Law Review Article Analyzes Jay-Z’s 99 Problems

[jade3000]

http://www.dominionofnewyork.com/2012/07/12/law-review-article-analyzes-jay-zs-99-problems/

You know the knack that some writers have for dissecting pop-culture news with an air of professorial authority, for turning Brittany Spears into a worthy topic for dissertation? Well this week, America met a new such writer in the form of Southwestern Law School professor Caleb Mason who has written a paper analyzing the Jay-Z song “99 Problems.” It’s brilliant and eye-opening.

“In one compact, teachable verse (Verse 2), the song forces us to think about traffic stops, vehicle searches, drug smuggling, probable cause, and racial profiling, and it beautifully tees up my favorite pedagogical heuristic: life lessons for cops and robbers,” Mason says before launching into a line-by-line exegesis of the verse.

This song has problems, but if you've never really heard or paid attention to the second verse, it's worth a listen. And this article has a really interesting take on that verse.

[missheidi]

1. One of my law professors...

sent this around to everyone earlier in the week. It's good reading, and it isn't too technical.

[jade3000]

2. how did the students react?

that's really interesting that you got it in class. was it discussed in class? what was the student reaction?

[msanthrope]

3. I got a better one... "Death and Taxes and Zombies." It's very good.

Download the whole thing...a pretty easy read.

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2045255

Edited to add--it is a very, very good 4thA analysis.