George Watsky - Growing up in "The City"

George Watsky is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and slam poet who has preformed on Def Poetry and was named Youth Speaks Grand Slam Champion as well as Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Champion in 2006.  As a artist who spent his childhood in San Francisco  during the '90s, The City is often a subject of his art. Most notably, Watsky wrote two songs that heavily feature San Francisco as a location: "Other Cities" and a remix of Foster The People's 2011 hit "Pumped Up Kicks"

"Other Cities"

There's nothin' like the feeling of the plane flight homeward;

The way my stomach dips when the landing gears lowered;

Because no matter how many miles that I wander;

The bay bridge curves like a smile on the water;

I'm like, what up missy?

Tell me you were missin' me;

With this pretty city skyline lit up like a Christmas tree;

The buildings shimmering like pinky rings from Tiffany's;

Every time I witness it I have a damn epiphany;

That this is me! This is where I've got the richest history;

Stacked with six or seven memories on every single street;

I never missed a beat;

I'm soaked in city pride;

And me oh my, this foggy sky got me misty eyed;

There might be other cities half as raw as ours;

(Just as 'bout it, 'bout it, 'bout it)

Out in some distant galaxy among the stars;

(But I doubt it, doubt it, doubt it)

We don't play tiny violins over minor things;

We slide into the ring takin' Tyson swings;

Because this city will defend our fuckin' pride

And raise each other up like Simba in the Lion King;

We're not shy;

I ain't no coy coward;

I'll be doin' trust falls offa Coit tower;

My boys on the ground floor providin' man power;

But if I die now, mix me into clam chowder;

Put me in a bread bowl, feed me to the seagulls;

But not the freakin' tourists;

I'm sure they're peachy people;

I guess I'm just a purist;

It isn't oil, but there's somethin' in the water

And it's got me feelin' diesel;

There might be other cities half as raw as ours;

(Just as 'bout it, 'bout it, 'bout it)

Out in some distant galaxy among the stars;

(But I doubt it, doubt it, doubt it)

[Outro: Bobby "Blue" Bland]

Ain't no love, in the heart of the city;

Ain't no love, in the heart of town;

Ain't no love, in the heart of the city;

Ain't no love, in the heart of town;

Ain't no love.

Excerpt from "Pumped Up Kicks [Remix]"

"At Buena Vista elementary in second grade 

One whistle is when recess ends 

Two whistles is an earthquake drill 

Three means every kid better hit the deck 

Unless you want to catch a stray bullet or a ricochet from a fight across the chainlink fence 

I know that I don't look it but grew up in the middle of the city where only the quick make friends 

A kid in Frisco 

navigating Lombard 

no On Star 

I'm on BART 

no lawn darts 

not saying I'm hard 

But I got street val for my Pokemon cards 

Better put me onto Pawn Stars 

And I'll Barter like my gramma when she wants art 

Every block or two I skate around another beggar 

Leaning on a cop car 

Baked as a pop tart"

These two songs take subtly different looks at the city of San Francisco, where "Other Cities" celebrates the city's pride and community nature, "Pumped Up Kicks [Remix]" takes a look at the more dangerous nature of growing up in an urban neighborhood in the '90s.

"Other Cities" seeks to exemplify the beauty of the city, the memories he has formed growing up there and the pride and confidence of other San Francisco natives, while shunning the "freakin' tourists." In this sense, he is calling attention to the city in the contemporary moment, glorifying it and really drawing focus on many of the tourist attractions like the bay bridge, the Golden Gate, Coit Tower, as well as the cuisine ("clam chowder"). However, despite painting a picture of the city as this place of beauty and glory, he takes on an attitude that he deems "a purist:" against tourists ("I'm sure they're peachy people"), and adding that the city is itself a part of him.

Alternatively, his verse in "Pumped Up Kicks [Remix]" draws attention to the dangers of a child growing up in the urban environment of San Francisco. Watsky mentions his time at Buena Vista Alternative Elementary school, located on the corner of Portero Ave. and Cesar Chavez St., a few blocks away from the south side of the Mission district. He mentions the fact that his school necessitated a way to signal that a gun fight was occurring in dangerous proximity to the school's playground, and comments, "I know that I don't look it but grew up in the middle of the city where only the quick make friends."

Really, both these illustrations of San Francisco are equally correct and true, as a city as complex as San Francisco would have both both beauty and attractive qualities as well as danger and illegal activities that present a danger to visitor and resident alike. Similar to to the chapter of Reclaiming San Francisco, "You Are Here (You Think)," a city is more than the tourist attractions that appear on postcards, and the "metatourists" that toured the San Francisco's less photographic areas realized what a resident of The City knows from experience. As Watsky realizes, "That this is me! This is where I've got the richest history; / Stacked with six or seven memories on every single street;"