There was a time, not too incredibly
long ago when lyrics were the currency of hip hop. Without this currency,
many true hip hoppers did not respect an emcee.
However, despite this lack of “respect” some emcees still experienced
tremendous commercial success without this currency, e.g., Nelly.
It seems, that hip hop culture has gradually moved from this
practice. It is almost as if the value of lyrics as currency has
decreased, but there are still many emcees who care about being lyrically
sharp. I love words and admire those emcees who can use metaphors, double
entendre, similes and other literary tools to craft a perfect line. Each
year, I look for these perfect verses and every year, I find a few. This
year, I want to highlight two incredible verses.
Royce
Da 5’9 is an incredible lyricist. He once served as Eminem’s hype man,
but he is not your typical hype man. He is a lyricist who can hold his
own with any emcee who has ever touched a microphone (and I mean from any
era). Rapping is easy to Royce. Earlier this year, on his
song, Black Savage, he pinned an unbelievable verse on an
incredible song with great verses from Cyhi Da Prince and T.I. He unpacked a
lot in this short verse, but the overall theme was about Black
excellence. The way he went about doing so was creative, so I want to
point out a few of my favorite lines.
Right
out of the gate Royce raps: “I place value on brothers who never had
justice/I am the Black savage/Ali and Foreman in Zaire fighting for black magic.”
I love how he flipped the word “savage,” which, in certain circles, has a
negative connotation. But he uses the word to underscore several examples
of Black excellence. In 1619, when our African brothers and sisters were
yanked from their homes in Africa, shackled, and placed on ships to America,
slave owners called them “savages.” This term was meant to signal that
our African family were uncivilized and not worthy of any sort of
respect. Yet Royce juxtaposes the negative connotation with a reference
to Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman—a display of Black Excellence in the
boxing ring. I read this line to be a jab at the racists and bigots who
called us savages, yet look how far we have risen, and continue to rise.
Everything about the Ali versus Foreman fight was Black—including the promoter,
the location, the audience, and of course, the fighters.
Police
brutality is, unfortunately, alive and well. In 2020, it seems that Black
men are dying far too often at the hands of law enforcement. And they are
not receiving any justice. The murder of George Floyd is a case-in-point
that seems to have motivated people from across the globe to stand together in
opposition to this brutality. So again, Royce is emphatically declaring
that he gives credence and reverence to the Black men who have never received
justice. To me, he is saying that we must honor the fallen and not forget
them. They are the heroes. They are kings who will one day receive
their crowns – in this life or the next.
The
next standout line is “Hopping up out the Chevy, Pac, Biggie, Machiavelli/OG
like Nas or Reggie/culture like Ox in “Belly”/ Vulgar like Akinele/ focus like
Dr. Sebi.” Royce sticks to his theme of flipping the meaning of
“savage.” This technique is nothing new, however. Black
folks have had to turn negative labels into positive affirmations many times
over. For example, some folks have flipped the word “nigger,” which has a
visceral meaning and instead turned the word “nigga” into a term of endearment.
In one quick line, Royce named some of the biggest figures in Black pop culture
and keeps laying waste to the negative term “savage” and making way for Black
hip hop royalty. Pac, Biggie and Nas are hip hop royalty. Ox from Belly is one of the most recognizable
characters in a Black movie. If you don’t
remember Akinele, do you remember the song with the chorus “just put it in your
mouth?” This might be my favorite line
from the verse.
The
entertainment business would not be what it is today without contributions from
Black people. Long before we were receiving credit for our creativity in
the arts—music, movies, dancing, etc., the “powers-that-be” were appropriating
our talents as their own. In the next line, Royce speaks to this as he
raps: “We did it your way, but now the culture is boppin to our Sinatra
Medley.” It was not that long ago when journalists described hip hop
as a passing fad. They did not believe an artform founded in the Bronx by
Black kids would ever be accepted and would not endure. Boy were they
wrong, as it turns out that hip hop culture is pop culture. People from
all walks of life purchase hip hop music, want to live the lives of hip-hop
stars. Hip hop is here to stay. Royce’s verse is just a friendly
reminder.
Freddie
Gibbs is another underrated lyricist. I must admit, I first learned about
Gibbs a few years ago from one of my law school classmates. If you are
unfamiliar with his work, check him out on YouTube. The song that is the
focus of this post is titled Scottie Beam.
I’ve
heard the phrase “the revolution will be televised” several times during my
life. But in 2020, revolution seems much closer than it did 20 years
ago. Think about the events of the past few years—the election of a
reality star as President; a Pandemic that is ravaging the world; and continued
murders of Black people at the hands of law enforcement. Yea, I’d say we
are on the verge of a revolution. Gibbs raps: “Yeah, the revolution is
the genocide/look your execution will be televised.” I interpret this
line to address how, as history supports, revolution requires sacrifice.
In years past, the sacrifice was not always televised, but nowadays, due in
large part to technological advancement, people record almost everything.
During the George Floyd Protests, which could be described as part of a
revolution, we saw literal and figurative genocide. I mean, police
officers abused protesters, agitators incited unrest, and people lost their
lives. So, figuratively, this could be seen as a genocide. And lots
of the carnage was captured on iPhones and broadcast on television.
Gibbs
also helps clarify the plight of being a Black man in America. He focuses
on interacting with law enforcement whilst being a Black man. Gibbs
raps: “He pulled me over, I asked him, “yo, what’s the problem,
sir? I swerved to duck the potholes, man, I had no option, sir/ Just let
me go cause my license, insurance, proper sir.” I try to avoid having
any interactions with law enforcement. I do not want to do anything to
draw attention to myself, such as swerving to avoid a pothole or speeding
through a yellow light. Think about the number of Black men stopped by
the Police for a minor infraction, but ended up in jail or the morgue?
This happens far too often, and we are all tired of it.
Gibbs
also speaks to this generation’s obsession with recording anything, even
someone’s death. I recall seeing videos of terrible events, but not
anyone trying to assist. Just wanting to record it, so it can be posted
to social media. When you really think about it, it is sickening.
Gibbs raps: “Yeah my execution might be televised/Cross niggas like Bubba
Chuck/I never gave a fuck.” This line is dope to me because of
the reference to Allen Iverson and his famous cross over move and how he was
unbothered by the media’s portrayal of him. He is saying that even if his
execution is televised, he does not care. It is almost as if he is saying
if it is televised, the people will be able to draw their own conclusions, rather
than relying on how the media might otherwise paint the picture of his
death. I believe that but for the video footage showing Mr. Floyd’s
death, his case would have never emerged to the masses.
I
am a big Michael Jordan fan. I still remember playing basketball in my
backyard as a child. I cannot count the number of times I practiced moves
as if I were MJ. The recent MJ documentary brought back feelings of
nostalgia for me and millions of other MJ fans. Gibbs raps: “Shit was
different when Mike left and it was Scottie team/ex won’t take me back, without
me, the bitch would not have a ring.” If you are a basketball
aficionada, you likely know that MJ retired for a couple of years, making
Scottie Pippen the leader. You also know that, although Scottie Pippen
played well, in fact, the Bulls were not quite the same. They did not win
the Championship again until after MJ came back into the fold. So the
reference to his ex and the “ring” is clever.
Some
say that hip hop is dead, or that hip hop is not what it used to be. I
would disagree with the former, but agree with the latter. Also, as with
most things, over time, they change and evolve. Hip hop has done so, but
it is very much thriving. You might just have to dig a little deeper to
find the lyrical bars we enjoyed during the 90s and early 2000s.
Peace
