Douchebag
So I wrote this long diatribe about how much I hate the resurgence of ‘douchebag’ and how it seemed to ride its way back in during the past couple years, hiding amongst the Lacoste shirts and 80s shit like that, but it was just way too violent. I had to delete it. So let’s just say that I don’t really like the ubiquity of 'douchebag' these days.
Taking things back to the hip hop, who knows about – well, first of all, why is everyone sleeping on The Perceptionists? Black Dialogue has some awesome tracks. Fantastic beats, both hard and groovulifical…clever, deeply insightful lyrics, and a true mark of the degree to which hip hop has evolved. It's knowledge rap that can hold its own against thug rap, like Kweli (but markedly different). I know, I just totally dated myself with the use of the term “knowledge rap” – that’s what we called all that Jungle Brothers/Public Enemy/BDP stuff back in like ’90. Now that I consider it, I guess some folks still use that term.
I’ll have to write a separate post about The Perceptionists, when I have more time for an intelligent review, some social commentary-type crap, and generally to tell you all to listen to the damn album – but getting back to my original thought, who is familiar with “We Know” on the Cappadonna album titled The Yin and The Yang? Y’all know that one? Da Brat’s verse on that track a) completely destroys anything Cappadonna and his darts, darts, darts have ever done and b) is one of the hottest verses by a female rapper that I can think of. Look, I know she’s no Jean Grae, but this verse is hot. I love how she ends it, too:
We know not to let a mothafucka get too close
Cuz in this world we know there ain’t shit free
So I work nigga!
Yeah, you do, Brat. You work. Oh, that’s a hot one. You have to hear it to know what I’m talking about. She kills ‘em on that verse. Of course, the lyrics websites once again disagree with me, contending that she says “Cuz in this world we know there ain’t shit free so why work nigga?” - which doesn’t even make sense. I have confidence in my ear, though, and I’m certainly not going to take notes from a lyrics web page contributor who hears “Cream of the crop/Pop any nigga like Redenbacher” and goes on to print “queen when I crock?/pop any niggah like, red (buck?)” instead. Hey, got enough question marks in there? ?? ha ha. Your ear is wack, and my ear is funky fresh, dressed to impress, ready to party, money in its pocket, dying to move its body. Word. MC Lyte.
Funny thing about reading the lyrics to this song online is that Cappa’s verses are all short and repetitive, like bad poety, just a few words per line, while Brat’s verse is this monster that goes halfway across the page and shares none of the boring repetition that Cap’s verses employ. I mean, damn. Think about that - even in the actual physical layout of the lyrics – the printed transcription – Brat’s shit makes Cappa look like a…what? Douchebag or something.
I don’t have the ipod with me so I just listened to the snippet of a file they have on Amazon – it perfectly proves my contention. Have a listen. There’s just enough of Cappa to get an idea of what he’s all about, then there’s a nice bit of Da Brat’s verse that’s just totally ripshit. I wanna be drunk, standing in my underpants with the ipod tucked in the waistband, tube in one hand and 11-87 Premier in the other, pumping my arms in the air like that cat at the end of Platoon when Sheen is getting evac’d.
Yes, we get it, Chucky. You like the verse. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.
Ok, at this point, I think I’ve proven my nerdular dorkitude. Quit throwin’ darts, Cap – Da Brat already hit the bull’s eye. Get it? Hey-o! Now that’s what I call CORNY! That’s some corny shit! Man, using ‘corny’ reminds me of back in ‘95 when Andrea used to teach snaps to Destinee when she was still only like 3 or 4 years old – “Your poo has crumbs and corn in it!” was a personal favorite. Hard to throw a snap back at a 4 year-old when she drops that one on you. Especially if it happens to be true.
Later,
Chucky
