Single Review: Jennifer Lopez "Jenny From The Block"

Jennifer Lopez claims, despite her millions, that she's a regular person like everyone else in the smug "Jenny From the Block."

The Beatnuts' "Off the Block" sample starts the single. The Beatnuts say the in the neighborhood, the children become adults, the women take care of the home and have babies. Meanwhile, the men work at their jobs, whether it be legit or illegal. They say everyone needs some type of job to make it.

"Children grow and women producing/Men go working/Some go stealing/Everyone's got to make a living."

As the flute sample plays in the background, the LOX boast that they went from rags to riches. Everyone in their old neighborhood is jealous of them now. However, they remember they didn't have it so good once. Their music on the radio and they private jets. They say their images aren't manufactured. Then, the KRS-One sample "South Bronx" sneaks in.

"L O X/J. Lo/We off the block this year/Went from a little to a lot this year/Everybody mad at the rocks that I wear/I know where I'm goin' and I know where I'm from/You hear LOX in your ear/Yea, we're at the airport out decline from the block/Where everybody air-forced-out/With a new white tee, you fresh/Nothin' phony with us, make the money, get the mansion, bring the homies with us."

In the first verse, Lopez says she began as a Fly Girl on the sketch comedy television show, In Living Color and then began doing movies. After a couple of box office bombs, she finally hit with "Selena." She then recorded two successful albums, On the 6 and J-Lo. Hollywood noticed her and soon she was featured in all the gossip mags. She says that as she made more money, she did not let her fame go to her head. She reiterates again that she's genuine. She says she's herself on talk shows. She's tells people to stop being mean to her and she is who she says she is.

"From In Living Color and movie scripts/To On the 6 to J. Lo to this headline clips/I stayed grounded as the amounts roll in/I'm real, I thought I told you/I'm real, even on Oprah/That's just me/Nothin' phony, don't hate on me/What you get is what you see."

In the chorus, she tells her fans not to see her as a greedy famewhore. She's actually sweet, kind Jenny Lopez from the old neighborhood. She says she didn't have much growing and now she's rich. Even if she's in Hollywood, she remembers her roots.

"Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got/I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the block/Used to have a little, now I have a lot/No matter where I go, I know where I came from (from the Bronx!)/Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got/I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the block/Used to have a little, now I have a lot/No matter where I go, I know where I came from (from the Bronx!)/Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got/I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the block/Used to have a little, now I have a lot/No matter where I go, I know where I came from (from the Bronx!)/Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got/I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the block/Used to have a little, now I have a lot/No matter where I go, I know where I came from (from the Bronx!)"

Article Author: Pam Avoledo

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