Prediction: Soulja Boy At Sanford Stadium, 2007-2007. RIP.

Been meaning to write this for a while now...

I believe Crank Dat by Soulja Boy was first played at the UGA-Ole Miss game- the players really dug it, and among others Thomas Brown & Knowshon really got into it. I am sure that they were really digging that a current song that they liked was being played rather than the usual fare. I know this because when I was in charge of the sound system in Western Kentucky's Diddle arena in the late 90s and also tutored some dudes on the basketball team, they mentioned how lame the music was and how they wish there was better music for them to get hyped up to rather than the dated songs that seemed geared toward the much more conservative audience- as I hip hop head I commiserated with the situation and took it upon myself to upload some current tunes, and when I started playing them during warmups the players were mucho appreciado- I am guessing that something similar happened at UGA last fall with this tune.

Anyhow, they did it again at Troy, but then it really took off during the Auburn game when everyone was fully liquored up and totally hyped up for "the blackout", especially since Georgia had just stormed way ahead of Auburn and were basically putting a close battle against a huge rival out of reach- it was just after a TD as well as the break preceding the fourth quarter, and everyone went fucking nuts- the offense and the defense on the sidelines, and the special teams standing on the field waiting for the TV timeout to end so they could kickoff. It was more than your typical PA system song at a football game, and even CBS took notice- and participated:



Anyhow, the whole thing just blowed up for UGA, but this was also happening at other places across the country. Crank Dat was becoming a big time dance craze- it was silly and fun, and people enjoyed the superman part.

They played it at UCF when the Golden Knights hosted Texas, and the road team got their groove on. They even cranked the words over their PA system, which speaks to the point that I eventually am going to get around to making in a minute:



Wisconsin is never known as being hip, let alone hip hop, but even Badgers basketball coach Bo Ryan was getting into it:



And Patrick Ewing, Jr. was teaching Jerry Rice how to do it in front of thousands at Georgetown's march madness, where the words were also played:



"Kanu: good God, man, make your point- I'm falling asleep."

As often happens with the older, traditional masses, they sometimes don't understand what something from young, hip culture means. And I'm damm sure that UGA & UCF athletic administrators, nor Bo Ryan or Jerry Rice know just what the line "Superman dat ho!!!" {do not click through if you are easily offended} means as they do the most fun part of the dance.

My point: as soon as the Ned Flanders' of the world find out about this song lyric, they are going to go totally and completely apeshit and complain hard to anyone and anything involved in any promotion of this song whatsoever. And that is why, my friends, I do not think that it will ever be played in Sanford Stadium again. Whether you love it, hate it, or are ambivalent, I don't think it's coming back. Like "skeet, skeet, skeet" before it, in time people who were probably better off not knowing what it means will find out what it means.

Personally, I think it is hilarious when youth culture gets the establishment to celebrate something that otherwise it wouldn't touch with a 100 ft pole, it's ironic and funny and mischievous. It's similar to my eternal amusement at the Republicans using the song "Born In The USA" all these years when the meaning and message of the song are the exact opposite of what they think it is, although that is a little different than this situation. Wait till Bill "I Heart Ludacris and Jay-Z" O'Reilly gets a hold of this and calls for a boycott of UGA and Bo Ryan's resignation. It will be funny to laugh at the out-of-touch crowd if and when they figure it out and see that youth has been chuckling at their use of it all along.

On the other hand, it is probably a good thing if this doesn't get played in 2008 and beyond, because by next fall the fad will have passed, and there will be new hot hip hop songs and silly ass dance crazes, and we wouldn't want the repeat embarrassment of UGA playing "Who Let The Dogs Out?!?!!?!?" in Sanford a full year and two years after that fad was beyond played out, and everyone who wasn't a suburban housewife was rolling their eyes in embarrassment and thinking "why don't they just play the Macarena while they are at it?"

One thing is for sure. No matter what, no matter if there is the biggest backlash and outrage in the world against this song and its lyrics, they will still rock that shit down in Miami, because that's just how Da U rolls, playa:


Sebastian The Ibis: keepin' it gangsta fo life, bitches

*Footnote: despite 4 repetitions of the line "supersoak that ho", the artist himself denies any intended sexual meaning to his lyrics {fwiw, I don't give a shit either way}.