescent boys of all races, after all. I just wanted to warn you that some words might have to be bleeped from the video, and possibly the single if you want to increase the potential for airplay.
“Now, your attitude towards law enforcement officers is another matter entirely…”
Police cruiser, police station, police force, police state
Not enough police to deal with my hate
Gonna get my gun out when you come near
And finally teach a cop the true meaning of fear
“Now, that’s exactly what I’m talking about! You have to rethink your attitude towards police officers, Mister Trey. This sort of lyric will get you in trouble with the parents of our target audience, who believe that the police are the last line of defense against the anarchy brought about by people like…well, umm, like you, actually. Anyway, there’s a fine line between a healthy amount of disrespect for those in power and a threat to the social order which cannot be ignored. All I’m asking you to do is keep that in mind.”
Old men in power, they afraid of youth.
Old racists in power, they afraid of the truth.
“Of course, which truth you decide to reveal is up to you — you are the artist. All I’m saying is, certain truths will work to your advantage better than others. The way we at MegaDeal look at Afro-American and other ethnic protest music is like a roller coaster ride. Be as dangerous as you want — as long as nobody gets hurt. Besides, we offer a lot in return for your cooperation: a huge marketing department and enough legal representation to ensure that nobody interferes with your right to express your anger in any way –“
Hate and Anger — that’s my profession
And nobody fucks with Ice Trey’s Freedom of Expression
“Exactly…”