Along these same lines, young, pretty girls with ambition have for many years fallen victim to their own version of this "Trap."
Instead of fiends and crack vials, their den of sin consists of teenagers eager for hook-ups, smoothie stands, and the stale stench of nail glue.
This place can signal the start of a career as a working woman, or for some, it is Pretty Girl Purgatory. Both fame and misfortune can be had once a young lady begins her employment at the local shopping mall.
At the onset, working in the mall is a teen queen's dream. She has access to all the trappings of a young girl's existence: her first taste of independent income, a place to hang out with unsupervised time to see boys, and half-off at The Limited.
Whether it was the Piercing Pagoda, Claire's, or Finish Line, the mall was a collection of some of the finest PYT's in the area. Looking back, the shady store manager knew what was up.
There must have been a checklist for the local spot where young adults could cop the flyest gear. This list included: An edgy store name like, "Too Hype Fashion," a hip-hop track that played on a loop throughout the day, an occasional in-store appearance by the "hot" rapper of the moment, and last but certainly not least, five or six lightskinned associates to help you find your back-to-school clothes.
This was the formula to keeping a successful store in most urban shopping malls. The businesses were definitely on to something. Young men spent countless hours window shopping between trips to Orange Julius or Boardwalk Fries, with hopes of bagging a chick who worked at the mall. A smile and some casual conversation could mean nice chunks of commission if a girl played her cards right.
If by chance a guy got lucky, having a girlfriend who worked at the mall meant one thing: Jordans for the whole crew!
Like Nas cautioned on "Black Girl Lost," many of our best and brightest have fallen victim to the interworkings of mall culture. What starts out as merely exchanging cash for coin at the arcade can lead to a turn arranging the "Fall Collection" at Lerners for the woman with her eyes on the prize.
Those, however, with less drive and focus can end up giving directions to the bathroom and wrapping birthday gifts at the customer service stand.
One telling example can do nothing but caution girls who are eager to walk this path.
In the early '90s, a young lady who took a local shopping mall by storm. A cute face, thin waist, long nails and a Spanish swag were her weapons of choice. She greeted all the top customers at the door, from athletes to average Joes, with hopes of selling a pair of jeans or maybe an Easter suit.
As the years went by, so did the names of the establishments; first it was Attivo, then Chess King, then Styles West. The clothes got brighter, then bigger, but the same couldn't be said for her future.
A girl with so much sales potential went from paid to played. She was last seen a few weeks ago in a different mall. Gone were her looks and ambition.
She was sitting in the Christmas Court, wearing a sad-ass Santa hat, helping kids get their wishes on.
So how do we move this conversation forward and stop future young ladies from getting mired in Pretty Girl Purgatory?
A suggestion is for them to view the mall as a means to and end. As is the case with most youthful ventures, working in the mall is a hustle. Get your money and GET OUT.
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