Non-sequitir hip hop namecheck in CNN financial news article

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"NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - "Inflation of the nation, it bothers me," fretted Jonathan Davis, also known as Q-Tip, of the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, in the 1990 album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.

But what sort of "flation" bothers Q-Tip in 2003? Though the rapper couldn't be reached for comment, economists are divided about whether the nation (that is, the United States) faces inflation, deflation, stagflation, disinflation or that elusive state: price harmony. "

So, um..... uh, what other random hip hop track ref would be most appropriate to lead off the next CNN news tidbit?

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 15 March 2003 09:07 (twenty-three years ago)

not hip hop, but a recent piece in the london Financial Times was similar:

"It's the state of the nation / that's causing death, inflation" fretted Bernard "Barney" Sumner, lead singer with renowned unit shifters New Order, on a 1986 single that barely scraped the Top 30.

But how is Sumner concerned with the state of the nation and its consequent impact on death and / or inflation in 2003? Though the vocalist couldn't be reached for comment, economists are divided about whether the nation (that is, the United Kingdom) faces death, inflation or is, indeed, "in a state".

― kieron, Saturday, 15 March 2003 09:15 (twenty-three years ago)

It seems like a bit of an awkward leap to go from Q-Tip's rather vague and banal statement (who isn't bothered by inflation?) into the meat of the article, not unlike, say....

"NEW YORK (CNN/TIME) - As Hugh Cornwell of the Stranglers once sagely lamented in their timeless paean, "Peaches", "Is she trying to get out of that cli-to-ris? Liberation for women, `dat's wot I preach, Preacher Maaaaaaaaaaaaan!" But while the surly, gob-sodden Punk troubadour couldn't be reached to expound further on his concerns for the emancipation of fairer sex, some twenty-five years after the heyday of the Equal Rights Amendment, problems of resentment and financial inequality still persist in the homes and workplaces of 21st century America....."

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 15 March 2003 11:05 (twenty-three years ago)

That Stranglers blurb is fictious, obviously, but the Tribe Called Quest allusion above just comes across as silly and hollow to me, like some sort've vain attempt to both lend the quote some weighty meaning and to lend the writer some sort've hipster cred. I remember pulling the same sort've haplessly unsuccessful stunt in high school when I attempted to use lyrics from "When the Shit Hits the Fan" by the Circle Jerks to illustrate a point in an English paper.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 15 March 2003 11:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I wrote a whole paper for a college English class doing the same thing -- quotes from Husker Du, the Replacements, whatever else I was listening to at the time. I got a good grade on the paper, but the prof's main comment was, "What's with all these stupid song quotes?"

― Jesse Fox (Jesse Fox), Saturday, 15 March 2003 20:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Financial articles should quote "Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96".

― Orange, Saturday, 15 March 2003 21:01 (twenty-three years ago)

"Though the rapper couldn't be reached for comment..." Ah, but only if he could.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 15 March 2003 21:06 (twenty-three years ago)

he should have constructed the entire article only from hip hop lyrics (using one-word quotes if necessary)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 15 March 2003 21:10 (twenty-three years ago)

"Retailers have found that, indeed, C.R.E.A.M."

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 15 March 2003 21:15 (twenty-three years ago)

with gansta spellingz.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Saturday, 15 March 2003 21:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Retailers have found that, indeed, C.R.E.A.M."

HAHAHAhahahahahahahahaha

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 15 March 2003 21:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Even better is when you imagine that read aloud by one of those NPR "Marketplace" people.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 15 March 2003 21:43 (twenty-three years ago)

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