A Vernacular History Of The Word "Player"

The word player is thrown around a lot by both awesome rappers, white guys, and those involved in not just the SUISC, but also the underground (but open air) drug markets of any major city. "Playa" on the other hand is not just a misspelling, or example of "Ebonics" but is actually also the Spanish word for beach. Dropping that Spanish knowledge on ya Putas!

So the word Player originally started out being applied to anyone involved in the Heroin "game" in the late 70s in NYC, NJ, Philly and ultimately Baltimore. A player was different than a civilian. Players were in some way linked to " The Game" which refers to the corner world of Drug Dealers, Stick up boys, Pimps and Hoes, Touts, Runners and of course the low bottom dope fiend.

A Player makes moves, be it the move of taking a corner, recruiting a new bottom bitch, or the metal scraping of a dope fiend in search of a blast.

Somewhere along the line (the 1970s) the idea of being a player was adopted by pimps. Probably because it sounds better than introducing yourself as a pimp. In fact point of reference the official "Pimp Convention" is known as the Players Ball.

Now being a player has generally been defined in modern culture as a guy who dates/sleeps with a lot of women and generally messes with their minds a little bit.

The Urban Dictionary(www.UrbanDictionary.com) defines a Player as:

"A male who is skilled at manipulating ("playing") others, and especially at seducing women by pretending to care about them, when in reality they are only interested in sex. Possibly derived from the phrases "play him for a fool", or "play him like a violin". The term was popularized by hip-hop culture, but was commonly recognized among urban American blacks by the 1970s. "

I personally tend to laugh at people who use the term player in a non ironic fashion. But hopefully by now that's been made painfully and (Hysterically) obvious.

That is all.

JS-The King Of Content