RUN-DMC’S ROCK BOX, RUN’S VERSE: AN EXAMINATION OF TRUTHINES

Last month I had the opportunity to read an article on the Huffington Post site about Jay Z’s 2004 hit “99 Problems.”  The article discussed a well overdue paper written by associate law professor Caleb Mason, Ph.D. at Southwestern Law School, titled JAY-Z’S 99 PROBLEMS, VERSE 2: A CLOSE READING WITH FOURTH AMENDMENT GUIDANCE FOR COPS AND PERPS.  His paper explored the truthiness (thanks Colbert) of H.O.V.A.’s 2^nd verse.  I followed the link from the article to get a glimpse of the paper.  I perused most of the paper and it was damn good.  Dr. Mason went line by line to set the legal record straight on J’s rap.

Forthrightly, I am fascinated by lyric analysis.  The meaning of lyrics in a given context can yield numerous results.  For example, lyrics in a cultural context are vast and often times hinge on the biases of the interpreter and certainly the era (decade of interpretation), and goal of the analysis.  In some cases, lyric meanings, minus the input from the author/artist, can be endless because the song’s connotation is left to the listener, reader, and interpreter.  Some examples of this would be Eric Burdon and War’s 1970 hit “Spill The Wine,” or any one of Parliament/Funkadelic or James Brown’s joints and even The Beatles’ “I am The Walrus”–wait, scratch that–we all know there is only one meaning to that song . . . Anyway these songs can easily have multiple meanings and no doubt make meaningful contributions and commentary in political, cultural, and social spheres.

After reading the Huffington Post article, I began thinking about analyzing songs.  Ultimately, I was inspired to analyze the lyrics of a hip-hop song to see what I’d come up with–albeit not as thorough as Dr. Mason’s piece . . . this is just a blog you know!

In 2004, hip-hop had long since solidified itself as a more than viable musical genre.  Hip-hop in the millennium has matured and has earned the right to stay out late.  Now it often comments on social events, cultural phenomena, political topics, and can easily facilitate a global conversation.

Hip-Hop’s first shoe.

Yep, it’s all grown up!  Analysis of today’s hip-hop is amazing in terms of the converging cultures and musical genres.  But what about an analysis of hip-hop when it was young and didn’t know any better?  What about when it was still learning how to walk in those white patent leather baby shoes while sucking it’s thumb?  Or when it was trying to figure out which way It was going to swing to get it’s future swag just right?  What about that?

So, I thought it would be interesting to look at a hip-hop song that preceded Jay’s by twenty years to examine its truthiness.  I decided to analyze rap pioneers Run-DMC’s hit “Rock Box.”  It was the top rap song in 1984.  The popular “Rock Box” was the 3^rd single released off their début album.  This song was boisterous, outlandish, gritty, and contained elements of rock through Eddie Martinez’s guitar riffs and solo.  Run-DMC caused a ruckus and their lyrics boasted in pure self-aggrandizement.  So I posed the question (to myself), did they have grounds to make such statements?  Were they actually better than their contemporaries such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, and Whodini?  Well, let’s see if their statements were true in the context of their time.  I will be looking at Run’s first verse only.

For all you sucker MC’s perpetratin’ a fraud

This has got to be one of the baddest (not bad as in bad but bad meaning good) intro lines in a rap song . . . ever!  Run is letting it be know that this song is for non-original, unskilled, and lyrically deficient rappers.  He cuts directly to the core of the mindset of a rapper–“I am the best to ever hold a microphone!”  Lyrical lines like these came straight from the rap battles of the day, which where intended to emasculate, humble, and debase the legitimacy of the opposing rapper.  Run was cold with this!  But wait hold up a minute!  How can he say this?  He may not be an unskilled rapper but he and partner D.M.C. may have compromised their originality on their second single release by re-recording Kurtis Blow’s 1980’s song titled “Hard Times.”  Run-DMC’s song contains the same subject matter and certainly some of the same lyrics.  I know this may have been a nod to their idol Kurtis Blow and an ode to the climate of the times, but they could have been original about it.  So who’s the sucker MC now? (They also re-made Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” but since it was technically a duet they get a pass).

Your rhymes are cold wack and keep the crowd cold lost

Wack?!!!  Hmmm . . . of the top ranking rap song of the era such as U.T.F.O’s “Roxanne Roxanne,” Whodini’s “The Freaks Come Out At Night,” Kurtis Blow’s “8 Million Stories,” and Newcleus’ “Jam On It” the latter is the only one that may have qualified as having “cold wack” rhymes (sorry Newcleus fans).  A certified club hit, yet note their lyrics: “Do we get to say wikki wikki wikki again?”  They continue and say something about “Burger King and a sack of Big Macs . . .” as well as a narrative about a rap battle with Superman.  With these lyrics they certainly entered the realm of wack-ness!

You’re the kind of guy that girl ignored

Well this is obvious, right?  Run’s lyrics were so tough, he could not be ignored by anyone especially the women.  In fact, at 19 his rhymes were so alluring he attracted and married Valerie Vaughn a year before “Rock Box” was released.  Run was not ignored for the next 13 years.

I’m drivin’ a ‘Caddy,’ you fixin’ a Ford

I don’t have any evidence that Run drove a ‘Caddy’ (Cadillac).  However, culturally speaking, it’s no secret African Americans have long since had a love affair with the ‘Caddy.’  The Cadillac is a symbol of success in urban America.  From pimps to preachers it was the vehicle of choice.  If Run was indeed rollin’ a ‘Caddy’ I imagine it was a pimp out Seville fully loaded with all the trimmings.  Meanwhile, if Run’s competition own a Ford they were sho’ nuff fixin’ it.  In the 70s and 80s Ford earned a tragic reputation of poor craftsmanship and unreliability that led to some of the funniest acronyms for an entire car company.  Check these out: Found On Repairman’s Doorstep; Found On Rack Daily; Ford Owners Recommend Dodge; Full Of Rust Deposits; F**ker Only Rolls Downhill; Fix Or Repair Daily; Found On Road Dead; Frequently Overhauled, Rarely Driven; and FORD backwards: Driver Returns On Foot . . . Damn! That ain’t right!

My name is Joseph Simmons but my middle name’s Ward

and when I’m rockin’ on the mic, you should all applaud

Because we’re (wheelin’, dealin’, we got a funny feelin’)

We rock from the floor up to the ceilin’

Indeed his mama did give him the middle name Ward.  According to Babynames.com, Ward means ‘guardian’ and was most popular in 1961 (Run was born in 1964).  In 1984 Run was certainly able to guard the mic and reign supreme.  I only wish today he were able to guard and preserve Rap’s authentic integrity it once had.

Rev. Run in full effect!

Furthermore, Run’s lyrics contain an air of veracity and with this “Rock Box” ventured into uncharted territory.  The song peaked at #26 on the Hot Dance Club chart making it the first rap song to make that chart.  The group’s self-produced video for “Rock Box” was the first rap video to air on MTV and it help catapult Run-DMC’s first album to gold status (500,000 sold) and get them nominated for a Grammy . . . Yes, we should all applaud.

We groove it (you move it) it has been proven

We calmed the seven seas because our music is soothin’

No doubt, when you dropped the needle (yes, the needle) the song made you take notice and move.  However, “soothin’” this song was not.  In fact, this song and the rest of Run-DMC’s songs were loud, hard hitting, and in your face in comparison to previous rap songs of the era.  The object was to get attention.  It did!

We create it (relate it) and often demonstrate it

Well, they did as a matter of fact, create their own sound and wrote their own rhymes, which related directly to the mid 80s youth culture.  They have been demonstrating “it” as early as 1983 by touring all across America sometimes with LL Cool J and the Beasties Boys in tow; whom had yet to drop a recording at the time.

We’ll diss a sucker MC make the other suckers hate it

They constantly made claims they were the best in the rap game.  Their rhymes were designed to get a rise out of any M.C. who thought they were worthy of the challenge.  I’m sure the dissed sucka M.C.’s that fell by the way side became consumed with jealousy and even hatred as Run-DMC climbed the charts.  Their flow and success was too much for the sucka M.C.

We’re risin’ (surprisin’) and often hypnotizing

Risin’ and hypnotizing?  Well, yeah . . . Their status elevated in the burgeoning hip-hop genre so quickly that they were invited in 1985 to perform at the first Live Aid concert based on the success of “Rock Box.”  Live Aid was a global concert on two stages; one on the Wembley Stadium stage in London, England and the second on the J.F.K. Stadium stage in Philadelphia, which were connected through live video feed to raise money for the Ethiopian famine.  Run-DMC performed on the Philly stage with the likes of Joan Baez, Black Sabbath, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Santana, and Madonna.  On live video feed from Wembley they shared the stage with The Who, David Bowie, U2, Sade, and Paul McCartney.  The group continued to rise, which was indeed surprisingly hypnotizing!

We always tell the truth and then we never slip no lies in

Well a few lies here and there, but what is hip-hop without a little mendacity.

No curls (no braids) peasy-head and still get paid

That’s right, my brothas never sported a greasy Jheri Curl (fingers crossed hoping no photo ever pops up with them looking greasy).  Their hair was short neat and nappy!  They did not have to conform to make money.  In less than a year after their first album Run-DMC would release another hit song titled “My Adidas,” which garnered them a $1.6 million endorsement deal with Adidas.  This now famously lucrative connection has allowed Adidas’ shoes and apparel to became tops in the hip-hop world–a legacy which continues today.

Jam Master cut the record up and down and cross-fade

Jason William Mizell, a.k.a. Jam Master J. dreamed up, created, and produced all the beats and music for “Rock Box.”  J’s style became the signature sound of Run-DMC and early hip-hop.  Sadly, the man who created the soundtrack to my “wonder years” was murdered on Oct. 30 2002.  Damn That DJ Made My Day!

So there you have it, my take on Run’s first verse of “Rock Box.”  You should take DMC’s verse next.  I hear he’s a rhyming apparatus!

Black Music Month Pt. 4 of 4: Hip Hop

In much the same way as Jazz, Hip Hop was formed in the Black ghettos of America, led by a youth culture, and today has a critical global presence and influence. Citing the boroughs of New York as its birthplace in the late 70s, Hip Hop extended its influence across the U.S. with a quickness unlike any other music genre.

Graffiti in Rome

Adopting its musical reference from the well styled, rhythmic, and groove oriented R&B and Funk songs of the 1970s, Hip Hop spread the message of a converging youth culture.  Hip Hop’s formation was about the here and now of the Black community and how the youth fit into that sometimes turbulent process of growing up and survival in the inner cities of America.  In a short period of time, Hip Hop developed a unique culture of graffiti, dance, turntables and microphones.

Bronx DJ making history

Today, Hip Hop utilizes cutting edge musical technology and individual character “swag” that drives a crucial portion of American and global commerce (much more can be said about this).

Hip Hop, with its ability to give voice to youth culture, has extended beyond the Black ghettos and inner cities to reside in places such as affluent American suburbs, Koreatown, the Barrio, to locales such as London, Paris, Rome, Accra, Johannesburg, Moscow, New Delhi, Sydney, and Tokyo.

In terms of Hip Hop’s introduction to the world, I think Wonder Mike of the Sugar Hill Gang expressed it

Sugar Hill Gang (from corbis)

most prophetically: “I am Wonder Mike and I’d like to say hello, to the black, to the white, the red and the brown, the purple and yellow . . .”

As we conclude BMM 2012, lets remember that Black music is deeply woven into the American fabric.  A group of people, who needed to audibly express the sentiments of oppression and the battle for freedom, forged this music to soothe their soul in the midst of their struggle.  Black music has a transcending power of triumph.  Ultimately, Black music has become one of the defining factors of the American identity and is embraced world wide like no other music.

Hip Hop is Black music and Authentically American.
(Jay Z and Kanye West)

So don’t let the end of June be the end of the appreciation of Black music.  Indulge yourself!

Hip Hop first spoke to the world from the boroughs of New York. Take a listen as the world hollers back:

Obama, Blackness, and Al Green

Wow! Did you hear President Barack Obama at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre sing Reverend Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”?  It was a little taste of his crooning ability, which I thought was surprisingly remarkable.

White House photo by Pete Souza

My thought was seconded when my wife called from work after hearing TMZ play the now viral video of Obama singing.  Excitedly, she explained Obama sounded like Marvin Gaye singing an Al Green song.  She then ended our conversation with a scream reserved for front row seats at a Maxwell concert as TMZ played the Obama video again.  Other bloggers and journalist around the web described his voice as cool, controlled, golden, smooth, a buttery falsetto, and one writer explained American Idol’s Randy Jackson would have said “wow it was NOT pitchy dogg!”

Kudos to Obama and his voice!

However, there is more to this impromptu performance than how great Barack Obama sounded.  To a certain extent, his imitation of Al Green was, for a brief moment, revealing.  He exposed his African-American experience.  His Blackness. With high-level vocal inflection and convincing Al Green mimickery, he was able to show us where he comes from and who he really is, which is a black man in America.  I know he is biracial with a caucasian mother who hails from Kansas and a Kenyan father from a town near Lake Victoria, Kenya.  I know he was reared in the tropics of Hawai’i and Jakarta. Certainly, these people and places in his early life combined don’t exactly scream the African-American experience or imbue him with Blackness.  His African-American experience and Blackness developed when he left home to attend college.  Admittedly, it was at Occidental College where he truly confronted the issue of an African-American identity (see his book Dreams From My Father).  Regardless of the image he had in his mind about himself or his undeniable DNA mix, he was seen as a black man in late 70s Los Angeles society.  It was in college where he began to socialize with mostly African-American students, joined African-American clubs, and took on the plight of the African-American struggle.  At this point he was absorbing Blackness through friendships, songs, food, and love.  His childhood and adolescent years, which were not without problems due to the color of his skin, were discarded and as a young adult as he took on the exclusive identity of a black man.

From this point on he began to experience life as an African-American and in turn expressed a black phenotype or Blackness.  His smooth walk, his talk, which is pronounced and curiously Southern when he speaks at Black Churches, and his swag are all undoubtedly a glimpse into his acquired Blackness.

Let's Stay Together album released Feb. 1972

Obama sang and delivered, albeit short in duration, “Let’s Stay Together” with a confidence deeply rooted in Black culture.  He performed the song from what an Atlanta professor of mine called the “temple of his familiar”–essentially meaning: coming from an individuals unique life experience.  This past Thursday Obama, through song, reminded us of his African-American experience.

Having sang on stage of the legendary Apollo Theater Obama’s brief performance crushed the possibility of a booing crowd and thwarted the slick dance moves of the dreaded Sand Man thus truly authenticating, validating, and vindicating his African American experience and Blackness.  I only wish he had sang more!