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ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>“Blurred L” wasn’t supposed to be a meangful song. It was, by sign, a trifle: <a href=">Pharrell</a>, imperial-superstar mo, goofg off wh the whe soul sger and textbook sex idt <a href=">Rob Thicke</a> and tossg a tongue-twistg <a href=">T.I.</a> verse later for good measure. It’s safe to assume that no one volved the makg of “Blurred L” assumed anythg legacy-fg was happeng the room where Pharrell wrote the l “I feel so lucky/You want to hug me/What rhym wh hug me?”</p><p>Now, 10 years sce s March 2013 release, “Blurred L” is a poisono time psule. In many ways, all of them unfortunate, uld be nsired <em>the</em> song of the 2010s. Pick any dishearteng pop-cultural trend of the past and chanc are appli to “Blurred L”: The hollow outrage cycle news, creasgly reliant on hot tak tossed out wh superhuman speed, often whout a speck of human logic? The predatory power dynamics of the entertament dtry, and Amerin society’s ongog dismissal of nsent? The creasgly lig pop landspe, which lawyers and mic publishers fight for scraps, and every pop song feels safely Xeroxed om the last one? Every gets the songs needs and the songs serv. </p><div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-mid-ntent" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-mid-ntent nsumer-marketg-un__slot---ntent"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><p>It is worth rememberg that when “Blurred L” first me out, people maniftly did not hate . In fact, Rob Thicke was nsired somethg of an unrdog. This was an absurd signatn for the large adult son of a <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">s dad</a>, whose reer was lnched bee jazz legend Al Jarre fanced the rerdg of his mo and passed along to R&B superstar Brian McKnight. But for a brief time—startg around 2006, when Lil Wayne rema Thicke’s track “Oh Shooter” for his universally acclaimed <a href="><em>Tha Carter II</em></a>—Thicke beme a mor e celebre wh the mic dtry. Bta Rhym sought him out; Pharrell signed him to his Star Trak label. Between 2006 and 2013, he released five stud albums, each of which performed rpectably—<em>The Evolutn of Rob Thicke</em>, his first rerd for Star Trak, eventually cracked platum. There was a lane for a guy like him: He was a send-strg <a href=">Timberlake</a>, the blue-eyed soul man whose mic uld smoothly make the leap onto Black rad formats at a time when rad formats still fed reer arcs. </p><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><p>When the Diane Martel-directed <a href=">vio</a> for “Blurred L” ma s but on March 20, 2013, was greeted mostly wh praise. <em>SPIN</em> <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">lled </a> “another fun slice of throwback soul om the perpetually unrrated Thicke” and gave a fond blow-by-blow of the vio’s “many, many great moments.” Multiple publitns approvgly noted what they lled a sample of Marv Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” At this pot, the narrative around “Blurred L” was amed as a labor-of-love for all volved. For one brief and improbable moment, “Blurred L” was a <em>feel-good</em> story.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="rdd1j8j"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><figure data-ttid="IameEmbed" class="IameEmbedWrapper-sc-dRedg hZiq iame-embed"><div data-ttid="IameEmbedContaer" class="IameEmbedContaer-hptgUZ kHuUWr"><div class="IameEmbedAspectRatWrapper-hFVJps kaOLzO"><iame class="IameEmbedContent-cMdiev csnuAY IameEmbedContent lazyload" height="300px" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-popups allow-same-orig" tle="Embedd Frame" data-src=" allow="toplay *; encrypted-media *; clipboard-wre; toplay; fullscreen; picture--picture"></iame></div></div></figure><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad---ntent"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot---ntent" data-no-id="5ct5x"></div></div><p>The song’s first ntroversy was entirely by sign—a week after the vio buted, the “Blurred L” team upload an <a href=">“unrated” versn</a> to YouTube. As wh the origal, the unrated cut featured Pharrell, T.I., and Rob Thicke dog silly danc agast a blank background, grimacg and muggg at three supermols as they pranced past. But this time, all three mols—Ey Ratajkowski, Elle Evans, and Jsi M’Bengue—were topls, an obv vlatn of YouTube’s muny standards. The “Blurred L” team was clearly hopg the clip would get banned, and did: The ensug publicy helped <a href=">ph</a> the song further up the charts. </p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-1 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>As “Blurred L” beme more popular, some openg shots were fired. In a <em>Vice</em> piece, the wrer Bertie Brans <a href=">asserted</a> that the vio was “misogynist bullsh” and argued that ma Rob Thicke “look like a predator,” tailg nu women black aviators and haggard-lookg stubble. But very few other mastream publitns noted any objectns as the song’s slow burn gave way to a sizzle June 2013. “Congratulatns to Rob Thicke,” tmpeted <a href=">Vulture</a>, “who jt earned his first-ever Billboard No. 1 wh ‘Blurred L,’ and ngratulatns to Ameri for havg killer taste potential songs of the summer. Everyone do the T.I-wh-a-hairbsh dance. You’ve earned .” </p><p>There is a certa kd of ubiquy that arriv as a curse, that rros any and all goodwill that your succs might have generated. If “Blurred L” had dropped out of the Top 10 a few weeks later, to be replaced by some other Song of the Summer, Thicke might still be makg rounds on the nostalgia circu today. In this alternate universe, is probable—even likely—that the Marv Gaye tate would never have seen f to enter to ligatn. But, rather famoly, that’s not what happened. Instead, “Blurred L” stayed at No. 1 for a numbg, dispirg 12 weeks. </p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="1cqbnr"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>By any objective measure, three entire months is an absurdly long stretch of time to mand the pop charts. Songs that exert this kd of stranglehold on the public imagatn always wear out their wele, but there is a special kd of vrl rerved for the on that are upbeat, peppy, or salac. If Mariah Carey’s soarg breakup ballad “We Belong Together,” a song that spent 14 weeks at the top spot 2005, me on while you were wag le for ffee, you might not wce. But image your reactn to Flo Rida’s “Low” (10 weeks 2008) or the Black-Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feelg” (14 weeks, 2009) playg over those same ffee-shop speakers. Thgs curdle when left unr a spotlight for that long. </p><p>A month after the song h No. 1, The Daily Beast published a piece tled “<a href=">‘Blurred L,’ Rob Thicke’s Song of the Summer, Is Kd of Rapey</a>.” The wrer, Tricia Romano, noted how the phrase “I know you want ,” particularly when paired wh a vio which fully clothed male performers leer at naked women who para wordlsly ont of them, summoned some dark ias about what sexual nsent looked and sound like. The mic cric Mra Johnston, one of Romano’s sourc, poted out that Thicke’s squeaky-clean image—he’d been married to actrs Pla Patton for years and wasn’t known public circl for womanizg—took some of the unsavory edge off of the song. Still, somethg about the knifelike sound of the word “rapey” sliced through the disurse. Once the ia had been voiced, was hard to hear the song, or watch the vio, que the same way.  </p><p>In rponse, Rob Thicke went to multiple outlets to doe the flam of ntroversy—wh a gasole n. “What a pleasure is to gra a woman,” he med sardonilly to <a href="><em>GQ</em></a>. “I’ve never gotten to do that before.” (He <a href=">plaed afterwards</a> that the reporter had failed to note his sarsm and adoptn of a <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ron Burgundy</a> voice, as if this provid ample migatg ntext.) Later, he ratnalized that the vio was “the director’s ia, and she’s a woman,” addg, “let’s not fet, everybody—[the mols] got paid handsomely to take their cloth off.” He me off ls like a harmls, square-jawed himbo and more like the asshole a popped llar at the end of the bar. In turn, “Blurred L” didn’t sound like such a good time anymore.</p><div class="GenericCalloutWrapper-tojWn jWjrOW" data-ttid="GenericCallout"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="“Blurred L” Harbger of Doom" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div><p>If <a href=">Miley Cys</a> had not wiggled her way to Rob Thicke’s orb, the story might have end there. But as “Blurred L” climbed the charts, the former Disney Channel star was unrgog a pop metamorphosis of her own. Lookg to shed her Mickey ears, Cys began flashg more sk, and those imag were then fed to the thrher of SEO headl and emerged as an ventory of body parts: “unrbutt, “crotch,” “siboob,” “spectacular ass.” She also began donng rnrows, flashed a gold grill at a Myspace event, clared her love of “hood mic,” and claimed Lil’ Kim as spirual k. </p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="n2diew"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>Jt as “Blurred L” h No. 1, Cys released “We Can’t Stop,” the first sgle om her album <em>Bangerz</em>. The Atlanta producer Mike WiLL Ma-It gave the track to Cys after Rihanna passed on , and Cys asked the songwrg duo Timothy and Theron Thomas to give her “<a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">somethg that jt feels Black</a>.” The lyrics shouted out the “homegirls wh the big butts, shakg like we at a strip club” while the vio—also directed by Diane Martel—Cys twerked the pany of Black female backup dancers. Black cultural outlets cried her behavr, wh the Root <a href=">labelg her</a> “the poster child for cultural appropriatn,” and placg “We Can’t Stop” a long leage of privileged whe pop stars turng to Black culture for superficial “edge.” But mastream media ignored the angle almost entirely. </p><p>Cys and Thicke reprented two halv of an unfortable nversatn about predatn and agency. Both stori were about objectifitn om different angl. For Cys, the <em>Bangerz</em> album cycle was about both her own objectifitn at the hands of the media and the kd she practiced on the Black women whose bodi she ed as props. The “Blurred L” vio, wh s men elegant dner attire standg behd prancg naked ladi, reprented a visn of the male gaze that even WWII-era grandfathers uld regnize. They were both playg wh different kds of fire, and although neher of them yet knew , their sti were on track to lli. By the begng of Augt 2013, the same month as the MTV VMAs, “We Can’t Stop” was the No. 2 song Ameri—held off only by “Blurred L.” </p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-2 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>Absurdly, Thicke might have ially seen a VMAs llaboratn wh Cys as a chance to dial down the cricism that had built up around his song. By givg the “you know you want ” lyrics to a female duet partner, he uld shift some of the nceptn of him as the predatory male lurker. It’s a time-tted move, datg back to the era of screwball edy: give the woman the role of the aggrsor to put off charg of chvism. Time and time aga durg the var “Blurred L” ntroversi, he had trotted out the example of his then-wife, Pla Patton, sayg was a song for her. “She’s my good girl,” he said. “And I know she wants , bee we’ve been together 20 years.” Aga, another timele—or more ccially, wh a star ls unpredictable than Cys 2013—this strategy might even have worked. But, once more, that is not what happened. Instead, Miley Cys me out on the VMAs stage before Rob Thicke and simulated analg on a Black woman a bear stume.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="pp93e9"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><figure data-ttid="IameEmbed" class="IameEmbedWrapper-sc-dRedg hZiq iame-embed"><div data-ttid="IameEmbedContaer" class="IameEmbedContaer-hptgUZ kHuUWr"><div class="IameEmbedAspectRatWrapper-hFVJps kaOLzO"><iame class="IameEmbedContent-cMdiev csnuAY IameEmbedContent lazyload" height="300px" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-popups allow-same-orig" tle="Embedd Frame" data-src=" allow="toplay *; encrypted-media *; clipboard-wre; toplay; fullscreen; picture--picture"></iame></div></div></figure><p>The three mut and six sends of Cys’ “We Can’t Stop” performance at the VMAs was one of those mmerizg public ms we rarely experience together anymore. From the moment she emerged—om the cht of a Kanye-style space bear—she exud a rivetg and unly energy that was as much “Jim Carrey  <em>The Grch</em>” as was “out-of-ntrol sexpot,” thrashg and twerkg and grdg on the set like an overtired toddler, as the mera operators <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">llected</a> <a href=">immortal</a> reactn shots. As she had the “We Can’t Stop” vio, she surround herself wh Black backup dancers whose only job was to provi ntrast to Cys, towards whom she gtured wh proprietary glee. And then Rob Thicke joed her onstage for “Blurred L.” </p><p>Together, Cys and Thicke stirred up the kd of sh-storm that neher uld have acplished on their own. For one shutter-clicked eterny, a whe man’s predatory leerg at all women met up wh a whe woman’s opportunistic leerg at Black women, and they bed to make an fernal beast wh two backs, a “We Can’t Stop”-able force meetg an immovable, Beetlejuice-sued object. </p><p>The moment, of urse, that all the chatter circulated around was when Cys, wearg the foam fger om the “Blurred L” vio, bent over ont of Thicke, twerkg and bbg the floppy dig on her crotch. There was a ty gr on Thicke’s face, who was clearly enjoyg the moment, but not nearly as much as the crowd, who screamed rponse to Cys’s ass-shakg as if wnsg the moonwalk for the first time. </p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="vnsvwb"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>To much of whe Ameri 2013, twerkg was apparently as sndalo as the twist had been to parents the 1960s. Conservative outlets fumed, naturally, but even some of Cys’ pop-star lleagu me gunng for her: “I twerk all the time like a mofo,” Pk told reporters. “[But] there’s a place for that, and ’s not on stage.” (A 67-year-old Cher registered her own objectns: “I’ve seen other girls do better.”) </p><p>It’s nearly impossible to image this level of celebry pearl-clutchg today, when twerkg is an accepted part of mastream culture, but Cys ed a sensatn that set new rerds for dience engagement the social-media age. “What is twerkg” was Google’s top query for 2013, while Twter ers <a href=">sent out</a> a rerd-breakg 306,100 tweets per mute durg Cys’ VMAs performance. (Gloatg, Cys tweeted the statistics herself.) This was a growg sign of Twter’s risg power shapg pop cultural narrativ real time. Gog forward, the Twter reactn would be part of the news story self.</p><p>Cys’ performance marked another signifint velopment: In a vanishgly rare nfluence, multiple mastream media outlets went on rerd to acce her of cultural appropriatn. <em>The New York Tim</em>’ Jon Caramani <a href=">lled</a> the VMAs “a banner year for clumsy whe appropriatn of black culture,” sglg out Cys’ performance. <em>New York</em>’s Jody Rosen <a href=">emed</a> the performance “a mstrel show.” Wrg  <em>Slate</em>, Trsie McMillan Cottom <a href=">expand</a> on this parallel and examed the ignom rerd of “historil ritur of black women.” “Cys did not jt have black women gyratg behd her,” Cottom noted. “She had particularly rotund black women,” a choice that “[played] a type of black female body as a joke to challenge her dience’s perceptns of herself, while leavg their perceptns of black women’s bodi firmly tact.” </p><p>It was the kd of nuanced socpolil crique that rarely found this much oxygen major news outlets, and clearly took Cys and her team off-guard. Tellgly, while Cys showed up terviews armed wh snappy retorts to claims she’d over-sexualized herself (“If I really wanted to e out and do a rnchy sex show, I wouldn’t have been drsed as a damn bear”), she found herself pletely tongue-tied when tryg to grapple wh charg of racism: “You’re thkg about more than I thought about when I did ,” she <a href=">protted</a>. Like Thicke, she had e nfintly prepared to al wh one kd of backlash only to fd herself bldsid by another. </p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-3 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>Dpe all of this, the VMAs backlash was jt a pothole on the road to world domatn for Cys, Ameri’s <a href=">most-Googled human</a> of 2013. Immediately after the event, she released her next h sgle, “Wreckg Ball,” wh the <a href=">famo mallet-lickg vio</a> butg two weeks later. But for Thicke, the VMAs were purely a bacle. Afterward, he crossed some mystil Rubin pop culture. Both he and his h song were officially toxic. </p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="n86tu"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>After weeks of natnal nversatn about the sexual power dynamics of “Blurred L,” cludg rad bans and protts om sexual-abe survivors, the suatn effectively llapsed when a photo emerged of Thicke om an afterparty wh his hand rtg fortably on the ass of a young blond woman. Not long afterward, his wife Pla Patton filed for divorce. Dperate, Thicke began projectg Patton’s image behd him durg ncerts and assurg dienc he was gog to “get [his] girl back.” Thgs only grew bleaker om there: In 2017, Patton <a href=">acced</a> Thicke of domtic abe, and Thicke temporarily lost ctody of his son. In a metaphor too neat to vent, “Wreckg Ball” swung to the No. 1 spot jt as Thicke started his long spiral downward.</p><div class="GenericCalloutWrapper-tojWn jWjrOW" data-ttid="GenericCallout"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="“Blurred L” Harbger of Doom" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div><p>It might have seemed, at least ially, that the only one to emerge om “Blurred L” smellg like ros was Pharrell Williams, spe the fact that he wrote s ntroversial lyrics. The song’s sleazs didn’t seem to b off on him. Maybe was his dimpl, or his impishly youthful meanor. He seemed, ially, ee to rume his charmed trajectory. But nobody who me to ntact wh “Blurred L” ped unsthed, and the song would soon e for Pharrell, too. </p><p>Talkg about the spiratn behd “Blurred L” the same <em>GQ</em> terview where he med about the pleasure of gradg women, Thicke said the followg: “Pharrell and I were the stud, and I told him that one of my favore songs of all time was Marv Gaye’s ‘Got to Give It Up.’ I was like, ‘Damn, we should make somethg like that, somethg wh that groove.’ Then he started playg a ltle somethg and we lerally wrote the song about a half hour and rerd .”</p><p>As far as smokg guns go, ’s hard to image an admissn more hilarly crimatg. The Marv Gaye Estate certaly thought so, which is why they ma this quote a rnerstone of their <a href=">lawsu</a>, which they officially filed at the end of 2013. Except, as the ensug posns of both Thicke and Williams nfirmed, Thicke’s statement to <em>GQ</em> was a lie—he wasn’t the room when Williams wrote the words, groove, and melody of “Blurred L.” He was high on Vid and alhol, and had virtually nothg to do wh the song’s creatn. </p><p>The dimensns of the urt se agast “Blurred L” are so varied that an entire streamg miseri uld be ma about the story, cludg dramatic cross-cuts between Thicke and Williams’ posns. One tail often lost to time is that they more or ls ved the lawsu to e crashg down on their heads by <a href=">preemptively sug the Marv Gaye Estate</a>. When people began mentg on the siari between “Blurred L” and “Got to Give It Up,” Thicke and Williams’ legal team filed a plat seekg a claratory judgment that “there are no siari between the platiffs’ posn and those the claimants allege they own other than monplace mil elements.” </p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="4ue2dj"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>It was an aggrsive move, a classic “bt fense is a good offense” gamb meant to timidate the Gaye fay to eher foregog ligatn entirely or settlg quickly. But no. As the song barreled s way through succsive cultural referendums—sexual nsent, slut-shamg, mstrelsy, and now, credibly, the nature of creativy self— began to seem like a dark star sent to burn s way through every ntent issue Amerin culture. But at each pot, there was an act of hubris—eher om Williams or om Thicke—that phed “Blurred L” back out to the limelight, where uld absorb more punishment. </p><p>Wh their preemptive lawsu, Williams’ lawyers were actg out of supreme nfince that their se was rock-solid. And, on paper, was. The Williams/Thicke team would go on to pastakgly monstrate urt that while the two posns shared mon elements—a groove on electric piano, synpated bass, accents on a wbell—the not and rhythms themselv were different, and the two posns weren’t even the same key. </p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-4 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>And yet anyone wh ears uld hear that they were at least nversatn. Remember: The siari were so obv that many early outlets erroneoly reported that “Blurred L” ntaed a sample of the song. Even if Thicke had spun his Marv Gaye quote out of th air, the fact that he groped for Gaye’s name general, and “Got to Give It Up” particular, was evince enough that Marv Gaye’s spir was the room, even if Thicke was not. Durg the stud ssns, Williams add all sorts of background nois and soft yelps, which ma the lizard-bra parison even more evable.</p><p>Williams and Thicke kept attemptg to strong-arm the Gaye Estate, which, turn, risted—a judge <a href=">dismissed</a> Williams’ attempt to get a summary judgment, and then the Gaye Estate <a href=">rejected</a> a lowball six-figure settlement. Thgs were plited further by the fact that both songs shared a publisher, and the Gaye fay felt bullied by EMI to droppg the su. In rponse, the Gaye Estate lnched their su, which alleged “blatant pyg” of “a nstellatn of distctive and signifint posnal elements,” and the battle l were drawn. </p><p>When a jury <a href=">found Williams and Thicke guilty of pyright gement</a> and orred them to pay the Gaye fay a staggerg $7.3 ln damag March 2015, a shocked Williams and his team <a href=">vowed to appeal</a>, statg that the verdict “sets a horrible precent for mic and creativy gog forward.” Ined, the implitns of a “Blurred L” loss was ighteng enough to spur <a href=">an amic brief</a> that clud John Oat, Hans Zimmer, and Rivers Cuomo among s 200 signatori. “By elimatg any meangful standard for drawg the le between permissible <em>spiratn</em> and unlawful <em>pyg</em>, the judgment is certa to stifle creativy and impe the creative procs,” read the brief. It was not enough. The appeals urt led aga favor of the Gaye Estate, and Williams and Thicke were orred to pay $5.3 ln damag July 2015. </p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="tu6ywh"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><a href=">The fallout om the cisn was lculable</a>. By monstratg the value of a high-profile lawsu agast a massive pop song, the “Blurred L” se helped unrle the potential fancial upsi to owng talogs like Gaye’s. If the stampe of venture palists petg to snap up beloved artist talogs—om Otis Reddg to Jam Brown to Smokey Robson—proceed om a specific assumptn, ’s that whoever owns the assets gets to mand payment. </p><p>Now, when pop songs are rerd, they routely pass through a forensic milogil analysis for any possible siari to other songs, old or new, often wh preemptive songwrer creds hand out as a rult. A much more mon practice, seen everywhere om hs by Nicki Maj to Saweetie to Bebe Rexha and Jack Harlow, is to <a href=">sample</a> a <a href=">large chunk</a> of a <a href=">beloved song</a> <a href=">wholale</a>, which ensur bigger checks to publishers and downplays the threat of ligatn.</p><div class="GenericCalloutWrapper-tojWn jWjrOW" data-ttid="GenericCallout"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="“Blurred L” Harbger of Doom" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div><p>Dpe losg the urt se, Pharrell has won fortably the urt of public opn. Ironilly, the plagiarism accatns strengthened his reputatn as a creative voice, rather than weakened . He was st as the martyr, a voice of reason and a reprentative for creative eedom. “You n’t pyright a feelg,” Pharrell protted memorably durg the su, and was easy to sympathize wh him, the guardian of vib agast the gbby hands of the lawyers. But ’s worth rellg that if Williams and Thicke’s lawyers had preemptively granted a small piece of the publishg royalti to the Gaye Estate along wh an terpolatn cred the ler not, the legal fias would likely have been avoid.</p><p>Williams also exprsed regret for the “Blurred L” lyrics, tellg <a href="><em>GQ</em></a> 2019, “Some of my old songs, I would never wre or sg today. I realized that there are men who e that same language when takg advantage of a woman, and don’t matter that that’s not my behavr. Or the way I thk about thgs. It jt matters how affects women.” He went on to assert, wh perhaps a touch too much wi-eyed naivete: “I realized that we live a chvist culture our untry. I hadn’t realized that. Didn’t realize that some of my songs tered to that. So that blew my md.” And yet, almost no one lled him out. In a feat of near-magil PR, Pharrell managed to skirt rponsibily for the song’s effect on the creative landspe <em>and</em> for s problematic msage, spe beg the person who is arguably most rponsible for both. </p><p>As the years have worn on and “Blurred L” fas to the rearview, the song has e to seem more repellent, not ls. In 2013, tersectnal and/or femist criqu of pop songs were hard to fd mastream media. Amerin pop culture as a whole was herently attier: On the pop charts, two stras of mic fed by the prefix “bro”—“bro-untry” and “bro-step”—had jt spng to life. R-rated Judd Apatow edi led at the multiplex, even as Kathere Heigl, the -star of the director’s $220 ln-grossg 2007 film <em>Knocked Up</em>, faced reer exile for notg, rrectly, that the msage of the film was a ltle “sexist.” Female celebri who found their privacy vlated by upskirt paparazzi photos were still expected to go onto morng news shows to “<a href=">apologize</a>.”</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="ezjnbm"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bCHUuY body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>In this environment, the voic that rang out agast “Blurred L” were lonely on. There was ltle the way of evince, at that pot, to prove the song’s wrongns, which is how people rorted to suggtive, rather than ncrete, terms—sketchy, skeevy. Rapey. And yet, the ensug , even more damng revelatns related to the song emerged.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-5 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>Throughout the “Blurred L” fias, T.I. seemed like a bystanr, a gut rapper who was jt there to do a silly hairbsh dance and skate past. And yet, 2021, he and his wife, Ty, <a href=">were acced</a> of dggg and sexually assltg a number of women. Ey Ratajkowski—who at the time of the vio’s release, <a href=">gave terviews</a> about how her bored, disdaful performance the vio turned the song’s supposed misogyny on s head—<a href=">revealed</a> her 2021 memoir that at one pot durg the shoot, Thicke clapped his hands over her bare breasts whout nsent. (The vio’s director, Diane Martel, rroborated the memory.) </p><p>Loomg over all of the bleak sexual power dynamics, of urse, was the man that people still referred to 2013 as “Uncle Terry.” The “Blurred L” vio, as directed by Martel, was a Terry Richardson homage everythg but name, om s antiseptic blank backdrop to s lasciv gaze and the balloons spellg out “ROBIN THICKE HAS A BIG DICK.” “It was Diane Martel’s ia,” Thicke said. “She told me, ‘I have this ia to do like a Terry Richardson kd of a vio, a shoot wh the girls beg naked.’” Richardson was often <a href=">ced</a> as one of the spiratns behd the “We Can’t Stop” vio, which was also directed by Martel. Richardson himself directed the “Wreckg Ball” vio, which Cys appeared nu. At the time of the “Blurred L” vio, allegatns of sexual asslt agast Terry Richardson were <a href=">at least three years old.</a> It would take another five years for the allegatns agast Richardson to work their way to the foreont of the culture and renr him unhirable.</p><p>It was the sorts of power stctur upon which “Blurred L” perched. The song was a fissure crack, revealg rot all the way down to the foundatns: The shadowy nature of sexual misnduct the workplace, the difficulty reportg , the power stctur actively supprsg , and s normalizatn the entertament dtry. It raised the qutn: If this “fun” song, the tchy dty that we uldn’t get out of our heads, uld nceal such vast rerv of sulfuro darkns—what else were we missg? A on, we’re still sortg out the answers. </p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 PaywallInleBarrierWhWrapperGrid-fyrGfS jyGBoi"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="body body__le-barrier article__body article__body--grid-margs"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"><asi class="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper-iBnuqk lfXXa-D" data-ttid="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--paywall-le-barrier" role="prentatn" aria-live="pole" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--paywall-le-barrier"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></asi></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ContentWrapperGrid-fvkmBv jfHKjr"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="body body__ntaer"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div 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class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd JArb fNjBDf hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd fWKTlx bUkXwu">Pharrell Williams</span></a><a href="/artists/4400-ti/" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd JArb fNjBDf hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd fWKTlx bUkXwu">T.I.</span></a><a href="/artists/5996-ey-cys/" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd JArb fNjBDf hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd fWKTlx bUkXwu">Miley Cys</span></a><a href="/featur/?genre=pop" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd JArb fNjBDf hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd fWKTlx bUkXwu">Pop/R&B</span></a><a href="/featur/?genre=rap" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd 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summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz gKnDpj"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image 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Artists on Their All-Time Favore Rap Songs</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi cuRXdL summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY jCKKIz summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH CViXj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd gebkj gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Andy Ch</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hmmRSZ summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz gKnDpj"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="The 25 Funnit Rappers of All Time" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl XMZX summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX irmJOI bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Lists & Guis</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM kHqDAk summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ lfbrty summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">The 25 Funnit Rappers of All Time</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi cuRXdL summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY jCKKIz summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH CViXj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd gebkj gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Dylan Green</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hmmRSZ summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz gKnDpj"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Pchfork Staffers on Their Most Formative Rap Albums" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl XMZX summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX irmJOI bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Lists & Guis</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM kHqDAk summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ lfbrty summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Pchfork Staffers on Their Most Formative Rap Albums</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi cuRXdL summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY jCKKIz summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH CViXj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd gebkj gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Pchfork</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh ad ad--read-more"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--read-more" data-no-id="r79lug"></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hmmRSZ summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz gKnDpj"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Travis Stt Joed by Kanye Wt for Utopia Concert at Rome’s Circ Maxim: Details, Setlist, and More" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl XMZX summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX irmJOI bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">News</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM kHqDAk summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ lfbrty summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Travis Stt Joed by Kanye Wt for <em>Utopia</em> Concert at Rome’s Circ Maxim: Details, Setlist, and More</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi cuRXdL summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY jCKKIz summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH CViXj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd gebkj gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Evan Msker</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hmmRSZ summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-5" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz gKnDpj"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="8 Overlooked Rap Mixtap You Need to Hear" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl XMZX summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX irmJOI bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">The Pch</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM kHqDAk summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-5" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ lfbrty summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">8 Overlooked Rap Mixtap You Need to Hear</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi cuRXdL summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY jCKKIz summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH CViXj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd gebkj gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Alphonse Pierre</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hmmRSZ summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-6" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz gKnDpj"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Listen to Pretty V’s “Bandmp”: The On" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl XMZX summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX irmJOI bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">The Pch</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM kHqDAk summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-6" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ lfbrty summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Listen to Pretty V’s “Bandmp”: The On</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi cuRXdL summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY jCKKIz summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH CViXj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd gebkj gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Alphonse Pierre</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hmmRSZ summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-7" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz gKnDpj"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="5 Takeaways From Travis Stt’s New Album Utopia" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl XMZX summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX irmJOI bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">The Pch</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM kHqDAk summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-7" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ lfbrty summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">5 Takeaways From Travis Stt’s New Album <em>Utopia</em></div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi cuRXdL summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY jCKKIz summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH CViXj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd gebkj gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Dylan Green</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hmmRSZ summary-em summary-em--has-le summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below summary-em--layout-posn-image-left summary-em--layout-proportns-50-50 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm XIzKh" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb cPpCwE summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-8" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz gKnDpj"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg bDvSkO summary-em__image rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="The 30 Bt Movie Performanc by Rappers" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl XMZX summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX irmJOI bric SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN lapGFj summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Lists & Guis</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM kHqDAk summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-8" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ lfbrty summary-em__hed"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="SummaryItemHedTag-TWblf gxaOcP" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">The 30 Bt Movie Performanc by Rappers</div></div></div></a><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi cuRXdL summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY jCKKIz summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH CViXj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd gebkj gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Alphonse Pierre</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryCollectnGridToActnWrapper-gnReGN eGayfk"></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="TaboolaWrapper-hMVdpE iYfBhy"><div class="TaboolaWidgetWrapper-egPIjc hkSrgt TaboolaWidget-eUSdED hQCCRa" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetWrapper"><div class="TaboolaWidgetContent-iBEQTO eXroXG TABOOLA" id="taboola-below-article-thumbnails" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetContent"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--footer should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--footer" data-no-id="bqnq8"></div></div></div></div></div></ma><div class="BasePageMaFooterFiller-hTlZph jSriYf page__ma-footer-filler"></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--cm-footer" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--cm-footer"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan BasePageSeFooterRow-kpEBGH lfUKax"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 BasePageSeFooterRowGrid-iBGjXL zQNeb"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><footer class="SeFooterWrapper-bXjkRY VecEt se-footer--wh-store"><div class="SeFooterGridNoMargs-jSrXSj kdlxBX" data-ttid="SeFooterGridNoMargs"><div class="SeFooterBrandInfo-cdoqKy cdkwFG"><div class="SeFooterLogo-eYlNHY eigdAF se-footer__logo"><a href="/"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SeFooterLogoRponsiveAsset-ckjzWk kubVDn 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