The assignment as discussed is to document the best line off of each of our respective albums in an effort to compare and contrast our hip hop taste
#1
2Pac • Me against the World • 'Death around the Corner' •
This song is the joint that best describes Pac's paranoia & foreshadows his eminent demise • Johnny J's production is the perfect sonic backdrop 4 Pac's intense flow • In my opinion, he's @ his lyrical best when being vulnerable• & this one does nothing disappoint the listener in that department • This is probably in my Top 5 Favorite 2pac songz of all time list • Easy!
• Best Line/Verse •
"Death Around The Corner"
I see death around the corner, gotta stay high while I survive
In the city where the skinny niggas die
If they bury me, bury me as a G nigga, no need to worry
I expect retaliation in a hurry
I see death around the- corner, anyday
Trying to keep it together, no one lives forever anyway
Strugglin and strivin, my destiny's to die
Keep my finger on the trigger, no mercy in my eyes
In a ball of confusion, I think about my daddy
Madder than a motherfucker, they never shoulda had me
I guess I seen too many murders, the doctors can't help me
Got me stressin' with my pistol in my sheets, it ain't healthy
Am I paranoid? - Tell me the truth
I'm out the window with my AK, ready to shoot
Ran out of endo and my mind can't take the stress,
I'm out of breath
Make me wanna kill my damn self,
but I see death around the corner
[Chorus]
(When we were kids, belonging felt good)
I see death around the corner
(But having respect, that feels even better)
I see death around the corner
(When we were kids, belonging felt good)
I see death around the corner
(But having respect, that feels even better)
I see death around the corner,
the pressure's getting to me
I no longer trust my homies,
them phonies tried to do me
Smoking too much weed,
got me paranoid, stressed
Pack a gat and my vest,
under my clothes when I dress
Here's hopin I die the way I lived,
straight thuggin'
Huggin' my trigger for all them niggas
who was buggin'
My homie told me once,
don't you trust them other suckers
They fought like they your homies
but they phony motherfuckers
And even if I did die young, who cares
All I ever got was mean mugs and cold stares
I got homies in my head
who done passed away screamin, please
Young nigga, make Gs
I can't give up, although I'm hopeless,
I think my mind's gone
All I can do is get my grind on, death around the corner
[Chorus]
I was raised in the city, shitty
Ever since I was an itty bitty kitty
Drinkin' liquor out my momma's titty
And smokin' weed was an everyday thang in my household,
And drinking liquor til' you out cold
And tho' i'm gone now, nigga it's still on- Pow
Bustin on them niggas til they gone
How many more jealous ass bitches, comin for my riches
Now I gotta stay suspicious when I bone
Cause if I ain't sharp and heartless,
them bitches will start shit
Excuse me, but this is where we part bitch
No more game for free, please explain to me
Why niggas trip bitch, who you came to see?
Murderin' now but see me later man, as for my pops
I got homies that will hunt you til you drop
I hope the Lord will forgive me, I was a G
And gettin high was a way of gettin free
I see death around the corner"•
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#2
Lil Wayne • The Carter 3 •. 'Dr. Carter' •
• This is when Wayne shows You a snapshot of his lyrical brilliance • Swiss Beatz use of David Axelrods 'Holy Thursday '
sample fits the concept of Dr.Carter trying 2 revive HipHop when itz brought in2 the ER • I wish Wayne did more songz like this • But the fact that this is a rarity makes it all the more a gem • A timeless classic!
• Best Line/Verse •
"[Intro]: Lil Wayne (Nurse):
Where's my coffee?
(Good Morning, Dr. Carter)
Hey Sweetie
(Looks like its going to be a long day.)
Uhhh, another one? What we got?
(Your first patient...) Yeah?
(Is suffering from a lack of concept...) Uh-Huh.
(Originality...) Ugh...
(His flow is weak...) Another one...
(And he has no style) Ugh...
(What you got for him?)
OK. Let me put my gloves on and my scrubs on.
Dr. Carter to the rescue. Excuse me if I'm late,
but like a thief it takes time to be this great.
honestly, just wait. Your style is a disgrace,
your rhymes are fifth place and im just grace.
One, Uno, Ace and I'm tryin to make your heart beat like bass,
but your sweet like cake and i come to fix
whatever you shall break. Where is your originality?
You are so fake so picture me like a gallery.
Capture What i say. All i need is one mic. All i need is one take.
Like hey, brighter then the suns rays got a pistols on the playground.
Watch the gunplay like
No kidding.
No kids in the way,
but the kids do watch,
Gotta Watch what we say.
Gotta work everyday.
Gotta not be Cliche.
Gotta stand out like Andre 3K.
Gotta kick it, kick it like a sensei.
You gotta have faith you gotta, gotta... Wait, wait, I think i...think I lost one...
[Steady Beep]
[Radio Voice]:(Dial 118, please)
[2nd. Intro]: Lil Wayne (Nurse):
(Good afternoon, Dr. Carter)
Nurse.
(I don't know about this one. His confidence is down, vocab and metaphors needs work, and he lacks respect for the game.)
Uhhhh... Let me see...
(You think you can save him?)
[Verse 2]: Lil Wayne
Okay.
Respect is in the heart.
So thats where i'ma start.
And a lot of heart patients don't make it.
but hey kid
Plural
I graduated
cause you could get through anything if Magic made it.
And that was called recycling
are we reciting
something cause you just like it
so you say it just like it.
Some say its biting
but i say its enlightning
besides Dr. Kanye West is one of the brightest.
And Dr. Swizz can stitch your track up the tightest.
And Dr. Jeezy can fix you back up the nicest.
arthritis in my hand from writing.
But i'ma docter they don't understand my writing.
So i stop writing.
Now i'm like lightning.
And you ain't VINCE Young so don't clash with the Titan.
Fast and exciting.
My Passion is Frighting.
Now let me put some more Vocab in your I.V.
Here take this Vicodin
Like it and love it
and confidence has no budget so pay me no mind i don't walk like i talk it cause i'm running i don't do it cause i done it and i'm in the emergency on it...
God damn It, I lost another one...
[Steady Beep]
[3rd. Intro]: (Nurse) Lil Wayne:
(Good Evening, Dr. Carter, it's been a long day, but this one looks much better than the others.
His respect is back up, concepts sound good, his style has Shown strong sign of improvement.
All he needs now, is his Swagger.)
OK, let me take the gloves off then.
Verse 3 (Lil Wayne)
Swagger Tighter Then A Yeast Infection.
Fly Go Hard Like Geast Erection.
Fashion Patrol Police Detection.
I Stay Tight Like Chinese Connection.
I Stay Tight Like Pussy At Night.
Baby Don't Get Me Wrong I Could Do That Pussy Right.
But I'm To Wrong To Write.
To Fresh To Fight.
To Paid To Freestyle.
To Good To Freestyle.
I Had To Say It Twice
Swagger So Nice.
And Don't Ask Me Shit Unless It Concern A Price.
And I Don't Rap Fast I Rap Slow.
Cause I Mean Every Letter In The Words In The Sentence Of My Quotes.
Swagger Just Flow Sweeter Than Honey Oats.
That Swagger I Got It I Wear It Like A Coat.
Wait, As I Put The Light Down His Throat.
I Can Only See Flow.
His Blood Starting To Flow.
His Lungs Starting To Grow.
This One Starting To Show.
Strong Signs Of Life.
Wheres The Stiches Heres The Knife.
Smack His Face His Eyes Open.
I Reply With A Nice
Welcome Back Hip Hop I Saved Your Life.
Outro (Nurse):
(He looks good, his vitals are up, he's looking good, he's looking good, I think we got one.
Dr. Carter, I think we got one.
Yup. Yeah, we got one.
We saved him, he's good.
He's good. We got one, he's good.)
[Heart Beating, Beeping]
(He's good. We got him. We saved him. He's a Go, he's good.)"•
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#3
BDP (KRS-ONE) • By all Means Necessary • 'Ya Slippin' •
• This shit went sofa king HARD on the Sucka MC's • If KRS-ONE is the 'Teacha', then this song is him givin a weak MC a lyrical repremanding in after school detention • The beat is hard as hell & the song itself is so lyrically dense w/pot shots that you'd have 2 take this song personally 2 feel the urge 2 skip past this joint on the album • A masterful display of Sucka MC's getn checked! •
• Best Line/Verse •
"(Yo man, these people around here in '87 just slippin-dough, youknow what
I'm sayin? Boogie Down Productions not slippin-dough, so hold yahands-you
know what I'm sayin? (word) Yo! What's goin' on? Mr. Magic-youknow what
happened? He slipped on us-he die. Pumpin KISS FM, we rock. Tomy man DJ
Red Alert- we chillin' (word). Yo man! Yo do, heard about, man,this shit
about this kid-Wearin' the, ah, Jerry Curls, man. Word up! Hewas slippin'.
Yo dough, word up, word up. He had a yellow coat on, but nodescription was
given)
Now what you just heard, people, was a little kickin
But let me tell you this while the clock is still tickin
This is the warning, known as the caution:
Do not attempt to dis cuz you'll soften
Just like a pillow, or better yet a mattress
You can't match this style or attack this
While I'm telling you, write on schedule
Fuck with K-R-S and I'll bury you
Deep in the dirt, or sand with a shovel
No fight, no scurry, or scuffle, just muffle
Total domination on stage
Kris is the name, 22 is the age
Those who wanna battle, I know who you are
You got a little girl, you drive a little car
You come into the place with that look on your face
Before you ran the mile, you lost the race
So assume you're doomed when you step in the room
I'll be the witch and you'll be the broom
I'll ride you, guide you into the concrete
I'll slide you to a funky beat
So what do we have here?
A sucka in fear
I snatched your heart
Put it way up on the chart
At ten you're fucked
At nine you suck
At eight you're a sucker
At seven-a mothafucka
At six you're slapped
At five you're just wacked
At four you're lost
At three, you're just soft
At two you're an ass
At one, you're a dick
But before you slip, I'll whip
Cuz homeboy, ya slippin'
(Yo get my slip on, I'm chillin on. A long time, ya see me slipon, crop D,
and I'll slip on, everybody-I slip on. Sayin? I'll come back ifI miss you,
sayin?)
I understand that music calms the savage beast
But keep in mind that I compose my music piece by piece
First a bass, a snare
A little cut over there
I add my name K-R-S
And the shit becomes fresh
I ask Moe and ICU for their thoughts
Layin' down a power play all the suckas are tought
One again, the tactics of original arts
We're gettin' payed to the end cuz we were down from the start
We're known as Boogie Down Productions, ain't no B-boy stance
Gauranteed to make ya dance, if you give us a chance
We're goin' off and of course all ya suckas are lost
You wanna hear a fresh rhyme? You've come to the source
Because I'm the type of guy who's not put up on a pedestal
Run my rhyme on time and on schedule
One after another, another to the next
Can't rhyme when you're tense, or your muscles won't flex
Check your larynx
It may get lower havin' sex
Or may get higher
When bustin' as a liar
These are the things I teach so be tought
To me you're kinda short, how many battles have you fought?
If you come up with a number, notebook, or list
It just doesn't matter, you can still get dissed
I'm bringin' back that ol' New York rap
That gets you jacked while you're hands still clap
It's funny
Just dissin' you I can make money
But noone's tippin'
My message is simple: Ya' slippin!
(They slippin'-dough-1987-they spippin', but we goin' all the wayto the top
man (word)-you know what I'm sayin? To my brother KRS-1, you'relarge, I'm
sayin, large-everytime, man, large. They're slippin')
E-N-O, S-R-K
When you go through other albums, you're sure to say
Goddam! They all seem to sound alike
Till you hear the crew standin' over in the light
Showing, glowing, on the top growing
The lyrics keep flowing and flowing and just flowing
Just like a river, or better yet a stream
I'm proud to be down with the winning team
So don't ever in your life even think about an arguement
Cuz you'll get walked on like carpet
We'll pick you up, and dust you off
Stamp BDP on you're head and you're off
But you won't even change that to say instead
I'm down cuz I got a BDP on my head
So just before you inherit that ass kicking
I suggest you wake right up cuz ya slippin'
(Yo! They slippin'-dough, they slippin'-dough, they slippin'-wordup, I
don't care no more, man, I'm commin' out of the shell-dough, theyslippin'
man. B-boy Records, Magic, yo all the time they slippin-ya knowwhat I'm
saying? This other kid-I don't know what his name is, but youknow what time
it is. (WORD UP!) He's slippin' too (everybody). Slippin', andeverytime
he do somethin', he's slippin'. Slippin'.)"•
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#4
P.E. •. It takes a Nation of Millions 2 hold us Back • Rebel W/o a Pause •
This is Chuck D flex'n his B-Boy • Cocky • Aggressive • Powerful• Hard • This is where the boyz from the men get separated • I've alwayz said that Chuck graduated from the 'DMC (of Run-DMC) School of Rhymin' & perfected D's formula 4 'Bare Knuckle Rap' • Especially on this joint • This is when I fell in love w/ Da Bomb Squad's 'Wall of Sound' style of production • When Ammageddeon comes, This song will be played in the barracks! • Trust!
• Best Line/Verse •
"Brothaz & Sistaz...I dont know what this world is comin'to!!!
Yes, the rhythm, the rebel
Without a pause, I'm lowerin' my level
The hard rhymer, where you never been I'm in
You want stylin', you know it's time again
D, the enemy tellin' you to hear it
They praised the music, this time they play the lyrics
Some say no to the album, the show
Bum rush the sound, I made a year ago
I guess you know, you guess I'm just a radical
Not a sabbatical, yes to make it critical
The only part of your body to the partin' to
Panther power on the hour from the rebel a you
Radio, suckers never play me
On the mix, they just okay me now
Known and grown when they're clockin' my zone
It's known snakin' and takin', everythin' that a brother owns
Hard my calling card
Recorded and ordered, supporter of Chesimard
Loud and proud kickin' live next poet supreme
Loop a troop, bazooka, the scheme
Flavor, a rebel in his own mind
Supporter of my rhyme
Designed to scatter a line of suckers who claim I do crime
They on my time tickin'
Terminator X
Terminator X
Terminator X
Terminated
From a rebel, it's final on black vinyl
Soul, rock 'n' roll comin' like a rhino
Tables turn, suckers burn to learn
They can't disable the power of my label
Def Jam tells you who I am
The enemy's public, they really give a damn
Strong island, where I got 'em wild and
That's the reason they're claimin' that I'm violent
Never silent, no dope gettin' dumb, nope
Claimin' where we get our rhythm from
Number one, we hit ya and we give ya some
No gun and still never on the run
You wanna be an F1, griff will tell you when
And then you'll come again you'll know what time it is
Impeach the president pullin' out my ray gun
Zap the next one, I could be your shogun
Suckers don't last a minute
Soft and smooth I ain't with it
Hardcore, raw bone like a razor
I'm like a lazer, I just won't graze ya
Old enough to raise ya, so this will faze ya
Get it right, boy, maybe I will praise ya
Playin' the role I got soul too
Voice my opinion with volume
Smooth, not what I am
Rough 'cause I'm the man
No matter what the name, we're all the same
Pieces in one big chess game
Yeah, the voice of power
Is in the house, go take a shower, boy
P.E. a group, a crew, not singular
We were black wranglers
We're rap stranglers
You can't angle us, I know you're listenin'
I caught you pissin' in your pants
You're scared of us dissin' us
The crowd is missin' us
We're on a mission, y'all
Terminator X
Terminator X
Terminator X
Kill the Terminator, come on
Attitude, when I'm on fire
Juice on the loose, electric wire
Simple and plain, give me the lane
I'll throw it down your throat like Barkley
You see that car keys, you'll never get these
They belong to the 98 posse
You want some more, son, you wanna get some
Bum, rush the door of the store, pick up the album
You know the rhythm, the rhyme
Plus the beat is designed
So I can enter your mind, boys
Bring the noise, my time
Step aside for the flex, Terminator X!"•
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#5
NWA • EFIL4ZAGGIN • The Dayz of Way Back •
Of all my choices • This album had the least nutritious lyrics • Handz down! • I love this album more than 'The Chronic' • It was better produced, I feel • But not lyrically superior • So it was a task when I had 2 find content that was lyrically noteworthy • Of all the gratuititious bullshit on this album • 'The Dayz of Wayback' was the most 'Hip Hop' of all • The music Dre provided gave this song a feeling of NWA chillin a saloon in the Wild Wild West reminiscing about how thingz were when they grew up in Compton • Very Nostalgic • The perfect end cap 4 that album & the NWA legacy as well • Audio Gold! •
• Best Line/Verse • "
What we gonna do right here is go back...
Now this is some shit that's from the Dayz of Wayback
When niggas in Compton first started to jack.
When the bitches wouldn't give you no pussy if you wasn't sellin' drug
So many bitches in my neighborhood got mugged.
They always loved that shit. They want a nigga that's sellin' Ks.
But nowadays they workin' at Mickey D's.
But in the Dayz of Wayback
I couldn't be laid back,
Because I needed ends and I made that.
I get the nine from my nigga that he lend me and
Start robbin' muthafuckas, just like cowboys and indians.
Anything it took to get paid.
A nigga like Ren already had the plane made.
And I was in it to win it and not to lose.
And shit, it start blowin' up, once I lit the fuse.
And police couldn't touch me because I was payin'em.
But not with no money - Yo, I was frayin'em.
And never get caught because nobody is snitch,
But one hoe did - so Ren had to shoot the bitch!
Now she's in a coffin and my life is better off and
'Cause everybody knows who's the bossin':
That black nigga that they call Ren.
You fuck with me, you gotta fuck with a Mac-10.
So listen to me as I reminisce the Dayz of Wayback...
So check it out y'all...
It was once a time in the Dayz of Wayback
When niggas was gettin' jacked.
In fact it was one I used to pass through up,
And kickin' ass through up.
Muthafuckin' Compton Massacre...
Now let me tell you a little something about Compton
When I was a kid and puttin' my bid in.
Yo, Compton was like still water - just strictly calm.
Now it's like muthafuckin' Vietnam.
Everybody killin', tryin' to make a killin',
Niggas stealin', muthafuckas willin' to dealin'.
With so many ways to come up
The average nigga didn't give a fuck
About another muthafucka in this game and
Claimin' what he claimin',
Livin' like he livin',
Killin' after killin'.
Murder was a dirty job. To rob a dead man
Was the best plan 'cause a dead man never ran.
But now your best friend is your worst friend.
Greed, cash the fee. Make a me more some of what you holdin'.
So now your shit is stolen
And you and your niggas start rollin'.
Yo, to get your shit back ain't a word of.
Muff? It's more murder, more murder, more murder.
They wanna make you think that it's a crack thang,
Or a black thang
Or some niggas in a muthafuckin' gang...
But guns and money they go together like the Ku Klux Klan
A nigga brung up and strung up.
Why do I call myself a nigga you ask me?
Rememberin' the days that's past me...
Yo, never givin' niggas a chance to rest.
The ghetto is like a fuckin' survival test.
And number one way for you to pass,
Yo, get treated like a king and they'll crown your ass.
They never in the wrong though,
So I made a song so
Muthafuckas had know
If, yo, livin situations make you wanna get a gat...
That's 'cause you livin' in the Dayz of Wayback! "•
This concludes my dissection of my favorite hip hop albums of all time thoughtout the span of 30yrs..Illmatic was excluded because it was an obvious favorite....I tried 2 venture outside of the box a lil 2 add a bit of suprise 2 the mix...hope you enjoy'd my assesments....Hopefully, I'll get the chance 2 expound on other aspects of the culture in the near future...As always, this has been a pleasure & I'll TTYL...Much Love....Streety Wonder!
