You’re Just a Baby Boy!

I saw a movie some years ago called ‘Baby Boy’ starring Tyrese Gibson and Ving Rhames. There is a video on youtube.com with the movies theme song but after listening to a little bit of it, although there is no cussing, the material rapped about is not appropriate for this blog. However, I did run across this picture of the main bicycle in the movie and it is posted below. Before I go any further, I want to tell all of you that I am in no way looking down my nose at those in the video (Snoop and Tyrese) because the truth is, I saw the movie many years ago and was a huge fan of the song at that time, but after reviewing the song I realized that I am at a different place in my life and this type of music to me now, is extreme.

Tyrese Gibson’s character. Jody, was a 20ish young man still living at home with his momma. His momma had a new boyfriend played by Ving Rhames. The part that jumped out at me wasn’t the plot because essentially, that consisted of Jody bumping heads with his momma’s new boyfriend. Often times when a divorced or single mother has teenage or young adult male son (especially if the young adult son lives at home), when the mother starts to date again, and eventually marry, the young son will have an issue with the man his momma is involved with. It seems the longer the mother was single and alone, the bigger the problem. These young cats want to be the man of the house (Although, in my experience, they almost never want to (nor do they) pay any bills as a real man would) and when they momma focuses her attention on another man they get mad, thus the head bumping!

Sorry I got off on that tangent and for those of you who don’t know hood politics like that, I can’t help you! As a friend once said to me “You just had to be there”. Anyway, Jody was shown riding down the street on the above pictured bicycle. Just recently, after meditating on this design, I have something to say that may shock some of you. What I have to tell you is that although this design was ridden in a ‘Hood Movie’ and although a smooth beat was put behind it, I think this design it WEAK! The handle bars are OK but obnoxious, the rims, especially since this was presented as a hood bicycle, are plain and exhibit no funk.....and this design looks like it was just thrown together! For those of you who will email me and say 'Stop hatin' playa'. I am not going to become involved in a war of words. The truth is, many of you will think it is funky because you just don't know any better.

To the sistas out there. Many of yall SWORE UP AND DOWN that fashion brands such as 'DKNY', 'FUBU', 'LUCKY', 'BANANA REPUBLIC', 'GUESS' and for you fellas, couldn't nobody tell yall 'FILA', 'KARL KANI', 'EDDIE BAUER' (I know I am revealing my age with these men's brands) wasn't the hit in fashion years ago! Ladies, along came yall girl Kimora Lee Simmons with 'BABY PHAT' and Nelly with 'APPLE BOTTOM' ...Fellas, along came Russell Simmons and PHAT FARM, along came 'SEAN JOHN', along came yall boy the 'JIGGA MAN' with Rocka-Wear and sistas and fellas, you upgraded to something that more represented you culture and taste didn't you? Oh yeh, I am tired of hearing the ladies complain about BABY PHAT prices! You and I both know, you still are going to buy the brand, so shut-up and get to it!

My point is, we really do not know what we are lacking (or what we think we are) until something better comes along. In the mid 1990s, only millionaires and drug dealers had cell phones. Those of you who lived on front street had 'Pagers'. Nobody else really had that stuff and you didn't know any better so you didn't miss it. Now you can't even pull up to a stop light and not see someone on their cell phone.

The color is bland, the top tubing (thick piece) has no personality and adds nothing to the overall look of the design. This area of the design, if developed could have totally recast the whole look and feel of this bike. To those of you with dissenting opinions, I will still love ya..and if I could just get hood on you in closing, as the youngsters say, 'Holla at ya boi!'