This week saw rap moving ever-closer to the movie business, “This ain't a movie, dog” declarations notwithstanding. And since this is summer, it must be sequel time for both industries. Eminem got the party started with his plans for The Marshall Mathers LP 2, and more are sure to follow.
Regardless, there was great music all around, including from Slim himself. Below, the lines of the week.
5. “They taught me that I had to dream, Black History Month/I wake up and treat the day like stack history month/I'm talkin' Malcolm Flex, Jessie Rackson/Front of the plane: I'm Rozay Parks/SUV swerving like it's OJ car” — Big Sean, 'All Figured Out' lyrics
Big Sean's new album was, ahem, stacked with great boasts, but this takes the cake — pun intended. “Jessie Rackson” is one for the ages.
4. “Sean the white boy that run with the X-Clan/The bastard that put acid in his headband” — Sean Price, 'Illa Price Express Freestyle' lyrics
Sean P brings his comic side to bear here — the image of a white boy hanging with militant black nationalist rap group X-Clan — far more likely to call whites “polar bears” and “devils” than to pal around with them — is hysterical, and Price considering himself that brave (or foolhardy) is fantastic. Plus, he includes a nod to the urban legend that Jimi Hendrix used to put LSD in his signature headband before performing. As with most such legends, this one is almost definitely untrue, but amusing nonetheless.
3. “I like when homie said, 'Everything's Drake featuring Drake'/But all I'm hearing these days is fake featuring fake” — Nino Bless, 'Rhyme of the Year (MK Ultra)' lyrics
Nino absolutely slays this seven-minute epic tune. This lyric quotes a Drake line in “5 AM in Toronto,” but uses it as a springboard to talk about homogeneity in hip-hop as a whole.
2. “Let's bring it back to that vintage Slim, bitch!/The art of MCing mixed with da Vinci and MC Ren/And I don't mean Stimpy's friend, bitch” — Eminem, 'Berzerk' lyrics
While we are alternately excited and frightened about the prospect of a sequel to one of our favorite albums, this song was a pretty good start. The Beastie Boys-ish feel masked some typically great wordplay, and this is one of the tune's best moments. The “Ren” pun is one that we simply can't believe hasn't been made yet!
1. “Superfriend, soon to win/The sum of these three letters'll tell you what you are in” — Rock, 'F.O.H.' lyrics
This one puzzled us for hours. Then it finally dawned on us. “You are in” = “U R N” = “urine”. You almost got one over on us, Rock…
