The song "Shoulder Lean feat. TI" was
the break-away hit off Young Dro's sophomore album, "Best Thang Smokin'." In 2006 it claimed the 10th position on the U.S Billboard Top 100 and eventually reached number one on the list "U.S. Hot Rap Tracks." The song, an uncompromising medley of floor-thumping beats, catchy rhymes, and cryptic drug references, showcases the "Shoulder Lean," an innovative dance technique characterized by the dancer rhythmically dipping, or "leaning" his/her shoulders.
I have been mildly obsessed with this song for about a year, a long-lasting affinity I now wish to commemorate with a close reading of the song, whose format will be based on the readings of poetry I did last year for English 111. Although I have previously reviewed the lyrics online, I will not look at them today chiefly because I want my interpretation of this song to be as much sonically driven as it is literary. Instead, I will simply listen to the 4 minute and 20 second (!) track on repeat with one shoulder leaned, something I feel the 28 year-old Dro, whose real name is D'Juan Hart, would be proud of.
The song starts off with the chorus and the words, "Let me see you bounce right and left and let your shoulder lean." These are the words that will quickly become the unifying theme of the song. They are the body, the heart, and the soul. They express Young Dro's inner desire to see all those around him having a good time, moving their bodies from right to left, one shoulder cocked slightly lower than the next. It is a sentiment that will be repeated many times throughout the remainder of the song. Next, Mr. Dro says, "Get it right. Two step and let your shoulder lean," also part of the chorus and one that boasts a small but important change in lexicon. Hart is a perfectionist. "Get it right," he says, "I do not want you ill-performing the technique I have striven so hard to perfect" (paraphrase).
At 0:27 we get into verse one, which starts off with the emphatic declaration: "I'm Young Dro" (he's Young Dro).
"I'm clean in this bitch" (he's clean in this bitch).
"Now I'm fixin' to shoulder lean in this bitch" (It will only be a matter of time before he shoulder leans in this bitch).
As an audience, we must decipher what Young Dro means when he says, "this bitch," a seemingly vague denomination, but one that in this case must refer to Mr. Dro's present location, most likely a lowered vehicle, a dance hall, or a private residence.
Later in verse one Dro utters the seminal phrase, "I take breath, the opposite of Primatene Mist." Primatene Mist was an inhaler developed in the mid 80's by Wyeth Consumer Healthcare to combat the effects of bronchial asthma before it was taken off pharmacy shelves in an effort by the FDA to phase out all products containing chloroflourocarbon (CFC), a chemical known for its depletionary effects of the Earth's ozone layer. Ironically, Dro claims here to "take breath," a blatant murder reference, while seeming to think that Primatene Mist has an opposite "life-giving" effect. Had he researched the detrimental effects of the chloroflourocarbons contained in Primatene Mist before writing this lyric, Dro may have thought twice about using it as an analogy to reinforce his reputation as one who is adept at taking human lives, due the fact that the depletion of the ozone is something that threatens all of humankind, whereas Mr. Dro is a threat most likely confined to the Greater Atlanta area. This, of course, is a paradox that I am sure did not succeed in eluding Mr. Dro's attention for long, certainly causing much comic relief and guffawing on the part of the young rapper when finally brought to light.
Another notable part of verse one is the line, "Dro be watchin' Oprah, mag 9 up in the clip." This comes just after the line, "I ride 26 and let my 9 screen flip" which refers to the luxuries of Mr. Hart's automobile. While we know from the previous segment concerning Primatene Mist that Mr. Dro is a self-proclaimed assassin, it is still unsettling to see such a wholesome namesake (Oprah) contrasted with a known instrument of death (the Magnum .9mm). D'Juan Hart, as we can see here, exhibits a proclivity toward expression through contrast.
Verse one ends with the line, "I can shoulder lean, I don't know how to dance though." This, coming from Mr. Dro, is a rare display of humility. As a performer, he is expected to possess at least some semblance of competence in the field of corporal expression, one he clearly negates here. Could it be a cry for help? Perhaps Mr. Dro was particularly unsuccessful while attending a recent salsa lesson at the local co-op, or feels that his ability to "shoulder lean" has been unjustly relegated to a non-dance field. It is a line that certainly calls for much speculation.
After more description of his automobile's features and capabilities in the beginning of verse two ("Then I let my trunk beat"), Dro continues with the line, "Then I pimp a hoe, take that bitch to Berlin," a phrase that comes out of nowhere to describe both his situation with the opposite sex, and travel aspirations, highlighting the capital of Germany as a principal destination. While it would be difficult to extrapolate a concrete profile of Dro's feelings toward the female sex from only this song, I think we can adequately deduce that he does not hold them in the highest of esteem. But what, if anything, is he trying to say here? A generous transcription might allow for something like this: "Then I nicely ask a girl if she would like to accompany me to Berlin." But a more apt paraphrase would probably be, "Bitches ain't shit. I'm fucking horrible at geography."
Finally, in verse three, we are exposed to D'Juan Hart's inner demons. In the midst of all the car, drug, and assault references, he adds, almost as an afterthought, "Don't nobody live with my mom but a bunch of junkies." This is the crux of the entire song. Indeed, it may well have been the crux of Hart's entire childhood. It is an act similar to his previous confession of being a sub-par dancer, but much more broad-based in that it incorporates a less than favorable family situation in which his mother seems to be bombarded by "a bunch of junkies." The "junkies," in this case, could certainly be exactly as he describes them: junkies, but this could also be a euphemism for his brothers, sisters and/or his father. Mr. Dro may be bitter that his newfound image of power and wealth is mired by what he finds to be an unfair connection to hoodlums and drug abusers, and it is even possible that he lumps his mother into his category.
In conclusion, the song "Shoulder Lean feat. TI" by D'Juan Hart aka Young Dro is a lyrical refection of one rapper's struggle for self-identity in a world dominated by modified cars, marijuana, and female companions that possess a strange desire to be "travel-saavy." But above all, it is an upbeat portrait of the foot-loose and fancy free life in urban Georgia, where Young Dro lives, thrives, and above all, "lets his shoulder lean."
-Boosh Clown
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