Rollin' on Dubs

by Clint Burgess


While there are not many redeeming qualities to gangsta rap music and the persona that is often associated with it, it is undeniable that the genre has spawned many fads and noteworthy trends. I mean, who can forget pulling one of your pant legs up half way and rolling around like a true player? More to the point, it is this phenomenon of the music world that has brought an unlikely star to the motor world: spinners.


Spinners are like a right of passage into the world of slammed low riders and high-profile SUVs. If there was a passport that signified the epitome of a true player, it is spinners. For the lay person, spinners are the fantastic wheel hubs that feature a spinning rim, creating the illusion that the wheel is spinning even when the vehicle is stopped. The spinners also spin while the vehicle is in motion and give a strange optical illusion that allows the driver of the car with spinners on it to look much cooler than they may appear in real life. Not only that, but spinners often induce instant street credibility. In the past street cred had to be earned; now it's up for sale.


The ghetto dictionary describes the term "rollout" as a transitive verb meaning "to leave, to cruise, or to otherwise not stay in a given spot." When similarly you are cruising in your pimped-out ride, rolling hard is the act of cruising intently -- you know, with a real purpose. When rolling, whether it be out, hard, or on dubs, it is imperative that the rolling is accompanied by spinners of varying degrees and value. Sure, you can put a chrome tip on your exhaust pipe, but nothing completes the fully functional player-mobile like a set of spinners. In the world of being a G or whatever you want to call it, your clout is gauged by your ability to shell out mad amounts of cash for the most seemingly useless items. (This point is further illustrated by the bling necklace phenomenon.)


However useless spinners may seem, they are a hot commodity among rapper-type circles. If you're considering accessorizing your vehicle with a set of spinners, be sure to check online for hot deals.


While so many fads have come and gone, it is hard to say if spinners are here to stay. I see so many of them downtown on the weekend -- actually, there are a few less since Banana Joe's closed -- but they're still hanging around. If the momentum of rap music and the gangsta lifestyle has any longevity to it, the likelihood of spinners going the way of the buffalo


is slim.





Publication date: 12/16/04