This story is from my record store days.
Back then, 50 Cent was relatively unknown; his much anticipated album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" was set to be released.
Many of our customers' impatience for its release was based on his song, "Wanksta" (a "dis" track towards another rapper, Ja Rule) which appeared on the 8 Mile soundtrack, a CD so popular, we had to hide the copies behind the counter as it was constantly stolen, despite the plastic guards we put on them.
(As an aside, the rap albums were the only CDs we put the plastic guards on, as they were stolen the most.)
Anyway, we were used to people coming in every two seconds and asking us when the CD was going to be released. So, up until it finally hit the shelves, this request was an everyday occurrence, something we were used to.
Then this customer broke the monotony. A 16-year-old suburban white boy whose demeanor and attire was a testament to hip-hop culture. As was his dialect.
He pimp-walked up to my boss and said "Yo, do y'all have dat Fi'ty Cent shit up in here?"
My boss' icy blue eyes widened; his tone assumed the one of a very strict, yardstick wielding schoolteacher. "PARDON ME?" he practically roared.
And the poor kid shrank like a turtle back into its shell: "I mean, can you tell me when the new 50 Cent CD is coming out?"
We laughed about that for hours after we left. Months later, we would occasionally come up to one another and ask "Yo, do y'all have dat Fi'ty Cent shit up in here?"
I think this kid should spent less time listening to hip-hop, and more time learning the basic elements of etiquette.
Back then, 50 Cent was relatively unknown; his much anticipated album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" was set to be released.
Many of our customers' impatience for its release was based on his song, "Wanksta" (a "dis" track towards another rapper, Ja Rule) which appeared on the 8 Mile soundtrack, a CD so popular, we had to hide the copies behind the counter as it was constantly stolen, despite the plastic guards we put on them.
(As an aside, the rap albums were the only CDs we put the plastic guards on, as they were stolen the most.)
Anyway, we were used to people coming in every two seconds and asking us when the CD was going to be released. So, up until it finally hit the shelves, this request was an everyday occurrence, something we were used to.
Then this customer broke the monotony. A 16-year-old suburban white boy whose demeanor and attire was a testament to hip-hop culture. As was his dialect.
He pimp-walked up to my boss and said "Yo, do y'all have dat Fi'ty Cent shit up in here?"
My boss' icy blue eyes widened; his tone assumed the one of a very strict, yardstick wielding schoolteacher. "PARDON ME?" he practically roared.
And the poor kid shrank like a turtle back into its shell: "I mean, can you tell me when the new 50 Cent CD is coming out?"

I think this kid should spent less time listening to hip-hop, and more time learning the basic elements of etiquette.
Comment