Truth Hurts: Exploitation?
Great article sent to me from my friend Gopi Shastri. Chris Fitzpatrick writes a review of that catchy Truth Hurts song "Addictive," the one with the Hindi FIlmi song in the background, with some hip hop lyrics added to the beat. I like his point of view, as I think Fitzpatrick is able to express many of the sentiments that some of us with ties to South Asia/Middle East feel, but are unable to verbalize. While I think it is great that Indian music and Bollywood are becoming part of American pop culture, it shouldn't be taken for granted as simply something foreign. Fitzpatrick writes,

"The aural and visual epitome of this "new beat" is the Henna-soaked music video entitled "Addictive" by Truth Hurts, featuring Rakim. DJ Quik produced the song, sampling traditional Hindi music. Although the track is centered on sounds from India, the video features choreographed belly dancing: a Middle Eastern dance form. This odd combination is indicative of a typically totalizing Western mentality: India, the Middle East, what's the difference? The entire "third world" is one big backwards and "underdeveloped" wasteland, right? Wrong, but such assumptions are embedded into every note, chant, beat, image, and dance in "Addictive," relying on the romantic notion that the Middle East and India are inherently mystical and sexy, as if everyone studies the Kama Sutra, practices Tantric Sex, rides magic carpets, and belly dances naked in the moonlight."

The full review can be found here.

posted by sajit @ 3:09 PM