Don't "Roll" With An Artist like Iron
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Don't "Roll" With An Artist like Iron

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Don't "Roll" With An Artist like Iron
Crazy K-Pop

Warning: This is article is analyzing and critiquing a song about rape and contains graphic lyrics included. Readers' discretion advised.

Ah, music. It can be your best friend who knows how to cheer you up from pop songs about finding love to hip-hop songs on police brutality to metal songs about gates to hell. Songs have lifted you up or made you feel loved. However, there will be songs that are bad. There are two kinds of bad songs: songs that have terrible lyrics but with a beat or songs with lyrics so terrible its offensive. One of those songs is "Roll."

This is Iron.

He is a Korean rapper who competed on an American Idol, reality competition show called Show Me The Money during its third season alongside future iKon member and winner of that season, Bobby.

And this is Kidoh.

He is a former member of a K-Pop boy group Topp Dogg and also competed on Show Me The Money during its fourth season.

Both are respectable rappers in their own rights until Iron released his latest album Rock Bottom after he got arrested for marijuana use.

One of the songs off of his album is the most controversial and talked about is "Roll." When you read the word "Roll," you probably thought, like me, it's about enjoying life or addressing his marijuana scandal. But as soon as you heard the lines:

I heard you said, "Boy, just rape me."

You immediately regret listening to it. Iron's song is a romanticized idea of raping a girl. His featured artist, Kidoh, and his verse amplify this song as a "twisted" BDSM scene. With lines such as "All night long vroom vroom like Ferrari, yo/That's how we roll, how we roll" and "Hop up in the bed, how we roll/Lemme teach you somethin', how we roll," you may think it is about some kind of kinky message. However, that is not how BDSM or anything kinky-related work.

Already this song has established its meaning about raping a girl. Even if you take that line out, Iron's song still rings "rape."

For example, after the shocking line, the next part of the verse sang,

Let me tell you in advance, ain't no lover
Engrave it in your mind, I'm yo fuckin' owner
I'm a conqueror, you obey,

Then the beginning of the second verse goes,

Pick up the phone, it's your man's number
Of course, my hand is clutching your hair tightly
and your ragged breathing means you dirty ho

Kidoh's part in the end doesn't help with this intense song,

Lick good, grabbing you by the hair
When it's over, shove your ass this way, spank spank

And the nail in the coffin is this stanza alone:

I want you to feel it, to beg and feel shame
Your teary gaze, I enjoy this pleasure
So many fuckin' prince, I don't act like a drama
Gon' be yo trauma, think of me every night

Of course this song and Iron's other track "Rock Bottom" (includes him saying the n-word) have gotten into trouble with fans. Kidoh tries to apologize and explain why he agreed to rap in this song on Twitter:

As much as I appreciated Kidoh's half-apology and explanation, he and Iron seem like they do not understand the difference between rape, consent, and BDSM fully.

Consent is "permission for something to happen or agreement to do something" (Google).

BDSM stands for "bondage and discipline (B&D), dominance and submission (D&S), and sadism & masochism (S&M)" (Buzzfeed).

While it does tie into sex, BDSM does draw a line based on personal and sexual preferences and people involved in BDSM are allowed to say NO. That means CONSENT. The context of "rape" shouldn't be mixed with "twisted BDSM love" nor interpret as a consensual sex. If Kidoh knew the term "rape" and how it is a crime, why did he think it was okay to think "if someone said, 'rape me,' that must mean it's okay?"

Sir, that means either someone does not know what rape means or is really drunk and needs to go home.

For Iron, I don't know why he thought it is a good idea to rap about rape. Though I'm not surprised an artist like him would release a song like "Roll." I mean, he wasn't the first.

Now you may want to check his other music out if you're a first time listener or you are one of Iron's biggest fan and you're probably offended that I wrote a negative article about him.

I will tell you this: I won't stop you if you want to listen to his songs or a big fan of his. If you like his music, then that's fine. However, you have to remember:

Don't shrug and ignore his problematic lyrics in his songs. Acknowledge the fact that your fave is problematic to the T. While I already have a firm opinion on Iron and why I don't support him as an artist anymore, it is your decision to be his fan but know and call out on his problematic mess or be his fan who ignores every little problem.

And understanding rape is hard. Rape is one of the most difficult subjects to talk about and understand. However, it is important to learn about why it is a crime against anyone from women to children to women of color. You can also learn how to support a rape victim and get educated on consensual sex and why consent is sexy. Rape shouldn't be glamorized with flowery words and sensual beat. Songs like that are bad. It forgets the person addressed in the song is human.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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