Bebot
| "Bebot" | |
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| Song |
"Bebop" is a Tagalog slang word which means "Hot Chick"[1].The song from the Black Eyed Peas' 2005 album Monkey Business. A music video was shot and released independently in 2006.
Background
In a similar fashion to "The Apl Song," which appeared on the group's 2003 album Elephunk, the song is rapped solo by apl.de.ap as a tribute to his childhood upbringing in the Philippines. However, in contrast to the first song's somber tone, "Bebop" is an uptempo song designed to be played at parties and clubs.
The term "Bebop" is Filipino slang for "pretty woman", "hot chick", "hottie", "baby/babe". The music video for Bebop features primarily Filipinos, Filipino Americans and several other Asian ethnicities from the Los Angeles area (Korean Americans, Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Thai Americans, Indonesian Americans, Vietnamese Americans, etc.).[citation needed]
In 2006, Patricio Ginelsa (Kid Heroes Productions) and AJ Calomay (Xylophone Films), who also produced and directed "The Apl Song" and the Filipino American action comedy movie, Lumpia were enlisted to make a music video for "Bebop"
Music videos
Two different music videos for "Bebop" were filmed in early July 2006 and premiered online on August 4, 2006. One version, labeled "Generation Two" as a reference to its portrayal of second-generation Filipino Americans, was filmed in various locations in Los Angeles, California, one location including Kenneth Hahn Park, where Dr. Dre's "Nothing But A G Thang" video was also filmed. Ginelsa has said that his intention was to make a "Nothing But A G Thang" for the Filipino American community, only with a far lower budget and far less references to sex, drugs, and violence. "Generation Two" displays several modified import vehicles, or "rice rockets" that are prevalent in Filipino American youth culture. Filipino American street racing legend RJ de Vera, who hosted MTV's Trick It Out and also appeared in The Fast and the Furious, is seen alongside many of the vehicles.
Generation One
The other version, consequently labeled "Generation One" for its portrayal of first-generation Filipino Americans, is set in the 1930s and focuses on showing the life the early Filipino immigrants in Stockton, California as migrant farm workers. The video portrays the relationships between race and gender at the time, as Caucasian women (played by Fergie) are the objects of the Filipino men's affection. In the early days of Filipino American immigration, only men were allowed into the United States, thus accounting for a large gender disparity in the Filipino American community. Therefore, Filipino American men often courted Caucasian women. Historically, courtships and sexual relations between Filipino men and Caucasian women caused a backlash amongst Caucasian men, leading to hate crimes being committed and the eventual passing of anti-miscegenation laws.[2]
Generation Two
The "Generation Two" video is included in the Black Eyed Peas' music DVD, "Live From Sydney to Vegas". Before the video was officially released online, it was played at a Black Eyed Peas concert at Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines as apl.de.ap performed the song.
The video begins with an introduction with Fergie and Taboo knocking on APL's house which then his mom answers and starts to talk to them in a thick, heavy Filipino accent and then she asks Allan to come down and starts to embarres him and then his baby sister Jasmine comes and Fergie tells his mom they're going to the park. The music begins and shows Apl, Fergie, Will.I.Am and Taboo in different colour backgrounds singing. It then shows Apl, Fergie, Will.I.Am, Taboo and his little sister singing at the park with girls and cars having a good time. The video finishes with Them at a house party singing in a group together.[3]
In this video American Idol contestant Jasmine Trias was featured playing apl.de.ap's sister. Other Filipino-American celebrities appearing in either version of the video include DJ Rhettmatic of the Beat Junkies DJ crew , rap group Native Guns, mixed martial artist Brandon Vera, boxer Brian Viloria, and Camile Velasco and Jose "Sway" Penala, also from American Idol, amongst many others.
Setbacks
In October of 2006, Ginelsa spoke about the music videos at the University of California, Irvine as a guest lecturer for a Filipino-American student organization and revealed some of the difficulties about making "Bebot." Among them, he noted that he financed both music videos with his own credit cards, Black Eyed Peas members Will.i.am and Taboo did not appear for filming of "Generation One," and one member of the group whom he would not name was opposed to shooting the "Generation One" video altogether.
In a personal MySpace blog entry dated August 30, 2006, Ginelsa also addresses an open letter written by a collective of Filipino and Filipino-American professors and other academics which criticized the video's hyper-sexualization of women and perpetualization of negative stereotypes, particularly in "Generation Two." The letter was mass e-mailed throughout the Filipino-American community rather than delivered to Ginelsa and his staff directly.
Mainstream exposure
Despite the music video being shot, "Bebot" was not released as a single in the U.S, but was released in the Philippines and several other Asian countries. The song featured on the Ugly Betty episode Swag, played everytime Oshi comes in or out.
MTV ran a story about the video on their website, as well as a behind-the-scenes vignette on their MTV News television programming. Contrary to the claims made by Ginelsa, the story claims the video was funded by the Black Eyed Peas. Filipino American DJ E-Man, who serves as assistant program director and music director for radio station KPWR in Los Angeles, also details a conversation he had in passing with label executives regarding the video which was met with little enthusiasm.[4]
Also, in January, BBC Radio featured this song.
Cebu Correctional Facility have done a dance to this song.
"Bebot" is featured in the Nintendo DS game, High School Musical: Makin' the Cut!.
References
External links
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