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HOOKUP APPS
"Hookup Apps" by Ephraim Adamz embody the culture of hooking up and using dating apps to find sexual partners. The lyrics describe the experience of using these apps and how people navigate the complexities of modern dating in the digital age.
The first verse touches on issues of racism and the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the difficult choices that people have to make when trying to balance their safety and their need for human connection.
The chorus repeats the message of being available and ready for a hookup at any time. The themes portray a casual and nonchalant attitude toward sex and the sex-positive movement, emphasizing the freedom and anonymity that dating apps offer.
METAPHORS & NEED TO KNOW:
COVID-19 (pandemic)
AAVE / Ebonics (African America Vernacular English)
Black Lives Matter (protest against police brutality)
AOL (online service provider)
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok (social media networks)
Sex Workers Rights (decriminalization movement)
Interactive Male (Phone chat line)
DTF (AAVE/Ebonics term meaning "down to fuck")
TRUTH OR ROLEPLAY
The lyrics of "Truth or Roleplay" by Ephraim Adamz depict a Black man calling out a supposed ally for racist behavior, then takes a turn towards sexual scenarios that is explicitly aggressive towards an unidentified submissive person.
The listener must determine if the lyrics are metaphorical or reflect a particular lived experience in reference to racial trauma.
It is important to recognize that these lyrics do not represent any form of acceptable sexual behavior towards any group of people without their consent.
ALL WHORES ABOARD / RACEPLAY
"All Whores Aboard / Raceplay" by Ephraim Adamz can be interpreted as a exploration of themes related to anti-blackness, BDSM, and sexual scenarios. The chorus of the song invites "all whores" to come aboard a "slave ship", in which all sexual partners are dominated. Racially charged language is used several times in an explicit manner.
In the first verse, "product of America", "racial barriers", "cracka whips", and "negro dick" is used to reference U.S. chattel slavery. These lyrics suggest themes related to systemic power dynamics and racial fetishization.
In the second verse there are mentions of "black lives matter" and the use of collars, chains, and other bondage practices. "Mandingos" and "10 niggas on one hoe," further suggest narratives of objectification in connection to prejudice and objectification.
The final verse takes a turn towards exploring themes of gender and sexual orientation, describing scenarios where man partners are feminized. Terms like "cuckold" and "sissification" are used to describe these scenarios.
Overall, the language used is highly provocative and explores themes of race, power, and sexuality in a way that is intended to provoke thought for listeners. While some may find the message therapeutic or liberating, others may find it distressing.
METAPHORS & NEED TO KNOW:
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967 film)
Glory Hole (sexual activity)
Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. president)
BDSM (erotic practice)
Lift Every Voice and Sing (referred to as "The Black National Anthem")
Barrack Obama (44th U.S. president)
Racial Trauma (race-based trauma)
Black Lives Matter (protest against police brutality)
Lynching (tree hangings of Black Americans)
BBC (racial fetish)
Mandingo / Brute (slang for endowed Black man)
Mammy (anti-black caricature)
Jezebel (anti-black stereotype)
SEX WORK IS REAL WORK
"Sex Work is Real Work" by Ephraim Adamz is an awareness anthem that embodies support for people working in sex labor. The first verse recites the difficulties and challenges that sex workers face, and expresses the determination for laws that actually protect them. The chorus announces that sex work is real work and that the hard work and dedication that goes into it should be recognized and respected.
The second verse emphasizes the narrative that the sex worker's body belongs to them and they have the right to do what they want with it. Other themes emphasize that sex work is not only about physical appearance, but also about professionalism and skill. Help is offered to create a professional persona and monetize their career, showing a desire to support and de-stigmatize sex workers.
The bridge and final chorus repeat the earlier sentiments, reinforcing that sex work is legitimate work and should be treated as such. The lyrics also touch on the idea of creating a business in the sex industry, suggesting the possibility of further financial and creative opportunities for sex workers.
METAPHORS & NEED TO KNOW:
Sex Workers Rights (decriminalization movement)
STOP ASIAN HATE / YELLOWFACE
"Stop Asian Hate / Yellowface by Ephraim Adamz protests racism and cultural appropriation towards Asian people. The spoken-word portion at the beginning discusses the lack of unity between different groups of people who are subjected to oppression. The lyrics then focus on specific issues faced by Asian people, including fetishization and sexualization stereotypes.
The chorus emphasizes the message to stop Asian hate and find a way to work together towards justice. There is a use of code-switching in the verses highlighting how Asian people are often reduced to caricatures in the media. The lyrics challenge why people feel the need to appropriate cultures they do not understand, and calls for an end to colorism and anti-blackness in the Asian community.
Themes also highlight the ways in which systemic racism tries to put different ethnic groups against each other, specifically noting the false "beef" between Black and Asian people. The instrumental outro allows for a moment of reflection.
METAPHORS & NEED TO KNOW:
Stop Asian Hate (protest against anti-Asian discrimination)
Yellowface (mockery portrayals of Asians in media)
Kayla Newman (coined the term "on fleek")
Coolie Jamaicans (Someone mixed with Black & Asian ethnicity, historically due to colonization)
Model Minority Myth (racial stereotypes)
Miss Swan (racialized character on MAD TV)
Romeo Must Die (2000 film)
DIZNEY VILLAIN
"Dizney Villain" by Ephraim Adamz scathingly critiques societal power structures and the individuals who wield disproportionate amounts of it. The lyrics describe a person who is cruel, manipulative, and uses their position of privilege to maintain their hold on power.
The lyrics describe corruption, inequality, systemic oppression, and how white supremacy is used to reinforce existing power structures, rather than working to create a more just and fair society. The use of language like "gentrify" and "implicit biases" highlights the ways in which white supremacy is built into mass culture.
The chorus, "Judges aren’t I flawless how I’m living / Judges aren’t I slaying aren’t I giving / Judges aren’t I tens across the board / Judges what is my final score," acknowledges that white supremacy is rarely held accountable and often able to operate without consequence.
The outro, "My evil stings like thorn’s and vines / To uproot me requires many shovels / Hospital sheets are the uniform of my supremacy / I am the blue eyed devil," allows for dialogue in regards to the ongoing struggle to dismantle anti-blackness and hold those who benefit from it accountable for their actions.
METAPHORS & NEED TO KNOW:
Disco Demolition Night (1979 burning and destroying of Black music)
U.S. Chattel Slavery (enslavement of Black Americans)
Reparations for slavery ( a philosophy to hold the government accountable for systemic racism)
Lynching (tree hangings of Black Americans)
Strange Fruit (1959 song by Billie Holiday)
Black Lives Matter (protest against police brutality)
Founding Fathers of the U.S. (the colonizers who unified the thirteen colonies)
Gentrification (displacement of communities)
I Can't Breathe (phrase used by over 70 people killed in police custody)
Blue Eyed Devil (slang term used to describe a white supremacist)
