Gettin' Some Ed!

One of the advantages of teaching in the inner-city is that you're always up to speed with the latest trends in hip-hop, and thus - to a certain extent - pop culture. The newest rap songs are always sung at the top of many a set of lungs in hallways, breezeways, and classrooms. I was so happy when the kids stopped singing this stupid song, "Lean wit it, Rock wit it," by Atlanta's Dem Franchize Boyz. That song was highly annoying.

The song has been replaced with something that is quite amusing. Lately, kids have been chanting the recurring line from Ludacris' new song, "Gettin' Some." The chorus goes a little something like this:

I was gettin some head
Gettin gettin some head
I was gettin some head
Gettin gettin some head
I was gettin some head
Gettin gettin some head
I was wit the kinda girl dat make yo toes curl

A few students have been a little more creative and say things like, "Gettin' some bread," but most of my students are not that creative or discrete. I finally interrupted one student in class today, saying, "You need to worry about gettin' some ED, as in 'jucation!' Then, maybe you'll get ahead in life." There was a laugh, followed by some comments that were among the funniest that I have ever heard.

"Mr. [Feanor]," one said, "That's what the song's about. Like, you're putting things in your head." Without missing a beat, I dropped my jaw, opened my eyes wide, and yelled, "like KNOWLEDGE!" The kids agreed, and I said, "That's awesome! A song about education and learning. And I was beginning to think it was about something... nasty... or something."

I spent a few more sentences praising the Atlanta rapper's commitment to academic excellence before the discussion moved on to something else. During the last few minutes of class, one of my students came up to me and told me, "Mr. [Feanor], that's not what the song's really about. It really is about something nasty."

"You've got to be kidding." I replied, a look of mock shock and disappointment on my face.

It feels so good to play the fool, sometimes. It feels even better when they fall for it. And it feels the best when one of your students - convinced that you have fallen for it - cares enough about you to let you in on what's really going on.

I live a beautiful lie. It makes my toes curl.