Authenticity from musicians, actors, athletes, etc...

The laziness of that Cooley couplet really bugs me because that second line is one his best.

 

I know what you mean. I really hate that Big L had such a weak setup for arguably his best line:

"So don't step to this, 'cause I got a live crew
You might be kind of big, but they make coffins your size, too "

It's the same thing.

 

Ain't Got You is as close as it gets. I think it was the Remnick article in the New Yorker said how much Little Steven hated that song because people wanted Bruce to sing about their problems, not hear about his.

 

That's a good point about specificity, Verse.

 

Counterpoint: you can fake authenticity using details (specificity) gathered by reporting.

Great novelists, for example, are almost always great reporters.

Or you can fake authenticity by stealing the specifics from someone else's life.

 

Also, those lyrics sucked.

 

That was kind of my point. I have no idea if those details are honest, but they seem honest because they are specific.