It was decided by the people who decide stuff that the "Tears of Joy emoji" would be the 2015 word of the year. This spawned thousands of thinkpieces about the descent of culture. This blogger thinks it's a nod to the times we live in and a worthy choice. Still, if I were one of the people who decided stuff, my choice for 2015 word of the year would be Bladadah, a California slang term for a pistol. Watch the video to establish some context. (Some may find the lyrics controversial, please lower your volume or use headphones)
America loves gangsters, no doubt. Straight Outta Compton, the NWA album-turned-biopic, is generating Oscar buzz after a successful run at the box office. Rap fans love to debate about the authenticity of rappers who disclose criminal acts on wax. Yet I will always tip my hat to gangsters like Mozzy who find new and creative ways to paint pictures for listeners and peel back layers of the culture. His delivery is so very convincing!
You see, Gang Banging is the American Way. You don't have to be in a street gang to bang either; when I lost my last job at a film studio I drove around LA banging on movie moguls. Republicans are mad that the President won't put boots on the ground to bang on ISIS. Mozzy raps about his homies getting banged on by prosectuing attorneys, etc, etc.
Bay Area artists in particular are known for their colorful use of language. I gather from the video that Bladadah is often a by-product of someone getting banged on. In celebration of banging on your enemies, the American Way, I present the 2015 word of the year, BLADADAH.
(Ed. note: Updated with link to Mozzy slang video 2/16/16)