Rap Genius: The top 5 rap lyrics of the week — Biggie Smalls murder anniversary
RAP GENIUS - This past week found the hip-hop community commemorating one of its saddest anniversaries -- the March 9, 1997 murder of Biggie Smalls....
This past week found the hip-hop community commemorating one of its saddest anniversaries — the March 9, 1997 murder of Biggie Smalls. Â Many rappers took note, and a lot of our choices paid tribute in ways ranging from touching to filthy. Â Below, the lines of the week.
5.  “I’m from the era of Biggie Smalls, TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’/Buying dimebags by the mini-mall” — Redman, ‘HS87 Cypher’ lyrics
The first of our Big-related lines comes from Brick City’s finest, Redman. Â This rhyme paints a complete portrait of a whole era, conjuring up the 90s without wasting a breath.
4.  “If New York ni**as keep rapping like they from Miami/I ain’t going back to Cali, I’m going back to cali/40 caliber, screaming “Gimme the loot!”/He can’t tuck a gun in skinny jeans skinny as Snoop” — Papoose, ‘Biggie Tribute Freestyle’ lyrics
Pap continues the trend with his homage to the master, which incorporates the titles of tons of Biggie songs. Â This section puns on “Going Back to Cali” and “Gimme the Loot,” of course. Â It also reflects the feelings of a certain breed of NYC rapper towards the hip-hop landscape after the mid-aughts rise of the South to commercial dominance.
3.  “Birdman let me hold a million bucks/He gave it to me — didn’t even ask for what” — Lil Wayne, ‘Commas’ lyrics
This line made the list not for being good, exactly, but rather for being strange. Â Wayne has always shown deference and gratitude towards his surrogate father, even using him as a benchmark for stunting. Â But this couplet shows that, even into his thirties and after earning a reported $27 million last year, he still calls on the #1 Stunna for paternal-type favors, and seems as proud as a kid who finished his homework early over the trust he’s earned.
2. Â “Yo, call me a hard working ni**a/I shouldn’t use ‘ni**a,’ cause that’s what was used against us. But still I abuse it and use it, look how they did us/A lot of sh*t’s changed, but something’s installed in us” — Dizzy Wright, ‘Maintain’ lyrics
Dizzy takes a moment and gives thoughtful commentary on an issue that, when raised in hip-hop, often dissolves into bromides and defensiveness — the use of the dreaded n-word. Â The best part of this is that Wright gives the listener the impression that he’s thinking through the nuances of the issue as he’s rapping about it. Â This honesty and willingness to examine your own position is all too rare around any issue, especially one so contentious.
1. Â “It’s nothing, sh*t/My chain named ‘Lil Kim’ ’cause it’s f**king big” — Fred the Godson, ‘The Cypher: The Notorious B.I.G. Tribute’ lyrics
We had to end the week with a shout to the master, and this line has the advantage of being funny and unexpected. Â Fred is a master of the punchline, and this is one of his best in a while.
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