I like urban styles, but I don't like this song - in fact I didn't like Rich Girl too. I did like "blow your mind" though (together with Eva). It had a great drive.
As for the lyrics of hollaback girl - well it is supposed to be streetlanguage isn't it? It comes with the territory.
In urban music for me the syncopation of the raps are more important than the meaning of the lyrics. Half the time I can't follow the lyrics anyway.

I find it very annoying and disturbing though that they bleep out words or rather omit them altogether in radio edits.
(If you would do that with an Eddie Murphy movie it would be a silent movie!! )

As for the music of today: I believe new styles of music need a playground and experimenting and some of the songs are good enough to last, most are not. I don't believe Hollaback girl will be an evergreen. Many people are buying it now, but it is not very interesting and I doubt other artists will copy this tune. It won't last.

In Urban styles of music the whole production is important. You can not take California Love (Dr. Dre) to stage without the tubes (also known as poor man's vocoders) and the whole range of special effects. This goes for most hiphop music in my opinion. There are lyrics because it's a rap, but there's no melody. Chords are not interesting and most of the time there is only one chord. Nevertheless a production can be very well done, with interesting samples, rhythm and lots of syncopation.

Of course with these ingredients you can also make very interesting music.
My latest CD is one of Victor Wooten, a bass-player. It's amazing music, very well done, with great chords, incredible rhythm changes (like Indian music) often with a funky drive. Yet, it will hardly sell.


[This message has been edited by drdalet (edited 07-03-2006).]