Hip Hop

Top Ten Raps – Outkast – Elevators (me and you)

One for the money yessuh, two for the Show…

This was the official rap entry for those black Americans that had “country” accents.  This “country”  spreads from lower parts of the East Coast to the entire south, midwest, and halfway up California.

You know those places.
You have been there and have family from there.
Maybe you haven’t and call them the “flyover” states (you are missing out mayne). 

There are still old world trees there.
There are still men with perms there.

There are mutafuckas that talk hella shit and tell the best stories there,

while making ribs.

There were many songs and groups before Outkast, but after them, the entire blood line traces back to their sound.

Some particulars in this lineage T.I., Nappy Roots, Little Brother, David Banner, Big KRIT, YelaWolf, B.O.B., Isiah Rashad…
They all have this chorus in their DNA…

“Me and Youuuu, Yo Mama and ya Cou-sin Tooooo,
Rollin down the strip on Vooogues, Coming up
slamming Cadillac Doooors”

This song is all atmosphere. nothing but a two piece bass drum punctuated with a rim shot bathed in an echo chamber. Church organ moaning in the background with a synth for good measure.

The beat is par for the time it was created, dead center of the Trip Hop era, Imagine Tricky on that beat with his Bristol accent, or doubled up inna jungle

‘Def! innit fam?‘

 
Don’t get it confused though, this shit was made to play loud in your car, preferably in a caddy on vogues. This is the most laid back lyrics had been since Eric Sermon rapped on Please Listen to my Demo.

“‘…was the start of
Something Good
Where me and my nigga rode the Marta
Through the hood
Just trying to find that hook up”

Dre and Big Boi breeze through the bars talking about building their successful rap career, going platinum with Southernplayercadillacmusic and putting the “South up on the map”. It was all brag rap and regional pride until the third verse by Andre.

“hey man, remember me from school?”

“Naw not really but he kept smiling like a clown
facial expression looking silly
And he kept asking me, what kind of car you drive,
I know you paid
I know y’all got beaucoup of hoes
from all them songs that yall done made
And I replied that I had been going through the same thing that he had
True I got more fans than the average man but not enough loot to last me
to the end of the week,
I live by the beat like you live check to check
If you don’t move your feet then I don’t eat,
so were like neck to neck
Yes we done come a long way like them Slim ass cigarettes
from Virginia, this ain’t gonna stop so we just gonna continue”

And that was it, reality shook it out. One clever line.

Drowned in all of that southern twang, finger waves and Mojo’s Chicken Wings, was the ability to break the wall between performer and fan, giving all the power to the listener. At least that’ s the way I heard it.

Just remember not to smile like a clown if you see a rapper you went to school with at the mall.
(If I see Tech N9ne, I promise not to look silly.)

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