Rap Genius: The top 5 rap lyrics of the week — Ghostface takes us back to 'old' school

RAP GENIUS - This week found the hip-hop community arguing over MTV's annual 'Hottest MC in the Game' list...

Mar 7, 2013

This week found the hip-hop community arguing over MTV’s annual “Hottest MC in the Game” list. But while Kanye and co. were losing sleep over the results, there were a lot more interesting things happening in the world. Danny Brown gave us a shock-rock history lesson, Mickey Factz went over our heads, Spit Gemz made us do a spit take, and Ghostface and R.A. the Rugged Man took us back to the old school. Below, the lines of the week.

5. “I’m the artist, the engineer, and producer here/Shot, directed, and edited by my pubic hairs” — Spit Gemz, ‘Homemade Hot Sauce’ lyrics

It’s the off-the-wall nature of the boast here that gets it on our list. It’s not often that a lyric actually makes us laugh out loud, but this one accomplished that rare feat.

4. “But I be writing that sh*t, have you rappers pissed/Like, “How’d he think of this? I wish I’d thought of that sh*t”/Rhymes so real thought I wrote it in Janis Joplin’s vomit/With the mic GG Allin wiped his a** with” — Danny Brown, ‘#HottestMC’ lyrcs

This rhyme has been frequently quoted across the blogosphere since the song’s release, and for good reason. The GG Allin reference is so off-the-wall but spot-on that it will likely be a quotable for the ages.

3. “It’s true I’m alive, I ain’t die yet/I’m old school — I say shit like ‘bust it’ and ‘get busy’ and ‘alright, bet'” — R.A. the Rugged Man, ‘Toca Tuesdays Freestyle’ lyrics

As someone who remembers when the slang R.A. talks about here was current, this line hit just the right line of funny and nostalgic for us.

2. “Now I’m alone in the room, and I just stare at the wall/Revenge my death, but I’m going through with yours” – Ghostface Killah, ‘Sure Shot’ lyrics

The opening lines of LL Cool J’s 1987 ballad “I Need Love” have been quoted in a variety of hip-hop contexts. It’s safe to say, though, that Ghost is the first to do it while threatening your demise.

1. “I just analyze the crimes and try to tell it/To the world; using Siris on my phone, that’s how I pen it” — Mickey Factz, ‘No Church in a While’ lyrics

We were lucky enough to be in the room when this show-stopping freestyle was being recorded and, well over a day later, the layers of meaning and puns are still dawning on us. The sports-centric plays here on “Siris” and “series” (as in “World Series”) and “pen it” and “pennant” flew over our heads the first time we heard this rhyme (and, honestly, the second and third and…), but eventually we caught it and realized the brilliance.