The Dozens is a game among two contestants, common in African American communities, where participants insult each other until one gives up or violence erupts. It is customary for the Dozens to be played in front of an audience of bystanders, who encourage the participants to reply with more egregious insults to heighten the tension and consequently, to be more interesting to watch. Among African Americans it is also known as "sounding", "joning", "woofing", "wolfing", "sigging", or "signifying"^[1][2], while the insults themselves are known as "snaps".^[3][4][5]

The origin of the game is unclear, but it has roots in Africa: similar contests are held in Nigeria among the Igbo people, and in Ghana. Comments in the game focus on the opposite player's intelligence, appearance, competency, social status, financial situation, and disparaging remarks about the other player's family members—mothers in particular—are common. Commentary is often related to sexual issues, where the game is then referred to as the "Dirty Dozens".^[6] According to sociologist Harry Lefever and journalist John Leland, the game is almost exclusive to African Americans; whites often fail to understand how to play the game and can take remarks in the Dozens seriously.^{[note 1]} Both males and females participate, but the game is more commonly played among males of varying social status.^[1]

Several theories have been put forth to explain why the game was developed. One hypothesis from 1939 suggests that the game formed as a way for African Americans to express aggression in an oppressive society that severely punished such displays against whites. Another theory from 1962 highlights the game's focus on one's opponents mother is a reflection of the dominance of females in African American families and how young males may feel rejected by females and react accordingly. The importance of mothers in African and African American families is at the heart of the game: insulting someone else's mother is sure to inflame the passions of the other player. The Dozens is a contest of personal power: wit, self-control, verbal ability, mental acuity, and toughness.^[6]

Origins[link]

The first academic treatment of the Dozens was made in 1939 by Yale-based psychologist and social theorist John Dollard, who described the importance of the game among African American males, and how it is generally played. Dollard's description is considered pioneering and accurate.^[7] The Dozens is a "pattern of interactive insult" evident in low, middle, and upper class African Americans, among males and females, children and adults. Usually two participants engage in banter, but always in front of others, who instigate the participants to continue the game by making the insults worse. Frequently used topics among players who "play the Dozens" or are "put in the Dozens" are one's opponent's lack of intelligence, ugliness, alleged homosexuality, alleged incest, cowardice, poor hygiene, and exaggerations of physical defects, such as crossed eyes.^[8]

Dollard originally wrote that he was unaware of how the term "Dozens" developed, although he suggested a popular twelve-part rhyme may have been the reason for its name. He only speculated on how the game itself grew to such prominence. Other authors following Dollard have added their theories. Author John Leland describes an etymology, writing that the term is a modern survival of an English verb—"to dozen"—dating back at least to the fourteenth century and meaning "to stun, stupefy, daze" or "to make insensible, torpid, powerless".^[9] Amuzie Chimezie, writing in the Journal of Black Studies in 1976, connects the Dozens to a Nigerian game called Ikocha Nkocha, literally translated as "making disparaging remarks". This form of the game is played by children and adolescents, and it takes place in the evening, in the presence of parents and siblings. Commentary among the Igbo is more restrained: remarks about family members are rare, and are based more in fanciful imaginings than participants' actual traits. In contrast, the game in Ghana, which is also commonly played in the evenings, insults are frequently directed at family members.^[6] Author and professor Mona Lisa Saloy posits a different theory, stating in African American Oral Traditions in Louisiana that "The dozens has its origins in the slave trade of New Orleans where deformed slaves—generally slaves punished with dismemberment for disobedience—were grouped in lots of a 'cheap dozen' for sale to slave owners. For a Black to be sold as part of the 'dozens' was the lowest blow possible."^[10]

Purpose and practice[link]

Participants in the Dozens are required to exhibit mental acuity and proficiency with words. In his memoirs Die Nigger Die! (1969), H. Rap Brown writes that the children he grew up with employed the Dozens to kill time and stave off boredom, the way that whites might play Scrabble. Brown asserts playing the game is a form of mental exercise. Sociologist Harry Lefever states that verbal skill and wit is just as valued among African Americans as physical strength: "Verbal facility is thus a criterion that is used to separate the men from the boys".^[1] According to author John Leland, the object of the game is to stupefy and daze one's opponents with swift and skillful speech. The meaning of the words, however, is lost in the game. The object of the game is the performance.^[9]

Remarks in the Dozens can be expressed in rhyme or general language. More simplistic forms are found among younger children:

<poem> Participant 1: "I hear your mother plays third base for the Phillies." Participant 2: "Your mother is a bricklayer and stronger than your father." Participant 1: "Your mother eats shit." Participant 2: "Your mother eats shit and mustard."^[2] </poem>

Adolescents incorporate more sexual themes in their versions, often called the "Dirty Dozens". The language also becomes more playful, with participants including rhymes:

<poem> I was walking through the jungle With my dick in my hand I was the baddest motherfucker In the jungle land I looked up in the tree And what did I see Your little black mama Trying to piss on me I picked up a rock And hit her in the cock And knocked that bitch A half a block.^[6] </poem>

Not all forms of the Dozens must address sexual situations or body parts:

<poem> If you wanta play the Dozens Play them fast. I'll tell you how many bull-dogs Your mammy had. She didn't have one; She didn't have two; She had nine damned dozens And then she had you.^[11] </poem>

The social justification for the popularity of the Dozens is the subject of speculation. Its development is entwined with the oppression African Americans encountered as slaves and second class citizens. John Dollard's view of the Dozens was as a manifestation of frustration aggression theory, which he helped develop. He hypothesized that African Americans, as victims of racism, have been unable to respond in kind towards their oppressors, and instead shifted their anger at friends and neighbors, as displayed in the strings of insults.^[12] In 1962, Folklorist Roger Abrahams explained the Dozens not only as a reaction to racism, but a mostly male behavior in a society dominated by women, hence the concentration on targeting opponents' mothers. Abrahams believed the Dozens to be exaggeratedly masculine behavior unable to be expressed except in short bursts where a participant attacks his opponent's mother to cause him to attack his own mother.^[2] Both Dollard's and Abraham's views have been criticized for not considering proper context in which the Dozens is used. Folklorist Alan Dundes asserts that by basing their approach on psychoanalytic theory, neither Dollard nor Abrahams considers that the Dozens may be native to Africa, although Dollard does not rule it out. In addition to similar forms of the Dozens found in Nigeria and Ghana, Bantu and Kisii boys have been observed dueling verbally by attacking each others' mothers.^[13]

The game is also considered a tool for preparing African Americans for coping with verbal abuse and not becoming enraged. The ability to remain composed during the Dozens is a hallmark of virtue among many African Americans. Two sociologists write, "In the deepest sense, the essence of the dozens lies not in the insults but in the response of the victim. To take umbrage is to be considered an infantile response. Maturity and sophistication bring the capability to suffer the vile talk with aplomb at least, and, hopefully, with grace and wit." Opposing this theory is the reality that many contests end in fights.^[1] Roger Abrahams states that when African Americans reach a certain age, between 16 and 26, the game loses much of its appeal and attempts to enter into sparring contests often result in violence.^[2] John Leland writes that the loser of the Dozens is the one who takes his opponent's words at face value, therefore ending his own performance in the back-and-forth exchange.^[9]

In music and comedy[link]

In 1929, the boogie-woogie pianist Speckled Red recorded a song entitled "The Dirty Dozen" which includes lyrics such as "I like yo' momma—sister, too/I did like your poppa—but your poppa would not do./I met your poppa on the corner the other day/I soon found out he was funny that way." (Kokomo Arnold, one of the most popular American blues musicians of the 1930s, also recorded much the same song under the title "The Twelves" in 1935.)

In 1959, Bo Diddley released "Say Man" on Checker 931 (with "The Clock Strikes Twelve" as the B-side),^[14] which featured him trading insults with his percussionist Jerome Green. The lyrics are not sung, but spoken conversationally over a musical background; this track has been described as a precursor of rap.

Richard Pryor referenced the dozens in his 1975 comedy routine That Nigger's Crazy saying that "white folks" did not know how to play.

Comedian-actor Eddie Murphy often based his stand-up routines on a reversal of the dozens, the purpose of which was boasting about one's own self rather than insulting someone else. Examples of this can be found in his known comedy albums, Comedian, Delirious, and the soundtrack to the film Eddie Murphy Raw. Other examples of the dozens in reverse, from other comedians, can be found in the cable TV program Def Comedy Jam, which was a production of Def Jam founder Russell Simmons's company.

George Carlin also referenced the dozens in his Occupation: Foole album while talking about his upbringing in Manhattan: "You wanna play the dozens? Well the dozens is a game. But the way I fuck your Mama, is a goddamned shame!"

In a 2010 strip of the webcomic Sinfest, the Devil challenges Jesus to a game of Dozens.^[15]

Notes[link]

1. ^ Although folklorists have observed some white adolescent boys to engage in a form of the Dozens, a black psychologist wrote in 1970 that white psychologists' deconstruction of the apparent hostility in the Dozens is misunderstood because the white psychologists take the insults literally.(Lefever) John Leland uses the example of boxer Muhammad Ali, who often joked with reporters in the Dozens, either confusing or angering them when he did. (Leland, p. 182)

See also[link]

African American portal

• Avoidance speech (mother-in-law languages)
• Call and response
• Diss track
• Extempo
• Flyting
• Freestyle rap (Cipher)
• Mother insult
• Roast (comedy)
• Sanankuya
• Wolf ticket

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Dollard, John "The Dozens: Dialectic of Insult", in Dundes, Alan (ed. and preface) Mother Wit from the Laughing Barrel, University Press of Mississippi, 1973. ISBN 978-0-87805-478-7. pp. 277–294.
• Leland, John (2005). Hip: The History, HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-052818-8

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (June 2011)

Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav performing in 2009 wearing the customary large clock
Background information
Birth name	William Jonathan Drayton, Jr.
Also known as	Flav MC DJ Flavor Flav.
Born	(1959-03-16) March 16, 1959 (age 53)[1]
Origin	Roosevelt, Long Island, New York, United States
Genres	Hip-hop
Occupations	Rapper, reality television star
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar, bass, saxophone, clarinet, drums, triangle[2]
Years active	1982–present
Associated acts	David Joyner Chuck D Professor Griff DJ Lord Terminator X Sister Souljah S1W

William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. (born March 16, 1959), better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy.^[3] He is also known for popularizing the role of the hype man^[4] and for yelling "Yeah boy!" and "Flavor Flav!" during performances.^[3][5]

After falling out of the public eye for a number of years, he reappeared as the star of several VH1 reality series, including The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and Flavor of Love.

Early life[link]

Drayton grew up in Freeport, New York. Flav began playing the piano at age five; and is self-taught.^[6] A musical prodigy, he sang in the youth choir at his church and mastered the piano, drums, and guitar at an early age.^[7] He eventually became proficient in 15 instruments.^[5] He set a house on fire as a small child while playing with a lighter and, by the time he dropped out of school in the 11th grade, he had been in and out of jail for robbery and burglary.^[7]

He attended Adelphi University on Long Island where he met Carlton Ridenhour, who would become known as Chuck D.^[3] Flavor Flav took his stage name after his graffiti tag.^[5] They first collaborated on Chuck D's hip-hop college radio show, then began rapping together. The two worked for Chuck D's father's delivery service.^[7]

Career[link]

Music[link]

Flavor Flav performing in 2006

Flavor Flav came to prominence as a founding member of the rap group Public Enemy. In 1984, the group released a track, "Public Enemy #1", which brought them to the attention of Def Jam Records executive Rick Rubin. Rubin initially did not understand Flav's role in the act and wanted to sign Chuck D as a solo act; however Chuck D insisted that Flav be signed with them and the two were signed to Def Jam in 1986.^[6] The group's first album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, was released in 1987. Flav served as the comic foil to Chuck D's serious, politically charged style.^[7] The group gained much wider fame with their following release, 1988's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, which went double platinum. By the time the political single "Fight the Power" was issued in 1989, the group had become mainstream superstars.

Along with Chuck D, the showman of the group and its promotional voice, Flav stood out among the members of Public Enemy as he often got the fans excited, appearing on stage and in public wearing big hats and glasses and a large clock dangling from his neck.

The first released track on which Flav rapped solo was "Life Of A Nigerian" on Goat Ju JU, though the first hit on which he rapped solo would not come until the 1990s single "911 Is a Joke". During Public Enemy's first years of existence, Flav dealt with tensions with group-mate Professor Griff, who never liked Flav's flamboyant stance in what Griff felt to be a serious, politically-challenging group. In 1990, after allegedly making anti-Semitic comments, Professor Griff left Public Enemy.

In 2006, Flav put out his first solo album. It was released during the second season of Flavor of Love.

Television[link]

After a hiatus from the music scene, Flavor Flav was invited to participate on VH1 reality show The Surreal Life. During this show, he developed a relationship with actress Brigitte Nielsen.

Following the conclusion of The Surreal Life, VH1 gave Flav and Brigitte a show titled Strange Love, which detailed their globetrotting adventure in love. At the end of Strange Love Brigitte decided to return to her fiancé, Mattia Dessi.

Flavor of Love, which aired for three seasons, is a reality show where Flavor Flav looks for love. The show's success led to spin-offs titled I Love New York and I Love Money. It was revealed in the third season reunion show that Flav met a woman, not from the show, after taping had concluded. He proposed to her on air during the special. The two had a son together.^[5]

The Comedy Central roast of Flavor Flav aired on August 12, 2007.^[8] Guests appearing at the roast: Snoop Dogg, Brigitte Nielsen, Jimmy Kimmel, Carrot Top, Lisa Lampanelli, Ice T, Jeff Ross, Katt Williams, Patton Oswalt, Greg Giraldo, and Sommore.

Flav played Calvester Hill on the MyNetworkTV comedy Under One Roof (2008 TV series) starring along side Kelly Perine.

Restauranteur[link]

In 2011, Flav partnered with Nick Cimino to open Flav’s Fried Chicken in Cimino's hometown of Clinton, Iowa. Flav met Cimino through his brother Peter, who runs Mama Cimino's in Las Vegas. After enjoying the rapper's homemade fried chicken,^[9] Peter Cimino began selling chicken wings using Flav's recipe.^[10] The founders hoped to start a national restaurant franchise.^[9] However, a mix of squabbling owners, bounced checks and bad business decisions led to Flavor Flav's Chicken shut down almost 4 months after it opened.^{[citation needed]}

Flavor Flav's new restaurant opened on his birthday, Flavor Flav’s House of Flavor in Las Vegas.^[11]

Other TV and media appearances[link]

In May 2005, Flav took part in the UK reality TV show The Farm on Channel 5.^[12]

On June 14, 2006, Flav's participation, with WEVR-MRC,^[13] in the Lisa Tolliver Show celebration of National Safety Month,^[14] earned kudos from Surgeon General of the United States Richard Carmona.^[15][16][17]

On November 18, 2009, Flav became a downloadable character in the PlayStation Network's video game PAIN.^[18]

Flav stars in Deon Taylor's horror anthology Nite Tales and Dark Christmas.^[19]

On May 10, 2010, Flav guest hosted the wrestling show WWE RAW.^[20]

On August 14, 2011, Flav appeared as a host at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos.^[21]

On January 10, 2012, Flav appeared with his longtime fiancée Liz on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap. His fiancée traded places with Suzette, the wife of Twisted Sister front-man Dee Snider.^[22]

On February 5, 2012, Flav appeared along with Sir Elton John in a Pepsi Co. ad during Super Bowl XLVI.^[23]

On February 11, 2012, Flav appeared as an honorary member of the UNLV Rebellion during the UNLV Runnin' Rebels victory over San Diego State, 65-63.

Personal life[link]

Flav dated Beverly Johnson, and by 2000, he lived in a small apartment in the Bronx with her and her two children from a previous marriage while making extra cash scalping baseball tickets.^[7]

Following his release from jail, Flav broke up with Johnson and moved in with his mother on Long Island. Chuck D became concerned about his friend's well-being and, towards the end of 2003, suggested Flav move to Los Angeles. He moved into his friend Princess' apartment and within months met Cris Abrego and Mark Cronin, the creators and executive producers of the reality television series The Surreal Life. The pair sought him as soon as they heard he had moved to Los Angeles. Seeing that he had indeed remained free from his previous addictions, they wanted to cast him. Initially Flav refused, feeling the show was for celebrities past their fame. He was eventually convinced to join by previous participant MC Hammer.^[7]

Family[link]

Flav has seven children: Shaniq, Dazyna, Quanah, William, Jasmine, Kayla, and Karma.^[24] Three of his children were with Karen Ross, three were with Angie Parker,^[25] and his current girlfriend Liz is the mother of his youngest, Karma.^[26][27] Currently Flavor Flav is living in Las Vegas, Nevada with his girlfriend, and her son Gibran. Flav is a cousin of Wu-affiliate 'Timbo King' and a distant cousin of the Wu's RZA.

Substance abuse and legal issues[link]

By the time he dropped out of school in the 11th grade, Flav had been in and out of jail for robbery and burglary.^[7]

In 1991, Flav pled guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Karen Ross and served 30 days in jail, lost custody of his children, and sank deeper into addiction.^[7]

In 1993 Flav was charged with attempted murder and imprisoned for 90 days for shooting at his neighbor.^[5]

Flav was later charged with domestic violence, cocaine and marijuana charges; his family performed an intervention and he checked into the Betty Ford Center for an addiction to crack cocaine.^[5][7]

After Flav's father died of diabetes in 1997 he decided to re-enter rehabilitation, this time at the Long Island Center for Recovery. At one point, he broke both arms in a motorcycle crash.^[5]

In 2002, Flav spent nine weeks in Rikers Island jail for driving with a suspended license, numerous parking tickets and showing up late for appointments with his probation officer.^[5]

On May 2, 2011, Flav was arrested on four outstanding misdemeanor warrants for various driving offenses.^[28] Police said the rapper had two outstanding arrest warrants for driving without a license, one for driving without insurance and one related to a parking citation.^[28][29] Flav has since been released.^[28]

In June, 2011, Flav told Australian radio show The Kyle & Jackie O Show that when his drug problem was at its worst, he would spend up to US$2,600 a day on crack cocaine.^[30]

In May 2012, after failing to pay over $111,000 in child support, Flav was deemed to be in willful failure of an order of child support and is currently facing up to six months in jail.^[31]

Discography[link]

With Public Enemy

• Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987)
• It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
• Fight the Power...Live! (video and album, 1989)
• Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
• Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black (1991)
• Greatest Misses 1986-1992 (1992)
• Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994)
• He Got Game (1998)
• BTN 2000 (1999)
• There's A Poison Goin On (1999)
• Revolverlution (2002)
• There's A Poison Goin On (worldwide re-release)^[32] (2004)
• Son of a Bush (EP)
• New Whirl Odor (2005)
• Rebirth of a Nation (2006)
• How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul? (2007)

Solo albums

• Flavor Flav, also known Hollywood (2006)

Guest appearances

• Anthrax, "Bring The Noise" (w/Chuck D)
• Barshem, "Where's My $5 At?"
• Chad Muska, "Flavor Man"
• Crime Mob, "I'll Beat Yo Azz"
• De La Soul, "Come On Down"
• DJ Hurricane, "Freeze The Frame" (w/Chuck D & Money Mark)
• DJ Tomekk, "1, 2, 3,...Rhymes Galore" (w/Grandmaster Flash, MC Rene & Afrob)
• George Clinton, "Paint The White House Black" (w/Chuck D, Ice Cube, MC Breed, Kam, Yo-Yo & Dr. Dre), "Tweakin" (w/Chuck D)
• Heavy D, "You Can't See What I Can See"
• Ice Cube, "I'm Only Out For One Thang"
• Living Colour, "Funny Vibe" (w/Chuck D)
• Material, "Burnin" (w/DXT)
• Moby, "MKLVFKWR" (w/Chuck D)
• Nigo, "From New York To Tokyo"
• Paris, "Freedom (Remix)" (w/Chuck D & Dead Prez)
• Prince Akeem, "Only We Can Do This"
• Will Smith featuring Biz Markie and Slick Rick. "So Fresh" (Music Video)
• Snoop Dogg, "Bad Bitch"
• Various, "Self Destruction" (Public Enemy, Heavy D, Stetsasonic, MC Lyte, KRS-One, Kool Moe Dee, and others)
• Wu-Tang Clan, "Soul Power"
• P.Diddy, Music video for "P.E. 2000"
• Taking Back Sunday, Music video for "You're So Last Summer"
• Eric B & Rakim, music video for "I ain't no joke"
• Melanie Amaro, Music Video for "Respect"

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Flavor Flav

• Artist profile at VH1
• Flavor Flav at the Internet Movie Database

The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for music. Please help to establish notability by adding reliable, secondary sources about the topic. If notability cannot be established, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted. (December 2011)

Robert Williams (born May 6, 1987), better known by his stage name Meek Mill, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was briefly signed to T.I.'s label Grand Hustle Records and in February 2011 signed to Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group. In March 2011, Mill was included in XXL's "Freshman Class of 2011".^[1]

In 2011, he released his debut single, "Tupac Back", featuring Rick Ross, from his label's compilation album Self Made Vol. 1. That same year he released another single from the album, "Ima Boss", also featuring Ross. The song was later remixed, featuring T.I., Birdman, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled Swizz Beatz and Ross. The remix charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #51. "Ima Boss" is so far Meek Mill's most successful song, peaking at #20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In February 2012, MTV listed Meek Mill as the #7 hottest MC in their annual "Hottest MCs in the Game" list.^[2]

On May 7, 2012, Mill released the second fresh installment in his Dreamchasers series. The mixtape features guest appearances from Drake, Jeremih, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz and more.^[3] Mill has stated his favorite tracks off the tape are "Amen," "A1 Everything" and "Racked Up Shawty" with French Montana and Fabolous.^[4] On May 10, it was announced Meek Mill signed to Roc Nation management.^[4]

Discography[link]

Collaborative albums[link]

Mixtapes[link]

• BloodHoundz – Grimey, Thirsty, Starving, Hungry (2005) (with Mel Love, Dat NIG*A LiL & Young Pooh) +
• BloodHoundz – Blood in Blood Out (2005) (with Mel Love, Dat NIG*A LiL & Young Pooh)
• The Real Me (2007)
• The Real Me 2 (2008) (Hosted by DJ Difference)
• Flamers (2008) (Hosted by DJ Difference)
• Flamers 2: Hottest In The City (2009) (Hosted by DJ Difference)
• Flamers 2.5: The Preview (2009) (Hosted by DJ Cosmic Kev)
• Flamers 3: The Wait Is Over (2010) (Hosted by DJ Drama)
• Mr.Philadelphia (2010) (Hosted by DJ Ill Will & DJ Rockstar)
• Dreamchasers (2011) (Hosted by DJ Drama)
• Dreamchasers 2 (2012) (Hosted by DJ Drama)
• Same Dream (2012) (with Ace Hood)

Singles[link]

As lead artist[link]

As featured artist[link]

Other charted songs[link]

Guest appearances[link]

References[link]