Supreme Court Allows Rosa Parks to Sue Rap Duo

Yahoo News ^ | December 8, 2003 | James Vicini

[Old Professer]

The only fair thing left to do is unplay it.

[cyborg]

words are like a sped arrow as they say

[End Times Sentinel]

Rosa Parks can shizzle my nizzle.

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

[TexKat]

Whew

Whew is right Howlin.

[WVNan]

TexKat, do the lyrics of the song in question above make any sense to you? I read that and it might as well be French (Greek and Hebrew I understand). What am I missing here? I grew up in the deep deep South and yet those words have no meaning to me.

[Steve0113]

ROFL. I can get that evil eye look.

I have learned to fear "The Look".

Not even a pistol will save a man from "The Look".

One Sunday a couple of years ago, my wife and I were driving home from church, and we stopped at a 7-11 to buy a newspaper. On impulse, I picked up a chocolate eclair and brought it and the newspaper to the register.

The clerk was a black lady, probably in her 60's. She didn't say "Good morning". She didn't ask if there was anything else I needed. When she saw what I had put on the counter, she gave me The Look and demanded, "Is THAT your breakfast?"

I'm 40 years old, but I was almost reduced to babbling. I said, "Uh, no. That's just to tide me over until I get home". Then I had a flash of inspiration and added, "We've been in church." She glared at me a moment more, then said, "Alright then", and rang up the sale. I got out the door as fast as I could move.

[El Gato]

Supreme Court Allows Rosa Parks to Sue Rap Duo

They did no such thing. The Court of Appeals did that, the Supreme court merely declined to hear the case, for whatever or no reason at all, since the article states they refused to grant cert and had "no comment".

[El Gato]

Memo to Ms. Parks--when you are an historical figure, you lose the right to have every say over how your name is used.

So you think we could get away with a "Jack Kennedy" edition of refurbished Caracano rifles. Or maybe a "Ted Kennedy" edition luxery car, with waterproof interior?.

These guys aren't political commentators, they are in the business of selling records and making money. They either cut her in, which would of course require her permission, or forgoe explointing her name for money. The case is strictly a commercial infringement deal, not a defamation of character thing at all.

[El Gato]

Public figure - she has no case. You can say whatever you want about a public figure in the US and that person has no recourse.

It's not a question of them saying something about her, but rather using her name to sell records. That's a commercial infringement, and what the suit is apparently about.

[El Gato]

If the Desert Eagle goes off, because the idiot on the right has his finger on the trigger, hopefully it will break his wrist. At least the brass will wack the guy in the fur coat right between the eyes, and that WILL leave a mark.

[TexKat]

TexKat, do the lyrics of the song in question above make any sense to you?

You know they have their own language today. I pick up on some of the meanings every now and then since I have a teenage daughter who was in the marching band in high school which I worked and chaperoned quite abit.

Phat = fine (as in that girl is fine)

shorty = girl, girlfriend

ice=jewelery

holla=see you later

crunk = like really jamming

But as far as the lyrics of that song, I'm just as lost as you. It sounds as if they are rapping about the making of their present and future music which is what a lot of rappers rap about.

My daughter just called me from college and I asked her what is the meaning of the lyrics of this cut and she replied that she did not know and half the time she does not know what the meaning of the lyrics are. She is 19 years old. So go figure.

[TexKat]

jewelery = jewelry

Hey is the crunk spellchecker noncrunked?

[vaudine]

There was absolutely NO REASON to use her name except free promotion of their crappy, in horrible taste noise--refuse to honor it with "song". hope she wins a bundle of their ill-gotten gains.

vaudine

[Old Professer]

From your lips to God's ears...

[Michael.SF.]

She's ABSOLUTELY right to sue. Read the lyrics and you'll see why she probably got insulted, not only calling women ho's but saying the word nigger. You think Rosa Parks wasn't called that a time or two when boarding that bus?

You cannot be serious?

First the reference to Ho's was not specific to her. Second, the word nigger is not in the song (according to the posted lyrics). The word used is Nigga. Which when used by a black does not have the same meaning.

You are falling into the PC trap

[cyborg]

Why have her name in there then? I really don't care what they do. I think it was a cheap ploy to sell their CD.

[DeepInEnemyTerritory]

ROTFLMAO

[Republican Wildcat]

apparently the title of the song is her name...therefore the lyrics would all be associated with her name.

This is a case of incredibly bad taste...not sure if it is legitimate as being actionable, though I can't really say I blame her.

[Lazamataz]

Bling Bling also means jewelry.

[Lazamataz]

And Phat derives from the phrase Pretty Hot And Tasty.

I love being a middle-aged white guy who can instruct a black woman such as yourself on the more subtle points of rap speech. :o)