Cobb: What's A Tip-Drill?

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May 12, 2004

What's A Tip-Drill?

If you know the answer to this question, then perhaps you need a lecture by Jelani Cobb:

It would be easy to assume that sexist music videos are simple entertainment � not the equivalent of a body of myths that have been used to oppress black women, were it not for the fact that the lines between culture and politics are not always that easily distinguishable. Hip hop is now the prevailing global youth culture and, in many instances, the only vision people have of African American life. In a twisted testament to the ubiquity of black culture, a student who spent a semester in China reported back that some of the town residents were fearful of the black male exchange students, having met very few black people, but viewed a great many black-thug music videos.

If you don't know the answer to this question or if you are still unclear about the concept, then in my estimation you are ahead of the game. But apparently serious people deal with the utter foolishness of MTV. Why? Well Jelani Cobb has an excuse. He has to teach young people who presumeably don't have the will to resist MTV. And while it's admirable to take such an opportunity to bring up historical figures like Ida B. Wells and Ronald Reagan, it's sad that one must combat illiteracy in this fashion.

I said illiteracy because that is the state of anyone who views a great many black thug videos, be they in Hong Kong, Marbella or Milwaukee. Not long ago, rock & roll and hiphop were passably instructive. One of my favorite songs said

Fight the Youth
The Youth with poisoned minds
ignite the truth
restore sight to these blind.
Fight the Youth
The Youth with poisoned minds
and if they suffer it's no fault but their own.

I don't have the patience to be an educator. That's a job for folks like Jelani Cobb and my boy Monroe. I don't envy them a bit, because getting people with a 'legitimated' youth culture to respect and understand civilization is trying work.

I think it speaks volumes that the personification of black youth is such a battleground these days. There is such a strong and deep tradition of worrying about what 'The Man' thinks of the Negro. It has kept so many knees from going out of the house without Vaseline. It has kept so much dirty laundry in the closet, that many blackfolks still shudder at the prospects of their race in the face of idiots 'representing' out and about. Where I grew up[pity], we had an expression: "I didn't raise 'em." In the face of that race raising tradition, many blackfolks still get grief for abandoning the least of their brothers. While the charitable sentiment is understood and appreciated, lunkhead hiphoppers and their illiterate groupies and supporters need no respect from me. Nor you.

As the ghetto poet once said: We aint lovin' them whores.

The 'twisted ubiquity' of 'black culture' needs some differentiation. Everything that passes for culture is not Culture. Everything that's creative isn't Art. People defending thug-hop today for the sake of free expression sound like the same ones who defended the 2 Live Crew in the 80s. Censorship isn't the answer, calling bullshit is. This is what the defenders of Art and Culture are called to do, and I wonder if they are when it is so easy to call this vulgar peasant crap 'black culture'. If it were just black culture, then it would just be blacks, but this is universal because it's gutter, and there are gutters, thugs and whores everywhere.

Some day in the next twenty years or so, when people get tired of retro 70s afros and little pimp dolls hawking Sprite, some engaging filmmaker is likely to do for hiphop what Steven Speilburg did for gin joints in 'The Color Purple'. Somebody will romanticize all this sloppy shit in the color of nostalgia. Perhaps kids born in 2020 will think of Tupac the way I thought of Bird Parker. Who can tell? But I hope they dig up this blog and know that everyone wasn't fooled.

Some may think that Nelly's vocabulary reflects poorly on African America and fuels racism worldwide. I think guilt by association works only on those who associate with the guilty. I never heard of a 'tip-drill' and even my imagination doesn't help me figure it out. These aren't people who are fueling a conspiracy of destruction against African America, they're just today's peasants, caught on tape.

Posted by mbowen at May 12, 2004 02:02 PM

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Comments

From a former "real thug", I never heard of a "tip-drill" either except in basketball. I know what it is now and can only say that it is part of the new pseudo-culture that hip-hoppers try to pass off as black culture. Oh there's a hip-hop culture, but it ain't the "tip-drilling" kind.

And about the black thug videos, *SIGH* They don't even scratch the surface of the real. Man I wish I could lay my experiences in some of these folks heads. They will be vomiting constantly.

Posted by: S-Train at May 12, 2004 06:02 PM

Don't EVEN get me started on this topic! Oh when is thug-rap gonna be passe? When I was in college, rap actually had decent messages and originality. Now it's "bitches, brew, and bling." Yawn... Move on, already!

However, I am concerned about how these images are being repped to black folks ELSEWHERE in the world. I've traveled abroad, and hip hop culture strikes a chord with folks (due to its rebellious streak). It would be nice to see some originality again and them rap about decent stuff. And these videos have just gotten crazy ridiculous. Where's the outrage?!

Posted by: shay at May 13, 2004 12:17 AM

A "tip drill" is another name for runnin' a train on a girl.

Comes from a basketball term where players line up at the free throw line and tip it off the backboard consecutively, one after another.

Think of it in the sense of a group of men runnin' a train on a horned up female. First thug in line hits, next thug follows until everyone has had his turn...

If the Nelly song is the first time you may have heard this term try listening to the lyrics more carefully. Just because they say " it must be yo' ass 'cause it's not yo' face" does not mean a tip drill is a chick with a big bootay and a f*d up mask.

Example:
"I said it ain't no fun less we all get some
I need a tipdrill, we need a tipdrill"
-Nelly

Posted by: Tony at June 12, 2004 12:32 AM

damn nigga iz think iz a tip drill

Posted by: da_runny_shitz_u_have at June 14, 2004 01:58 AM

Thanks Tony. That is truly disgusting, but now perfectly clear.

Posted by: Cobb at June 15, 2004 07:57 AM

lol, I dont know about you all, But i like my women all for myself...

Posted by: Kevin at June 16, 2004 02:59 PM

yo i dont know what the hell yall was talkin bout
but i need a tip dril me an my creww rollin 6 deep so we need a tip drill we need a tip drill hola

Posted by: sic wit it at June 21, 2004 07:01 PM

Yall got it all wrong. A tip drill is a ho wit a tight ass shape but a fucked up face. Nelly tell ya in the song:
It must be yo ass cuz it ain't yo face...
It ain't got shit to do with runnin no trains

Posted by: jada at June 23, 2004 01:33 AM

yous peeps gots its wrongs. i'm so black its ain'ts funny yo. niggaz plz plz plz wonton jigga dong. a tips drillz (alsos spells drillllzzzz) iz sumtin thats like tipsy and drilly. werd.

Posted by: fewlio at June 23, 2004 07:37 PM

It's a gurl with a hot body and an ugly face yall

Posted by: Philliup at June 24, 2004 08:04 AM

Tip Drill. I have a few explanations. As a black female...educated. I have always liked Nelly's music. My cousin appearedin his Air Force Ones video..she ws the girl with Murphy Lee. So I have bought some of his music, and I especially liked him once I noticed how he was supporting his sister with cancer.
Unfortuantely, my being a fan totally changed when I saw/heard his tip drill video. Initially, I heard the song on the radio first...and later saw the video. I was totally disgusted. I mean, alot of rap artists have half naked owmen in their videos, but not inthat light...and what sadddened me is that all the women were mostly black. And I'm like "is this all black men see in black women...?" Hence the lyric: it must be ya ass, cuz it aint ya face. What about her mind.....it disgusted me...the way he exploited women. NOw I know most of the women did it on their own, for whatever reasons, but ladies..this is a message that is perpetuated through out culture and its sickening, and I am no longer supporting artists that degrade women of my race...I woke up....took the blinders off myeyes and saw that even though women still buy their music, they are not making uplifting, dedications to women, but merely degrading and persecuting them through their music and videos, and I am no longer a part of it.
As far as the runnign a train goes....the term indicating oral sex, etc..I agree with them all, because the video itself insinuates sexual innuendos.
As a people, we need to wake up and see that we are not seriously making a profit off of these such things. Those such things are making a profit out of us and taking our race/cutlrure down...and many of us are letting them.
God Blass.

Posted by: Chantell at June 24, 2004 08:10 AM