Aight, Bet
- Deric Hollings
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
There are two words that I heard in my childhood and which apparently have gained resurgence of interest by today’s youth others younger than me. These terms are “aight” and “bet.” The former is slang for “all right” and the latter expresses agreement, similar to stating “you bet.”
Perhaps one of the first rap songs I heard using these terms in conjunction with one another was on classic hip hop group N.W.A’s song “Something 2 Dance 2”. It was written by member Arabian Prince and was featured on the group’s debut album Straight Outta Compton.
This was a track that I thought was out of place on the album, as I was glad that it wasn’t performed by the group when I saw them in concert in 1989. Its disco, electro-dance, rap aesthetic wasn’t preferable to me. In any case, on the song, the following dialogue unfolds:
Eazy-E: Man, let’s go. I think my feet are swoll’ from dancin’ so damn much
Arabian Prince: Man, I don’t give a what!
Dr. Dre: You wanna leave? With all these females pullin’ on my sleeve?
Arabian Prince: This is what I want you to do
Arabian Prince: Feel the groove, bust a move
(Mighty Mouse: Here I come to save the day)
Eazy-E: This is somethin’ to dance to
Straight Outta Compton was released in 1989. Now, I find it interesting that 36 years later “aight, bet” is used by people whose grandparents could’ve maintained a copy of the album on cassette tape like I did. Also, I contemplate a helpful technique associated with the phrase.
With my approach to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I maintain that “aight, bet” relates to the tool of unconditional acceptance (UA) that involves unconditional self-acceptance (USA), unconditional other-acceptance (UOA), and unconditional life-acceptance (ULA).
UA acknowledges the fallibility of existence while considering how little control and influence individuals have when alive. This is true regarding oneself (USA), others (UOA), and life in general (ULA). Perhaps another rap song is in order to demonstrate use of this technique.
On his 2025 album Built Different, rapper, singer, and songwriter K Camp released the song “Bet”. Lyrics include the following:
Verse 1:
Sometime, it ain’t meant
Sometime, you be gettin’ on my nerves, and I swear you got me bent
Sometime, it makes sense
Sometime, you just go off your emotion, always trippin’ ‘bout some bitch
Chorus:
Huh, bet
Okay, bet
Yeah, okay, cool, okay
Huh, okay
I do me, I do me, ho, yeah
You do you, you do you, huh (Uh)
Okay, bet (Okay, okay)
Huh, huh, okay, cool (Okay, okay)
I do me, yeah (I do me, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
You do you, huh
Ostensibly, K Camp addresses his intimate partner that perhaps self-disturbs with irrational beliefs about the rapper’s behavior. Behaving in an emotional manner, accusing K Camp of wrongdoing, beliefs about this individual’s reactions could lead to unpleasant consequences.
However, K Camp appears to utilize the helpful tool of UA – which may result in healthy distress rather than unhealthy disturbance – by merely replying “okay, bet,” which is akin to stating “aight, bet.” After all, it seems as though the other person’s mind is already made up.
What utility is there in debating the matter of infidelity when someone is already convinced and may be unwilling or even unable to consider alternative options? In such an event, rather than becoming emotively reactive, one can simply say “aight, bet” and carry on with life.
Granting that K Camp is a faulty individual who has no control and little influence over his romantic interest (USA), the rapper could also recognize his intimate partner as an imperfect being who has no control and little influence over him (UOA). This is the thesis of UA.
Given this perspective, K Camp could further consider that life itself is flawed without an individual being able to control or influence most matters in one’s own existence (ULA). Thus, an “aight, bet” standard may be warranted in the case of K Camp’s song “Bet”.
Provided that you comprehend this relatively brief psychoeducational lesson on UA, I invite you to try out this helpful tool the next time you’re teetering on the line between healthy distress and unhealthy self-disturbance. Cool? Yeah, okay, cool, okay. Aight, bet.
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost hip hop-influenced REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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