This week, something funny was in the air. Most of our top lines were punchlines or puns, as smiles were cracked and laughs out loud were had from coast to coast. Maffew Ragazino copped an attitude, Rockie Fresh took us back to grade school, Cam revisited his love affair with the Midwest, MC Eiht took us back to the old school, and Juelz Santana returned with a nod to a true OG. Below, the lines of the week.
5. “Pants sagging and my hat low/Show up to your black-and-white affair in my bathrobe” — Maffew Ragazino, “River Phoenix” lyrics
Maffew takes only a few words here to perfectly encapsulate his I-don’t-care attitude. Would that all great writing was so concise!
4. “Still ducking the po-po/I make it come back like a yo-yo/I’m like Ice-T with that white girl/Still getting money off coco” — Juelz Santana, “Soft” lyrics
We are extremely happy that Juelz (long our third-favorite member of Dipset, behind all-times faves Cam’ron and JR Writer) is returning to the scene after a long hiatus. Here, he manages to get a laugh out of a should-have-been-played-out pun on Ice-T’s wife. His attitude and, as always, humor sells it.
3. “They stuck on basin’/It’s bucks I’m chasing/Harlem World forever, but I rep that Buckeye nation” — Cam’ron, “Murder Game” lyrics
Speaking of Dipset, Juelz’ former mentor narrowly beats him out on the list this week. Cam has been repping the Midwest for a long time. His classic “Get It In Ohio” recounts his drug-dealing exploits all over the state. He revisits his favorite theme on this new number, with a nod to the troubled OSU football program.
2. “Just like the Chi-Lites, tell me have you seen/The hoes with the pretty face, a** extreme” — MC Eiht, “Blue Stamp” lyrics
The Chi-Lites’ 1971 hit “Have You Seen Her” is one of rap’s most-sampled and best-loved songs. We can bet, though, that it has never quite received the, um, graphic spin it gets here.
1. “Get it by the loaf, whether if it’s white or wheat/You ni**as Doctor Scholls, y’all about to see defeat” — Rockie Fresh, “Superman OG” lyrics
Our list is headed up this week by one of those so-bad-it’s-good lines. The “defeat”/”de feet” pun here stopped us in our tracks. Is it awful? Is it funny? Hard to tell, but we loved this joke in third grade and we love it now.