representing and being yourself

I was holding a CD case for a friend and wandered over into his southern rap section. I was curious, so I popped in one with Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys. The song is Bia Bia. I have to "edit" it a lot, but I'm going somewhere with this.

Well get 'em up (Get 'em up)
Put 'em up (Put 'em up)
Stop actin' like a b*tch and get yo hands up
Well get 'em up (Get 'em up)
Put 'em up (Put 'em up)
Stop actin' like a b*tch and get yo hands up
Well where you from N (Where you from)
Where you from N (Where you from)
GD mother*** where you from (Where you from)
Well where you from N (Where you from)
Where you from N (Where you from)
GD mother**** where you from (Where you from)
Well represent yo sh*t - represent yo sh*t
Say f**k that clique - say f**k that clique
Represent yo sh*t - represent yo sh*t
Say f**k that clique - say f**k that clique
Well you scared (You scared) - You scared (You scared)
Stop actin' like a b*tch you scared (You scared)
You scared (You scared) - You scared (You scared)
Stop actin' like a b*tch you scared (You scared)

Wow that was work! Ok stick with me, I'm going somewhere. Now before I get there, let me quote one of my absolute favorite lyrics. Whodini did a song called "Be yourself". They did a really interesting collaboration and what I thought was a killer funny closer on that song. Millie Jackson did the rap/song with them, and this is the closing of the song delivered deliciously by Ms. Jackson:....ok sorry there must be some trademark issue with the song and video online. Somebody post the lyrics please. Anywho this is strictly my paraphrase. The song is about people who can't or won't be themselves. Millie Jackson ends it with words to the effect that if she had been someone else, Diana Ross wouldn't have been the boss, she would have been, but oh no she insisted on talking dirty, that's her, doggone it, "I'm being myself!!!". Actually she didn't say doggone it...
Theres a lot to be said for being yourself these days. It ain't easy, its not what people really want from you, and there are certainly easier ways to be successful and make friends.
What brought this on right? Lots of stuff, but the biggie was a friend telling me what she heard about Micheal Jackson's autopsy. He apparently had hair on his head that didn't grow there. There was evidence of at least 13 plastic surgeries. The list goes on...google it. It really hurt my heart, but what hurt even more was that someone then made a crack about his real nose being huge. This man struggled with his identity and public acceptance and even in death some can't give him a break.
It hit me, Damn this man was internationally known and loved, but it still didn't get him a pass with critical people. Guess I'm not gonna get a pass. Well then I might as well be myself. I mean you're gonna get judged and mercilessly by some so f**k it, be yourself. Worry about what God thinks and screw the rest. If Micheal Jackson had taken advise from the song "Bia Bia", he probably would be alive now. He would be darker, heavier, bald or close kinky cut, nose about the size of Jimmie Walker's. I don't know if he would have been as creative. I can only speak for me. Yes I am very creative and I have done lots that folks appreciated and raved about. The problem is that after each accomplishment, I felt the need to do more for some body's approval. Hot damn its feeling real good to not do a thing when I don't feel like it! I never noticed how many folks use Jedi mind tricks to guilt you into sh*t. I thought it was just my mother, but I guess we all do it from time to time. What we don't realize is that what we want from someone is not the only thing that people want from someone. See if I get manipulated at work, then I get manipulated at the store by someone wanting to get ahead of me in the line, and then my boyfriend manipulates me for something (no you didn't miss anything, I just threw that one in there)and then I get manipulated at home, if I don't draw the line or simply ignore some of these, I'm giving all of me to people who may or may not really mean something in my life. I know how that feels. It feels exactly like a late night run to McDonalds for a Big Mac value meal, a candy bar and kettle style chips. I really thought I'd miss those super-sized fries...but I don't. I steal fries off the plates of friends from time to time, but on the whole I would rather really take care of me and skip the fries, so if you hear my family, friends or co-workers calling me selfish, self centered, and a lot less responsive to their plight in life just give em a good ole southern "h*ll yeh, but d*mn she sho looking good!"