Not only does the song challenge the stereotypes that some white people have about African American men, especially young men, it also challenges the young men in question. She says as an African American woman, I love you, but I worry about and am afraid for you. She questions the gangsta-rap identity, the macho bullshit and the emphasis on material goods that accompanies it. "Don't be blinded by the bling" she admonishes at one point.
This song typifies Hendryx's approach to her material on the whole disc. She's not afraid to ask the questions most of us think but never speak out loud. She's looking around at the world we all live in and doesn't just shake her head, but finds a way to articulate in song many of the things troubling all of us. Even better is how she doesn't sacrifice the quality of the music for the sake of the message.
Each song is as carefully crafted musically as it is lyrically, with the sound ranging from old school R&B, Chicago soul and hardcore funk, to songs which fuse all those elements together with jazz and rock. It is an album of great music and great lyrics where neither outweighs the other, and they compliment each other perfectly.
Hendryx is a veteran of the music wars. The lessons she has learned about music and presentation from her days with Labelle and performances with groups like The Talking Heads are all put to good use on this disc. On top of that, each song is timely and topical, articulating the issues facing Americans on a daily basis in such a manner that you can't help but truly listen to her.
Not only is this a great disc musically, but any politician wanting to know what really matters to Americans these days would be well advised to give it a listen. Finding answers to the questions Hendryx raises will go a long way to ensuring yourself of victory in November.
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