What Lil Jon’s “Snap Yo Fingers” Taught Me About Empowerment, Individuality, and Community
You’ll never know what you’ll learn.
Recently, I was taking a trip down memory lane and in the throwback jams shuffle, Lil Jon’s Snap Yo Fingers came on. I got into formation immediately and starting snapping to the beat like I was at a middle school party. As with nearly any song, movie, or book that I revisit years later, I experienced it a little differently this time and heard an unexpected, but enlightening message. For the sake of this post, we’re not going to touch on Sean P.’s verse because to be honest, it’s a little wild.
Snap ya fingers! Do ya step!
You can do it all by yo self!
Let me see you do it! Ay!
First of all, if the instrumental and Lil Jon’s warm welcome with “What’s happenin’?” doesn’t already get you hype, these first few lines should. From the start, Lil Jon directly tells you that not only can you do this dance, but you can do it on your own too. Don’t let anybody stop you — go ahead, you can do it!
Snap ya fingers and then rock wit it
Do it, do it, do it, do it, gon’ drop wit it
Do a step with it, put your hips with it
All my ladies let me see ya put a twist wit it
Instructions! Don’t you dislike when someone tells you to do something, but they don’t give you any clues, instructions, or empowerment to help you do it? Have no fear, Lil Jon is here. Girl, you can even put a twist with it.
I do it so good, I don’t need nobody else
I think this is self-explanatory. However, on a real note, you should actually have a support network because those are important and we need each other, but it’s also important to recognize and affirm those things that you are good at — your natural gifts. In this case, that natural gift may be snapping yo fingers so snap away my friend — only on the two and four of course.
Look around the club, what do I see
Everybody rockin’ side to side to the beat
Snappin’ they fingers, bouncin’ to the groove
All by they self, that’s the new move
Remember that support network I mentioned? E-40 is here to tell you that you can still do your own thing — in this case, snap yo fingers — and have a community of people around you. We got you. We want to see you win. Look at you bouncin’ to that groove!
Do what’cha do, you and ya crew
They even got playas and thugs doin’ it too
…
It’s nuthin’ to a boss, I can do the [ish] too
And you know what, we’re going to join you — the playas and thugs too. As Marianne Williamson said, “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.”
Remember:
You can do it.
You can even put your own twist with it.
Recognize and affirm your natural gifts.
We got you.
Be the person who hits the dance floor first — you might just spark up a move[ment].
❤
For the instructional dance video and your enjoyment:
