As the economic crisis grinds on, I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot more of what I call “recession rap” — a sub-genre where artists rhyme about struggling to make rent instead of buying out the bar. Case in point: Cam’ron’s best single in years, “I Hate My Job,” which premiered last night at ihiphop.com. (Check it out below; some NSFW language.) Last time we heard from Cam, he was bragging about the sparkly jewels on his wrist. And now? “I woke up late, didn’t even have a shower/Lunch break? Gimme a break: A damn half an hour/All this bulls— for 12 bucks an hour!” All of a sudden, the Harlem hustler sounds like one of the drones from Office Space. Love it.
“I Hate My Job” is recession rap at its finest: relatable, fun, and refreshingly free of materialistic posturing. I know it struck a chord with me, even though I am a pop-culture blogger who personally couldn’t hate my job less at the moment. How about you? As far as I’m concerned, the more tracks we get like “I Hate My Job” — or Rugged N Raw’s “I’m Broke and Proud,” or Young Jeezy’s “Vacation” — the better.
More on Cam’ron and pop-culture during a recession:
Office Space celebrates 10th annniversary (in perfect economy to watch Office Space again)
Jon Stewart’s beautiful (stimulus) package
“I’m Broke and Proud”: The time is right for recession rap
EW liked Cam’ron’s 2004 album Purple Haze
Comments (1-5) of 5 Add your comment
Hey i’m for it. Rap needs to get more gritty. Tired of all this playground happ dance bs. I want my raps mean and honest.
Nice find Simon. It’s nice to find a song/video that reflects these times with humility and a little humor.
dude this song is soo cool
It was good, I was just wondering…why is she going to brush her teeth, THEN smoke weed? It’s all about continuity.
great minds think alike!
Sahtyre- J-O-B
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?tngkqjmxm3q