My Dinner Meal At A Strip Club

Farewell black radio - Banned From The House

Last evening I left the office later than usual.
After learning that my kids and our house guests had ate up all of the food I decided to go a Black owned sports bar on the way home.  CLOSED.   (What?  When did this happen?)

I had to do a u-turn and go to the competitor across the street which likely put the other place out of business.
"The Tavern" on Tara Blvd in Jonesboro GA.

This is a newly refurbished sports bar but was woefully empty (on a Tuesday night) to remain in business.

There was a woman's college basketball game on the big screen.  I have been promising myself that I would make it to a woman's basketball game for the past 3 years (the Atlanta Dream or the Georgia Tech Lady Jackets).

I have a new crush on #44, Betnijah Laney, on the Rutgers woman's basketball team.  She is cute and can "ball".  And she is 6 feet tall.

Yes she is too young for me (and I am married).  I have no plans beyond distant praise for her career success.



As I watched the game though I couldn't help but notice the selection of music that was being played in this otherwise middle class, Black oriented sports bar.    They were playing "boot shaking", strip club music.

Don't get me wrong - I have been to my share of such clubs back in the day with the boys so I am not "hating".  The point is that for this particular setting the music was inappropriate.

They weren't playing the "radio edits" of any of these songs.   They were playing the "strip club edition".

The irony of a woman's basketball game on 4 big screen televisions versus the music which said "my girlfriend can do things that your girl won't do" was a great irony.  In addition to this all of the standard "Nigga" references in nearly every song proved that the NAACP's burial of the word has failed to take root among the 'Hip Hop Voice Of The Street Pirate' community.

Across the street from this particular sports bar (and I do not know if it is Black owned or not) is an "Applebeys" and further down the street is a "Hooters".   If I had my family with me I know what to expect in "Hooters" and would not likely go there as it is not targeted at the family.  With "Applebey's" - my kids love the place and it has the very same televised content as does "The Tavern".

When it comes to the music that is played - I assure you that "Applebey's" would never play the type of music that the patrons at "The Tavern" were treated to.

Yes there was a dance floor in the back of the place and I am sure that it gets used on the weekends.  I think that the management of the club need to find their way in regards to the level of sophistication and credibility they seek to maintain and retain.

Here is a selection of the songs that I identified - thanks to magic of "Sound Hound" - a music identification service on my smartphone:

1. "Hit It On The Road" - The Dream
2. "My Chick Bed" - Nicki Minaj
3. "Drop It Low" (Explicit Version) - Ester Dean
4. "On To The Next One" - Jay-Z
5. "Life Of Da Party" - Snoop Dogg
6. "Imma B" - Black Eyed Peas
7. "Toot It And Boot It" - YG
8. "Bring It Back" - Travis Porter
9. "Moment 4 Life" - Nicki Manaj
10. "What's My Name" - Rihanna

(Go see the lyrics of any of these songs - with the exception of Imma B".

Now don't get me wrong - as a man - the thought of Rihanna asking me "can you handle this" is quite intriguing.  

If there was ever a time for "Black feminists" to stand up and go against the grain of a growing trend of the "strip joint-ification" of our "cultural norm" the time is now.   The irony of having the Rutgers woman's basketball team playing, the same team made famous by the infamous reference made by Don Immus - having their game played to the beat "strip club music" can't be missed.

I could not help but notice that despite the fact that I had never heard the majority of this music before the name "Travis Porter" stood out.   One block north on Tara Blvd is the quick oil change place that I talked about earlier this year.   

When I took my car there for an oil change the young Black males on the staff had the local "Hip Hop Voice Of The Street Pirate" radio station on at a business.  I learned about the Travis Porter song "Make It Rain Trick" from this experience. 

• My Two Different Experiences At Oil Change Garages
• Feigned Outrage Over Offensiveness For Political Opportunism
• (I Can't Find The Original Post About The Quick Oil Change)

The frustration that I have with the prevailing Black consciousness is that it gets "offended" and "outraged" at the WRONG things - far too often.

The contrast that I have personally experienced as a customer in the two oil change places and the likely increase in perceived value at the more professional location is grounds enough for us to "PULL UP".  There is a time and a place for everything.  When it comes to "booty club music" - a sports bar that has to pay rent and a construction loan back based upon the revenues it can attract through the front door from its patrons can't afford to troll in the gutter with its music selection.  

Applebey's was full while The Tavern was empty.   This should be sufficient "constructive feedback" for the managers to note what they need to do to remain in business.