F**K YO SWAG

YEAH, I SAID IT!

Flat out... if I hear that word one more time, I'm going to bite somebody face off!

When I think of that word, I always equate it to sports. For instance, when the Miami Hurricanes football team was a powerhouse in the late 80’s-early-90’s, I heard several announcers refer to their "swagger." When the bad boy Pistons, also from the late 80’s-early-90’s, were kicking the NBA's ass (before Jordan got his rings), the announcers used to talk about their swag; it had nothing to do with the way they dressed. It was the intensity, demeanor and their intestinal fortitude... the do whatever it takes approach to win the game; the idea that no matter what the situation or what the score was; “We still think we're going to win.”

Now I'm not saying that swagger has to only apply to sports but at least it’s applicable. What the fuck does my haircut, new outfit and gym-shoes have to do with my swag? "Oooh, she like my swag".... PLEASE, SHUT THE HELL UP! That’s just like in the 90’s when everyone was saying, "I gotta represent." I understood what Nas was talking about when he said it ... but remember when that group had the song "boy you ain't never gonna find another love like this... so you betta represent." Represent what? That song was wack as hell. And don't forget about "keep it real." It seemed like in 95’, about 293 people had a song called keep it real. And in the last few years, it’s been everyone with "that's what's up". I've heard another 391 people with a song of that title and all of them owe Slum Village a percentage of their royalties because they stole it from them as far as I'm concerned (that includes you too, Floetry).

I know catch phrases are popular.... just stop biting and be creative because this swag madness has got to stop. I just heard a ten-year old girl today talking about, "Girl, I think Marcus like my swag!" She then proceeds to give all her girls a high-five and I walked away in disgust. I wanted to go and get a dictionary so she could read the definition because swagger is defined as "conducting oneself in an arrogant or superciliously pompous manner” or "to walk with an air of overbearing self-confidence." Or how about "arrogant or conceitedly self-behavior." If that's the case, you can have yo’ swag…I'm cool. Catch me in the corner or up near the speaker with my Sam Adams chilling… now that's some swag!