Sometimes, tuning into mainstream radio can be an exercise in deciphering the pulse of popular culture, even when that pulse is questionable. It’s a guilty pleasure, a peek into the often-bizarre world of FM airwaves. Having a low bar for radio content means rarely being shocked, but occasionally, a song breaks through the noise for all the wrong reasons.
Recently, while flipping through stations, Busta Rhymes’ track “Arab Money” blasted through the speakers, and it was jarring. The song, featuring Ron Browz, hinges on a chorus that sounds like nonsensical Arabic-inspired sounds coupled with the boast “We gettin’ Ay-rab money!” The sheer ignorance of such a song achieving heavy rotation is astonishing.
Now, let’s be clear, hip-hop is a deeply loved genre, one often defended for its raw expression and cultural impact. However, “Arab Money,” regardless of any intended message, is simply indefensible. It’s akin to rappers casually using racial slurs against white people, as if their own experiences somehow grant them a pass on basic racial decency. The idea of Soulja Boy associating with someone called “Ay-rab” should be as unacceptable as the Jonas Brothers hanging out with someone nicknamed “Blackie.” Both scenarios reek of insensitivity and a lack of understanding.
Omar Offendum, an Arab American rapper from Los Angeles, had a particularly insightful reaction to “Arab Money.” Listening to it while touring in Damascus, he immediately pinpointed the issues: the fake-Arabic gibberish in the chorus, the mispronunciation of “Arab,” and the reliance on stereotypical imagery of Arab culture. Offendum noted the song’s fixation on “extreme opulence” seen in places like Dubai, mixing lines about desert golf, seven-star hotels, and “money as long as Arab beards” with bizarre references to “gambling with Arafat” and “security on camelback.” The alt text for this image could be: “Rapper Busta Rhymes performing live, highlighting the controversy surrounding his song ‘Arab Money’ and cultural stereotypes.”
Busta Rhymes, in his defense on ContactMusic.com, claimed, “Sometimes, people like to twist things. We ain’t mockin’ the culture. We ain’t tryin’ to be disrespectful. Ain’t no racism going on right here. If you listen to the song, you see that we are actually acknowledging the fact that the Arabian culture, a Middle East culture is one of the few cultures, that value passing down hard work and riches that’s been built amongst the family…So, we are actually biggin’ up the culture.”
However, this explanation rings hollow. “Arab Money” isn’t satire, nor is it a nuanced cultural appreciation. It’s rooted in pure ignorance, amplified through the powerful platform of hip-hop. Bonsu Thompson, from SLAM and XXL, astutely observed that hip-hop’s audacity can stem from a “victim’s complex.” But when artists resort to hateful racial slurs and lazy stereotypes, Thompson argues, “instead of teaching, they’re playing to an ignorant base of their fans.” This song unfortunately falls into the latter category.
The setting for Busta Rhymes’ upbringing is crucial here. In many urban neighborhoods along the northern Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes, Arab Americans, Middle Eastern immigrants, and Black communities coexist, sometimes tensely. Often, Black residents are consumers in businesses owned by immigrants. This proximity doesn’t automatically foster understanding; instead, xenophobia and cultural ignorance can thrive. Derogatory terms like “the Habibi store” or “the Ay-rab store” are common, reflecting underlying tensions and a lack of respect.
These neighborhoods need efforts to bridge divides and combat ignorance. Songs like “Arab Money” actively undermine such efforts. They reinforce negative stereotypes and contribute to a climate of disrespect.
Imagine the outrage if Busta Rhymes, a Muslim man himself, was addressed with a slur like “Mooslim” by a record executive. Yet, he willingly uses “Ay-rab,” a derogatory term, in his song. He, a Brooklyn native familiar with Arab Americans, resorts to shallow rhymes about stereotypical Middle Eastern wealth.
Prior to performing the song at New York City’s Knitting Factory, Busta’s attempt at profundity was to declare, “We ain’t stackin’ chips no more…we ain’t makin’ it rain no more. After Nov. 4, we gettin’ so much new sh**, we gonna call that motherf$#%&@ Ay-rab money.” This statement only further cemented the song’s problematic nature.
Busta Rhymes, a respected figure in hip-hop, is capable of better. “Arab Money” represents a significant misstep, a moment where cultural sensitivity was sacrificed for a shallow and offensive track. The hip-hop community, and its artists, should strive for more responsible and enlightened representation.
