New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Redwood Entertainment) Satirists have entertained, provoked and informed us since the time when Classical Greek and Roman literature provided its rich tradition of satiric writing in the work of Aristophanes, Juvenal, Horace, Martial and Petronius. Also prevalent in European literature in the Middle Ages, satire found its greatest expressions in the 17th and 18th centuries in the work of Moliere, Voltaire, Dryden, Pope and Jonathan Swift. In 1726, Swift wittily and allegorically depicted the political life and values of his time by introducing the world to Lemuel Gulliver and his fantastic travels to exotic lands. In Dr. Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755), satire is defined as literature "in which wickedness or folly is censured." But satire has never restricted itself to easy definition and in its varied forms and enormous range recalls what the word originally meant: "a dish of mixed fruits." Fast-forward to the irreverent present-day world of rapping middle-school recording artists Suburban Swagg! Suburban Swagg, through their fresh synthesis of Hip-Hop and the 21st century American cultural zeitgeist, are treating us to social commentary and pithy observations of Swiftian wit. On their debut single releases "Preppy White Boyz" and "Old Money Way" they skillfully poke fun at privileged lifestyles, while tongue-in-cheek encouraging their listeners to "stay classy." Much like their predecessors in satirical pop music from the 1970's-Martin Mull in his song "Middle-Class Blues" and Randy Newman's controversial assault on bigotry, "Short People," as well as the current cable TV hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert-Suburban Swagg's insouciant social commentary is intended to entertain and encourage discussion in an often frenetic and information bloated society where time to reflect is frequently non-existent. From the ubiquitous cookie-cutter bleach blonde mommas to the 'perils' of having old money, they flaunt their urban pop feel with delicious irreverence. While most prep schools welcome DNA diversity, thus enriching the intellectual gene pool, Preppy White Boyz's 'whiteness' pertains not to anything as cliched as skin color, but to the peerless academic dedication sought within the hallowed halls of most prep schools. Suburban Swagg are not only social commentators and entertainers-they also support their social consciousness with additional action by dedicating a portion of their after-tax song sales to initiatives that raise awareness about the importance of reef preservation and animal protection. Visit Suburban Swagg at: www.gggarthproductions.com or www.laricciamediaproductions.com (music on iTunes and Amazon or check them out on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/suburbanswagg)
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