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Rap Genius Lines of the Week From Pusha T, Joe Budden, Rockie Fresh

Moses Robinson, Getty Images

Rap Genius is supplying The BoomBox with the top lyrics of the week and serving a meaning behind the raps in the process. This week had more than its fair share of exceptional punchlines. However, there seemed to also be something a bit more serious in the air, as several of our top lines are concerned with topics more weighty than how many synonyms for a kilo you can fit into one bar. While Pusha T talks money, Saigon tells us about animal flatulence -- no, really! -- Rockie Fresh shouts out Ed Norton, and Black Spade and Joe Budden provide a glimpse of other, more bleak sides of life.

5. "Used to be a college girl eating Lunchables/ Now your Phillip Lim sweats fitting comfortable" -- Pusha T, 'Untouchable'

Despite the "coke rap" tag often hung on Pusha's group The Clipse, the Thornton brothers have always been comfortable talking about subjects other than drugs. For example, clothes. Pusha, a clothing magnate himself via his Play Cloths brand, is always up on the latest trends. Here, P promises his lady designer sweatsuits, while drawing a hysterical contrast to her Oscar-Meyer-eating days a poor student.

4. "And a couple white boys tried to tell me I wasn't next/ Then they learned to love a n----, 'American History X'" -- Rockie Fresh, 'No Fear'

While we are certainly no fans of the long-played-out "Supa Dupa Flow" -- basically a simile without the word "like," for example "And I got her, grocery bag" was the Young Money-rapped nadir of the style -- we give credit where it's due. This callback to the 1998 film 'American History X,' starring Ed Norton as a reformed white supremacist, single-handedly redeems the device -- well, almost.

3. "S-A-I-gon, keep it funkier than a skunk fart/ Blow the back of your face off the front part/ I'm what they call a living contradiction/ Why? Cause I'm dumb smart" -- Saigon, 'MTV RapFix Live Freestyle'

Sai-giddy absolutely rips this short freestyle -- no small feat, given that he was standing right next to living legend Too Short at the time. While the pun on "dumb" as meaning both "not smart" and "extremely" is not new, it's used well here, and the "skunk fart" line moves this section from pretty good to exceptional.

2. "She said all I ever made her feel was hurt and disgust/ Which in turn hurt, cause that was my version of love" -- Joe Budden, 'No Church In The Wild'

While Joe Budden has long been a punchline machine and a font of Jay-Z disses -- "Let's get one thing understood, son/ Every encore ain't a good one" remains a favorite of ours -- he also stands out for another reason. He has been unusually open and introspective since the beginning of his career, and continues the trend on this freestyle -- over, pointedly, a Jay-Z beat. Here, he reflects on his own propensity to mix up love and hate in a way that feels shockingly intimate.

1. "Put your lighters in the air for the unsung/ The sufferers, coal miners dying of black lung" -- Black Spade, 'Spand'

St. Louis rapper-singer-producer Black Spade releases a great political song for this election season. While we doubt any of the Republican candidates would like its references to Pat Tillman's death, inner-city desperation, or the unfortunately resilient "Bush knocked down the Towers" meme, the tune provides a welcome reality check -- again, excepting the 9/11 conspiracy nonsense. This couplet is especially poignant, adding victims of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, commonly known as "black lung disease," to the list of the fallen mourned by hip-hop.


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showoffpoetry

Pusha T tells on himself everytime he talks about drug selling. That makes him a snitch. Right or Wrong? #Showent

February 05 2012 at 11:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
FlowerPower

The lyrics are
"BENT" (Clean Version)

Jana Barros:

You judgemental dip sticks read me all wrong.
Come here, I'll catch you up with my underground song.

My cut is fresh like what is it?
Hotter than, harder than, no nothing matches it.

The sideways glance of a Madam X acts not half as advanced
As the whip when I crack this plan, you retract.

Excuse me, did I give something up?
Pretend I was someone else, or let you dictate the make of my stuff?

Now I didn't say I've never taken one for the team,
But to play me in the alley without anybody seeing

When my balconies are full of chum,
It's a whole nother thing to hold your tongue.

It's just me, It's alright, so what I would have fought you some.
But now? I'm iller than royals mixed in safari and sun.

Your forecasts so bright you must know what you did.
Messing with that chick's sister like you're having her kid.

You got me bent over a balcony.

You got me bent over a balcony like I'm hanging a bat.
But I'm kinda into your boy, so what I'm not sorry for that.

You're a carbon copy with a different horoscope.
Hit me up like I didn't know he was dope.

Because my idioms flirtation you think I won't t-trip you and your friends.
Drop kick you from my kitchen across the alley into a fence.

I'm against you from the start, manufacturing your abuse.
Your tearing up and I'm not finished with you, dawg, there's no excuse.

Skoosh your friend for you, goose-shock you dryer than chalk.
I'll drown you in your drink, and beat your head on the sidewalk.

Resuscitate you with one toke of my venomous breath.
Then peel back your eyelids so you can witness Macbeth.

If you were feeling guilty at any time, maybe you should have just said "Uncle."
But your just a hipster wearing chains now playing disks like Garfunkel.

You remember the time?
You got me bent over a balcony.

You remember the time you passed out with your shoes on and got tatooed
with a sharpie? Them big fat pics they drew suited you like a portrait dude.

I'm not saying I don't enjoy a good piece of body art
But that's the only peace with you that I am willing to start.

So let's talk about your feelings now, huh, are you offended?
Man, I'm giving you the finger because your silence don't end it.

Is it apropos to tell it to this tool you think he'd hear it?
I'll break my wrist on his pretty face, smack him so hard he won't know what hit him.

Man, I'm prepared to pay you a visit, and I $*%#@ your friend.
What's gotten into you, you get your name signed in your biz yet?

Or are you scared stiff cus I'm not putting up a front?
You've got one life to live and I'm moving on like virgin-front.

I don't give a #$*&. We don't give a $&#*.
You two got each other, you both know how to duck.

You got me bent over a balcony.

February 03 2012 at 10:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to FlowerPower's comment
MashupMan

"Say it again. Say that I suck."

February 03 2012 at 10:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
MashupMan

Typically, Rappers are lyricists. Jana Barros is trill.

February 03 2012 at 10:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
FlowerPower

Some of my favorites from the rapper Jana Barros
"Skoosh your friend for you, goose-shock you dryer than chalk.
I'll drown you in your drink, and beat your head on the sidewalk.

Resuscitate you with one toke of my venomous breath.
Then peel back your eyelids so you can witness Macbeth."

It's crazy because after she spits this verse, her best friend winds up committing suicide. Is that prophetic or prolific? Jana Barros is both.

The rapper's lyrics go on to rhyme "If you were feeling guilty at any time, maybe you should have just said "Uncle."
But your just a hipster wearing chains now playing disks like Garfunkel."

Those are from the Namesake album. Chick needs to get a 360. Holla!

February 03 2012 at 10:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to FlowerPower's comment
MashupMan

That songs not about that though, dude. She's yelling at TWO GUYS for having her heart torn up in knots. Sheesh. Yall need to listen to the lyrics.

February 03 2012 at 10:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to MashupMan's comment
FlowerPower

Okay the lyrics are ...
"BENT" (Clean Version)

Jana Barros:

You judgemental dip sticks read me all wrong.
Come here, I'll catch you up with my underground song.

My cut is fresh like what is it?
Hotter than, harder than, no nothing matches it.

The sideways glance of a Madam X acts not half as advanced
As the whip when I crack this plan, you retract.

Excuse me, did I give something up?
Pretend I was someone else, or let you dictate the make of my stuff?

Now I didn't say I've never taken one for the team,
But to play me in the alley without anybody seeing

When my balconies are full of chum,
It's a whole nother thing to hold your tongue.

It's just me, It's alright, so what I would have fought you some.
But now? I'm iller than royals mixed in safari and sun.

Your forecasts so bright you must know what you did.
Messing with that chick's sister like you're having her kid.

You got me bent over a balcony.

You got me bent over a balcony like I'm hanging a bat.
But I'm kinda into your boy, so what I'm not sorry for that.

You're a carbon copy with a different horoscope.
Hit me up like I didn't know he was dope.

Because my idioms flirtation you think I won't t-trip you and your friends.
Drop kick you from my kitchen across the alley into a fence.

I'm against you from the start, manufacturing your abuse.
Your tearing up and I'm not finished with you, dawg, there's no excuse.

Skoosh your friend for you, goose-shock you dryer than chalk.
I'll drown you in your drink, and beat your head on the sidewalk.

Resuscitate you with one toke of my venomous breath.
Then peel back your eyelids so you can witness Macbeth.

If you were feeling guilty at any time, maybe you should have just said "Uncle."
But your just a hipster wearing chains now playing disks like Garfunkel.

You remember the time?
You got me bent over a balcony.

You remember the time you passed out with your shoes on and got tatooed
with a sharpie? Them big fat pics they drew suited you like a portrait dude.

I'm not saying I don't enjoy a good piece of body art
But that's the only peace with you that I am willing to start.

So let's talk about your feelings now, huh, are you offended?
Man, I'm giving you the finger because your silence don't end it.

Is it apropos to tell it to this tool you think he'd hear it?
I'll break my wrist on his pretty face, smack him so hard he won't know what hit him.

Man, I'm prepared to pay you a visit, and I $*%#@ your friend.
What's gotten into you, you get your name signed in your biz yet?

Or are you scared stiff cus I'm not putting up a front?
You've got one life to live and I'm moving on like virgin-front.

I don't give a #$*&. We don't give a $&#*.
You two got each other, you both know how to duck.

You got me bent over a balcony."

February 03 2012 at 10:41 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down
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