A clever criminal will always have multiple aliases to keep the law at bay. Entertainers, artists, and authors, on the other hand, use aliases and pseudonyms to either protect their identity or incorporate their art into their identity, and vice versa. In hip-hop, aliases are fundamental to the identity of MCs. They define the artist, their style, and their message. Sometimes, an artist will change their alias as they evolve artistically. But what happens when an artist has so many aliases that their audience loses track; what happens when the average person follows this trend and has more aliases than fingers?
Just last week, notorious alias switcher, Puff Daddy--I mean Puffy....wait, I mean P. Diddy...actually, I meant Diddy....aw, screw it--posted a self-aggrandizing youtube clip where he swears he has not changed his name (of course, he also claims he has the right to change his name because of the life he's lived--paralyzing narcissism not withstanding, of course). But, honestly, can we blame the gossip sites for thinking he's changed his name again? He's changed it so many times--making a big deal about each time--that anybody who cared has lost track and may as well just call him whatever they please.
Now, I expect no less from an egotistical entertainer like Puffy (my preffered aka for Mr. Combs); but when controversial reality TV star Greg, from Real World Hollywood, rattled off a staggering list of inane aliases on his youtube blog, I had to comment. This kid had about five, give or take, aliases before he got to his given name. He goes by 1.Pretyboy 2.The Chosen One 3.Prince 4.Prince of Darkness 5.The Lord is My Savior, I Shall Not Want (my personal favorite). I'm sure there were more, but I convulsed in laughter after that last one. Surely, this is all part of his over-the-top, made-for-tv character, but I can't help but think this is representative of a generation that is overly infatuated with aliases and alter-egos. (If you don't believe me, just check myspace and see how many users use their real names.)
Nicknames are one thing, as they are usually endearing or demeaning names bestowed by friends, family, or enemies with knowledge of one's personality, demeanor, or bodily functions. An alias is a far more egotistical attempt, where someone tries to define themselves with some self-promoting moniker. I understand we live in a digital age of usernames and online ids, but should we really be so infatuated with renaming ourselves a thousand times over. I know we don't all have names we love, but they'll be with you longer than your alias will. So to all the Diddys, Princes, Thors, Black Caesars, Muja Stars, Princesses, Ravens, etc., etc., Remember a rose by any other name would never smell as sweet. Now, I know that's right!
