Not only has Drake unilaterally expanded the definitive essence of the term, but he has simultaneously shrouded it in two layers of improper grammar, making the obfuscation almost impenetrable without a careful analysis of the chorus lyrics… ‘look at the bling he’s already wearing on his left arm’Īs I previously mentioned, however, the application of “bling” in Drake’s somber ballad is not an allegiance to authenticity, but what can only be described as a “Re-Slanging” of the term into the state of a grammatically spurious verb. I am of course referring to the term, “Bling” Įxpensive, ostentatious clothing and jewelry: In fact, the seminal drive behind this pivotal word was so powerful that, in 2003, it was added to the most prestigious of vernacular archives The Oxford Dictionary.
The strength of the hoax is further compounded by nostalgia and an impulsive word-association that has been driven into our subconscious by lexical pioneers of the very music genre through which Drake serenades us with this compelling tale of wayward booty. With this title, Drake has tricked you – a grammatical ruse so shrewd for the simple fact that, presented primarily in the context of an isolated song title, nobody would ever suspect that “Hotline Bling” is not in fact a noun. In this instance, however, we are not confronted with your usual case of aural inadequacy, or naïve misinterpretation of what Nelly describes in his 2000 hit as an intricate rural dialect of, “…be’s ebonics, gin tonic and chronic”. The problem, as it often can be with rap, is grammar. To the question, “What is Hotline Bling?”, there is little consensus on any one answer – largely because “Hotline Bling” is not a thing.