Love me or hate me, it’s still an obsession.
Love me or hate me, that is the question.
If you love me then thank you!
If you hate me then f*** you!
On September 8 (and probably more days) Channel One News ran a commercial for Verizon Wireless’s new $150 Chocolate cell phone. To draw the attention of students, the ad featured a song from a new raunchy rap singer named Lady Sovereign. The choice of artist was incredibly insensitive considering the classroom setting, but the choice of song was unbelievable.
Students looked up from their books or from talking to classmates when Lady Sovereign’s voice came across the Channel One TV set. The song was "Love Me Or Hate Me." Unfortunately, many students probably knew the lyrics and knew this was an explicit song. The memorable line which is the message of the song is "If you hate me then f*** you!" That’s part of the image of this singer. She makes up for being a 5′ 1", white, British, female rap artist by saturating her songs with MORE vulgarity than the more typical black, male singers in this genre.
Students hear the chorus which normally contains the f-word but Verizon has used the "clean" version which changes the lyrics to "If you hate me than I hate you!"
Playing the "clean" version should give parents and educators little comfort. By plugging the music of this vulgar singer, Verizon and Channel One are promoting her explicit music. Many young people hear the clean version and then either get confused or on purpose buy the explicit version.
Channel One made a big mistake approving this ad . Certainly some young people will tell their parents that Lady Sovereign music is OK for them to listen to and buy because "Channel One News played her music in my homeroom."
When Channel One received this commercial from Verizon, they had to have known this would be controversial. But with their money troubles, Channel One evidently finds it difficult to turn away any potential ad revenue.
Watch for yourself. Here is the ad that played in high schools for sure and we believe also in middle schools. (The quality is not that good since it is a tape of a tape, but it sounds as if the "clean" version is playing a joke on listeners. Does "then thank you" in the third line sound like the very phrase in the fourth line that was suppose to be cleaned up?)
Above: Screen shot from Channel One News. Kids see the name "Lady Sovereign" and the name of the song and hear the "cleaned-up-but-everybody-knows-what-we’re-talking-about" lyrics.
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Lady Sovereign’s image is well-crafted by her record company DefJam Records. This is a publicity photo showing the 19-year-old drinking Hennessy cognac (the unofficial beverage of choice in many rap songs). It helps sell records if she is seen as a hard drinking young woman. Lady Sovereign has many drinking references in her songs including the one that Channel One students heard. As "Love Me Or Hate Me" ends on the Verizon commercial, students hear the first part of this set of lyrics: I’m that funky little monkey with the tiniest ears. Lady Sovereign is now 20 and in England the legal drinking age is 18, but why promote this singer to our secondary school students during their school day? |
More Lady Sovereign lyrics:
Love Me Or Hate Me Lyrics
Yeah,
It’s officially the biggest midget in the game.
I dunno.
Make way for the S.O.V.
[Chorus]
Love me or hate me, it’s still an obsession.
Love me or hate me, that is the question.
If you love me then Thank you!
If you hate me then F*** you!
[repeat]
I’m fat, I need a diet.
No, in fact I’m just too light
And I ain’t got the biggest breast-s-s, but I write all the best disses.
I got hairy armpits, but I don’t walk around like this.
I wear a big baggy t-shirt that hides that nasty s***.
Ugh!
Never had my nails done.
Bite them down until they’re numb.
I’m the one with the non-existent bum,
Now I don’t really give a….Ugh!
I’m late for my shepherd’s pie
Like a high maintenance chick missin’ her diamonds.
I’m missin’ my clippers size.
Now bow down to your royal highness.
No I don’t own a corgi,
Had a hamster, it died cuz I ignored it.
Go on then, go on report me,
I’m English, try and deport me!
[Chorus]
Love me or hate me, it’s still an obsession.
Love me or hate me, that is the question.
If you love me then Thank you!
If you hate me then F*** you!
[repeat]
I’m that funky little monkey with the tiniest ears.
I don’t like drinking fancy champy,
I’ll stick wit Heineken beers.
Whoops, might burp in ya face,
A little unlady-like,
What can I say?
Well oh gosh I’m not posh, male wit odd socks.
I do what I’m doing YEAH!
So everybody’s entitled to opinions,
I open my mouth and s*** I got millions.
I’m the middle kid, the riddle kid,
I’ll make you giggle till your sick
Cuz my nose jiggles while I spit.
Yeah I do have some stories
And its true I want all the glory.
Go on then, come on support,
I’m English, try and deport me!
[Chorus]
Love me or hate me, it’s still an obsession.
Love me or hate me, that is the question.
If you love me then Thank you!
If you hate me then F*** you!
[repeat]
So I cant dance and I really cant sing.
I can only do one thing,
And that’s be Lady Sovereign!
So I cant dance and I really cant sing.
I can only do one thing,
And that’s be Lady Sovereign!
_____
Sad Ass Stripah
Jentina this is not a dream…
THIS IS A F***ING NIGHTMARE YOU BITCH!
wanna wanna wanna b wanna b wat eva
what the f***?
You was born in a caravan,
That don’t make you ghetto
I seen more ghetto in posh spice’s stelleto
You chat like a blonde but i swear your a brunette
When’s your carrer endin’?
Tell me as soon as
’cause ur f*****’ annoyin’ ma ears
with your bulls*** walk and
bulls*** talk and
crack head dances!
and you didnt get crap advances
Your record labels dumb
for signing a fitch
who can tracks her bum
whos still askin her mum "whats c**?"
your fake and you look k-cut
try wearing less make-up
you got a quiff like elvis
how can you sell this
escalade, st tropez
What escalade!?
i saw you drivin a Nissan Sunny down Peckham way.
‘Caus your f*****’ annoyin’ my ears
Wid your bulls*** walk ‘n’ bulls*** talk and crack head dances
And you didn’t get crak head ‘vances
Your record label’s dumb
For signin for a (?)
You’re fake and you look caker (?)
Try wearin less make up
You got a quiff like elvis
How can u sell this?
(escalate and St. Tropez) wat escalate hahaha
swear you drive down his house sunny day back and wave (wtf?!)
(chorus)
wanna wanna wanna b wanna b
sad arse strippah in a messed-up way
Get out da car ‘n’ drop ya hair sprays
wanna wanna wanna wanna b wanna b
sad arse stripper in a meseed-up way, how da f*** did you get airplay?
f*****’ fake F*****’ fake, f*****’ fake f*****’ fake
Jenny from da block more like jenny from a flock of pidgeons
What class A drug did they put in it?
Chicken- all spazin out in the video like you’re trippin’
Incase your mum gave birth while she was strippin’
Shuka Shake, shake the brake your hips and fall out of your caravan right into a ditch, bitch!
(chorus)
wanna wanna wanna b wanna b
f*****’ fake f*****’ fake x2
wanna wanna wanna b wanna b
sad arse srtipper in a messed-up way
get out ya car n drop ya hair sprays
wanna wanna wanna wanna b wanna b
sad arse stripper in a messed-up way
How da f**k did ya get airplay?
fu**kin fake fuckin fake x2
I have come to f*** up your carerra
Bitch- dont f*** around wid dis titch, yeah!
I, have cum 2 really take da piss
And, you, will take dis lyrical dis’!
(happy birthday!)
(repeat chorus)
Ah, yeah!
You been chattin’ bout ya gucci thongs
but how many weeks, bitch have u had it on (eurgh!)
I can tell by your dances-
dat it’s sum wear stuck up her bum (eurgh!)
(repeat cHorus)
burberry… St. Tropez.. when are ya’ gunna learn to speak properly?!
Who gives a s***anyway?
Just some dirty ol’ men in cell block H
F*****’ fake, F*****’ fake, F*****’ fake, F*****’ fake
(repeat Chorus)
