No one acts their race anymore.
The malls of America right now are filled with teenagers who are whiter than Colonel Sanders, wearing basketball jerseys and FUBU jeans and Nike Air Force Ones. These faux-black suburbanites are trying desparately to be like the rap stars they see on TV.
Now, rising from the quickly smoldering fire that is N'Sync, Justin Timberlake is launching his solo career as a black man.
In his video for "Like I Love You", he surrounds himself with black urban coolness. Fedora hats, posses, guest rappers, Pharell from the Neptunes. And don't forget the light-skinned honey he lusts after in front of a 7-Eleven.
This isn't the flashy, neon, whip-your-hand-in-the-air-like-a-cowboy style from the "Bye, Bye, Bye" video. This is a batch of hoodlums loitering in front of a conveinence store on lowered bikes and late-model vehicles. This is the seedy underbelly, or at least the seedy underbelly of someone who sang the song, "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You."
"It's definitely a new sound — not just from me, but period," Timberlake told MTV News.
Ok, Justin. It's a new sound if say it is. Just don't go listen to any urban radio stations. Your world would crumble at your feet.
The first single and video reek of Usher, who himself has mastered the "light hip-hop you can choreograph to" genre.
It seems as if Justin picked the type of music most diametrically opposed to the pop crap he was churning out so as to completely disassociate himself from his former post as hearthrob in N'Sync. That music was hip-hop.
So he hurriedly set himself upon the task of becoming a young African-American man.
But before he could fully actualize himself as a black man, Justin realized he had to ditch the skanky white chick. That's why he dumped Britney.
"Brit, baby," he said, "Youse too white for a playa like me."
Then he dated Janet Jackson. And briefly considered taking a hip street nickname, like Jennifer Lopez picked out for herself when she became J. Lo. Maybe something like J. Tim.
Now I don't mind people adopting elements of style from others. What I hate is wannabes who toss off their identities and whole-heartedly assume someone else's.
Justin looks to be copying Michael Jackson's career path. Justin is no Michael, who progressed from his own successful five-boy band, the Jackson 5, to become the world's biggest popstar.
Keep Dreaming, J. Tim.