“Junior Mafia clique, thick like Luke Dancers.” – Lil’ Cease

Let’s get right down to it. “Strippers are having the best year EVER.” Pull up a chair, if that’s still cool, and I’ll tell you why. Turn on any Clear Channel station these days, and there you have it. Rap song after 80bpm (beats per minute) rap song, taking us on another heart-warming journey to the strip club where excess is King and sex is prohibited in the Champagne Room. 2012 saw its fair share of exotic dancer worship. Anything not to compete with “Call Me Maybe”, I guess.

The rise of Strip-Hop is 25 years in the making. You can say we have Uncle Luke to thank for this. Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell and his 2 Live Crew brethren were a major part of Rap’s rebellion in the late ’80s. Their Banned In The USA album was the first to bear the Parental Advisory sticker. And, in years to come, the advent of Luke Dancers revolutionized the music video and live performance game forever by replacing fair skinned, paper thin video stars, with the first generation of curvy, core gyrating video vixens.

Still, at that time in Hip-Hop, the lyrics were geared towards the ‘around the way girl’. Rappers wanted good girl they could adore and take care of. The Hip-Hop culture moved with that. By the mid-to-late ’90s, rappers wanted the ‘ride or die chick.’ The ride or die chick took care of him and was loyal at all costs. The Hip-Hop culture moved with that.

Now, it’s evident in a majority of the latest songs, rappers want the exotic dancer. The exotic dancer compliments his hustle, for what it is worth. And if she’s not getting naked, there’s a possibility she’s bringing money home to her rapper boyfriend. The Hip-Hop culture is molding to it as we speak. Not to mention the Pole Dancing courses popping up across America. And ,as early as 2016, Pole Dancing could become an Olympic event.

Strippers are having the best year ever because they’ve become the new ‘Single Lady’ in Rap. While many of the MCs in the upper echelon are bragging about their socialite girlfriends and superstar wives, everybody else is targeting exotic dancers, with bartenders slowly gaining headway. We’re witnessing an industry and hustle shift firsthand.

When rappers such as Drake flow about their latest relationship failure involving an exotic dancer, they’re giving ’15 minutes of fame’ away. And, through that promotion, those dancers build up clout through Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr followers, resulting in direct communication to their fans, and progressively cutting the urban Men’s Magazines out of the equation. People are spending more money at the strip-club to see the same women, but with more clothes on.

Back to the radio. We’re not only hearing the same five songs, 10 times a piece – now, every rapper is at the Strip Club sharing his money stuffing exploits. Between Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, and Drake, they’ve set the stage to summon Academy Award winner, Juicy J, back to the scene. “Bandz A Make Her Dance” is the National Championship Game of Strip-Hop. Have you been to Memphis? Memphis has regular nightclubs where people get naked. Imagine their actual nudie bars! So this 80bpm “I call her big booty, Hell Yeah F*ckin’ Right, grunt music” is right up Juicy J’s alley. The man won an Academy Award for the song, and I quote, “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp”. So if strippers won in 2012, bet a garbage bag full of dollar bills that Juicy J won as well.

Juicy J – “Bands A Make Her Dance”

Here is my Absolute Reason:

I have nothing against exotic dancers (never thought I’d have to type that). I get it. Bills must be paid. Lifestyles must be lived up to. But, we just can’t have every rap song revolving around them. I know they’re not the ones making the beats or writing the lyrics. But we all know who runs the world.

As for the rappers writing songs about strippers and having to explain to their girlfriend – “it’s just entertainment” – listen up. Tell me, what is the next progression after exotic dancers? Rap Music went from the ‘around the way girl’ to the ‘ride or die chick’ to now “she works the pole, she on the pole, she love the pole, I’m at the pole.” What’s next? Brothels!? Are you taking us to brothels next year? Will you need to hire Olivia Pope in very near future? Could somebody do a damn song about Renee, again? Sheesh.

Lost Boyz “Renee”