martin clarks latest post

hint

party record with a siren
indeed

an unimportant note: jamakabi is talking about his belt buckle, isn't he?

I think "merkers" touches on something interesting - a mentality that eventually set in in hip hop where you can battle a theoretical enemy (wack MCs) rather than direct everything against specific names... it becomes bigger than personal beef and about the music again if everyone unites to attack "the wack".
 
C

captain easychord

Guest
it's interesting how often the 'wack' in this case is signified by "you" in grime lyrics. MC's are constantly hurling attacks at this "you" figure without naming names (which i think is more of a hip-hop thing). there are a couple exceptions of course (the recent spate of target-specific diss tracks e.g. crazy t - "jus' an arsehole"/bashy - "fuck wiley" / the trim + storming beef.) i haven't heard that many hip-hop tracks that attack a blanket "you" the way grime tracks do.
 

puretokyo

Mercury Blues
captain easychord said:
i haven't heard that many hip-hop tracks that attack a blanket "you" the way grime tracks do.

with the greatest of respect, isn't almost all street-oriented hiphop based on talking about how "you" aren't as good as the mc and how if "you" try and step he'll blast "you"? for example, "nigga please, nigga you ain't signing no checks like these" was the first line that came to mind.

its pretty much the one thing i've come to hate the most about us hiphop - the complete genericness of constantly dissing everyone/no-one by talking about "you". its such a fucking cop-out, trying to big yourself up by reference to a non-existent rival/competitor/foe. be sad to see it happen in grime, but as far as i've seen its generally done a fresher way, maybe because we know that they are talking to a limited number of potential 'you's ie just the grime community?
 

hint

party record with a siren
hmmm... I personally prefer it. I don't think it's a cop out at all. when MCs start calling out specific names it strays too close to soap opera for my liking - I don't get excited by that kind of thing.

of course, some disses are so specific, clever and personal that they transcend catfight status:

jay z said:
So yeah I sampled your voice, you was usin it wrong
You made it a hot line, I made it a hot song
And you ain't get a coin nigga you was gettin fucked and
I know who I paid God, Serchlite Publishing

but when it's just pre-written battle rhymes with someone's name slotted in to keep up with this week's beef... pfff... what's the difference? might as well address a theoretical enemy ("you") and make that rhyme evergreen. cos it's a struggle to make it as an MC in any genre and the battle mentality prevails - even when you run out of individuals to call out.

Hold on, Busy Bee, I don't mean to be bold
But put that bomb-diddy-bomb bullshit on hold

but you're right - hip hop is full of lines attacking "you".
 
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mms

sometimes
course the one that get's round it is boogeyman by trim, where he names many people of being scared of the boogeyman. it being a mythologcal manifestation that could fit any thing that scares. but he's not afraid of it. (if that makes sense).
 
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captain easychord

Guest
ok you guys are right, my point was a bit of a stretch... :eek:
 

mms

sometimes
hint said:
indeed

an unimportant note: jamakabi is talking about his belt buckle, isn't he?

I think "merkers" touches on something interesting - a mentality that eventually set in in hip hop where you can battle a theoretical enemy (wack MCs) rather than direct everything against specific names... it becomes bigger than personal beef and about the music again if everyone unites to attack "the wack".


yeah it totally reminds me of "another victory" by big daddy kane, he does the same thing; sampling other big boy mc's voices as he bigs them up whilst dissing weak mc's in the same verses.
 
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