Dwaine Caraway
Five years ago, Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway got in some hot water with the LGBT community for using a rap song containing homophobic lyrics to promote his anti-sagging pants campaign. The original version of the song, “Pull Your Pants Up” by Duncanville’s Dooney Da’ Priest, contained the following lyrics:
“You walk the streets with your pants way down low/I don’t know/Looks to me like you’re on the down low. … I think it’s gay but some of ya’ll think it’s cool/Walking around showing your behind to other dudes.”
After complaints from LGBT groups, Caraway removed a link to “Pull Your Pants Up” from his city web page, and he said he asked Da Priest to remove the anti-gay lyrics from an edited version of the song — although it’s unclear whether this was actually done. Da Priest, meanwhile, apologized but added that he views homosexuality as an abomination. Caraway also suggested that the LGBT community should pocket the insult in exchange for the greater good of a society free from sagging pants. “All of our toes may get stepped on when we are at war,” Caraway told Dallas Voice at the time. “We are at war collectively against disrespect. So we must fight collectively together.”
Five years later, as you may have heard, Caraway has relaunched his war on sagging pants, with a summit being rescheduled for sometime later this year. And guess what? He’s again using a song by Da Priest to promote the crusade. And guess what? The new song, “Pull ‘Em Up,” also contains homophobic and otherwise offensive lyrics. This time, Da Priest is going after not only sagging pants, but also “skinny jeans” and men who wear “women’s jeans.” Here’s a sample verse from “Pull Em Up”:
“Man, those jeans are for girls, why’d you put ’em on?/Did she say when she took ’em off that you could put em on?/ I don’t know, bro/Like I said before, I don’t know, looks to me you’re on the down low/Makes you look suspect, makes you look real odd/Makes it difficult for you to get a real job.”
And here’s the chorus:
“These boys let their underwear show/Pull ’em up, pull ’em up before your pants hit the floor/These boys got their pants on the ground/Pull ’em up, pull ’em up, like a fool with your pants on the ground/These boys got skinny jeans on/Pull ’em up, pull ’em up/These boys got women’s jeans on/Pull ’em up, pull ’em up/These boys got pants too tight. Pull ’em up, pull ’em up/Yeah …”
We’ve left a message with Caraway’s office to find out whether he is indeed expanding the anti-sagging campaign to include skinny jeans. We’d also like to know what the councilman’s official thoughts are on the so-called “down low.”
Of course we’d like to talk to Da Priest, too. We want to ask him precisely what degree of tightness he considers appropriate for our pants — and, how exactly does one go about “pulling up” skinny jeans?
We’ll let you know what we find out. In the meantime, listen to the song below.
And this man was actually our interim mayor for something like 4 months. Ouch.
hmmm…sounds like an lgbt sponsored “sag-in” at this idiot’s office might be in order.
Seems like the skinny jeans issue is a culture clash, but it is intresting to see what the point was. So prove to me that Caraway is homophobic because it is sounding like it.
I wonder how well Blacks would accept the lyrics if it were changed to : “I think it’s Black but some of ya’ll think it’s cool….” The man is an idiot.
The last time I attended a City Council morning meeting, Mr. Caraway was out of the room about half of the time, so presumably what we — the residents and voters of Dallas — are not of great interest to him.
Further, it seems odd that he would criticize the clothing of others. On that day, he was wearing a vast gray muumuu.
Mr Caraway needs to stop trying to be a Hip Hop thug. You are no way cool like you think you are. Your an idiot and by the statement below you are a hater. Next time someone calls you a Ni–er you just pocket that for the greater good you ass hole. Caraway also suggested that the LGBT community should pocket the insult in exchange for the greater good of a society free from sagging pants. “All of our toes may get stepped on when we are at war,” Caraway told Dallas Voice at the time. “We are at war collectively against disrespect. So we must fight collectively together.”