A topic such as this is likely to get very embarrassing and risque rather quickly. It could end up in the sleeze and raunch pile in short order. I will make it a PG13-rated article for the young readers in the group.

As a child, I grew up wearing briefs as underwear. My mother never thought of purchasing anything other. Back then you could buy packages of five or six for really cheap. I don't recall being able to do that with boxer shorts.

To be quite honest, boxer shorts have taken on much greater cultural significance and in the world over the past 10-15 years. Actually, I'm not sure I would've been able to purchase boxer underwear 20 years ago when, as Billy Joel sang, "I wore a younger man's clothes." I know, it dates me a tad.

When Michael Jordan, the world's best basketball player, advertises for a major undergarment manufacturer, the briefs and boxers debate necessarily goes on. And yet, the general public still doesn't know what style of underwear he uses. How did he respond when two women were admiring his backside, "Don't even go there." Good answer. Good commercial, Jockey.

I think that briefs underwear is/are for the common man. Guys buy them because they are not expensive. I cannot emphasize enough the fact that briefs are inexpensive because you can buy them in bulk, in packs of 4, 6, and 10. And I think they're also cheap because they generally come in one of a few colors, white being the standard.

Of course, brief brands that men choose matter a lot too. Hanes, Jockey, and Fruit of the Loom seem to capture the retail underwear market share. The mega superstores manufacture their own brand (normally made in China). Those generic brands of briefs are cheaper in quality than Jockey, Hanes, and Fruit of the Loom.

In any event, I naturally lean towards briefs in my selection of underclothing. I said it. Briefs are cheaper, been around longer, and they're just more comfortable. I've tried boxers and they were, well, awkward. I'm from the old school undergarment wearing: if it ain't broken, don't fix it (if it's comfortable and cheap, why change).

One of the noticeable things that has dominated Hip Hop Culture in the West has been the sagging shorts that Hip Hoppers wear. That's a given. But what's not so apparent is that normally the underwear that shows when their shorts are hanging over the middle of the rear end is Boxer Shorts. That's where I come in.

It may already be apparent that I really don't understand the need for Gangsta Rapper to parade around with shorts that hang so far down past their hips. Occasionally I hear humorous anecdotal evidence of those who burglarize businesses trying to flee and falling flat on their noses because the shorts they wore for their caper slid down their legs and tripped them. Of course it's not humorous for those who get busted that way but that's the good and bad of that culture.

In my observations, I see a lot of plain colored boxer shorts. I don't see a lot of design and fashion in that regard. You would think that the boxer shorts retailers would capitalize on that fact and market more appealing and greater designed boxers. Perhaps I can start something significant here.

One thing I've observed when those outer shorts hang low is that most of the boxer shorts are made of cotton. Silk material does not seem to be a good option for undergarments under outer shorts (with no belt) as it would produce rapid slippage. I don't know this for a fact, but it would appear that nothing's worse than having your boxer shorts slip down rapidly when you're trying to have a friendly motivational discussion with like-minded friends.

Of course, a discussion on the merits and disadvantages of boxer shorts that Gangsta Rappers wear would not be totally complete if I didn't at least address the subject of belts, the Hip Hop variety. I'll forgo a bit of political correctness here, and suggest that a cheapo belt would sure seem like a practical accessory to buy when combined with a fashionable designer baseball hat ($20-30) turned sideways on your head, draping tons of bling bling gold necklaces around the neck, and a $20 all white t-shirt (prominently showing your tattooed and bulging muscles). Certainly fifteen dollars (and upwards) for a leather belt might be the next fashion statement, especially if you're grabbing and fleeing with some extra cash from an unwilling source.

The belt, even one wrapped tight around your thighs could make the difference between a thousand dollars and ten to fifteen years in prison. Perhaps I'm in the wrong market.

Gangsta, Hip Hop, or Rap Culture is here to stay. I'm not trying to change any of that. However, if only a young entrepreneur were to analyze the market and create a new multi-billion dollar industry: the Gangsta Rap Belt Industry, that would be my reward.