Back in the 1980s, when I was in high school and college, I used public transportation quite a lot. One rule was strictly enforced - no playing of radios, tape players, or musical instruments allowed on the trains and buses. On almost every bus or train ride, though, there’s be some guy, hands cupped over his mouth, making some noise that sounded like this:
Freaky… I was going to start a similar thread elmwood!
My upstairs neighbors are twentysomething wannabe thugs - not harmful, but annoying as hell. So a group of guys I’d never seen before are walking out as we are walking in. Not being rude, I give a head nod (the universal sign of acknowledgment among fake gangstas) and say “whassup.” Two of the wannabes similarly acknowledge… but the guy in front…
…is about two feet away from me…
…and breaks out in a hip-hop lyric…
…while looking me dead in the face!
Was I supposed to ascertain his mood or opinion on world affairs from the lyric? Was I too unimportant to greet, hence he felt the need to override the social contract with the song? Or was it his attempt to remember a song - uttering a greeting would have thrown him off?
I haven’t heard the “simulated rap beats” coming from a person lately, at least not by themself. I think the more popular method is to have someone doing the simulated beats with someone else “freestyling”, at least that is what i experience at my job occasionly. I can’t really give much insight to the process though, i’m your typical white guy.
How do I acquire one of these “typical white guys”? I’ve always wanted one.
As to the OP, I grew up in a neighborhood and went to school where and when this was common. However, at the time, you had famous rap artists (Doug E. Fresh and The Fat Boys come to mind immediately) who had perfected this art. So it was common for young guys out there to try to imitate them.
I’m not aware of any current rap artists who utilize this technique, so I’m not sure why anyone on the street would be doing it, either. I certainly haven’t personally heard anyone do it for many years.
JK
Anyway, I see guys rap to themselves walking down the street as I pass them on my motorcycle. Hands waving with wild gesturing, pants down, swinging side to side - the whole works.
I drive through the hood on the way home from work and pass all manner of odd behavior. I’m thinking of video taping the drive some time, you guys wouldn’t believe some of the stuff…
I went to high school during the beat-box, Fat Boy, Jazzy Jeff, Will Smith, etc, era BTW.
I’ve read about this, it is basically a male-dominance display to ascertain how much “respect” one should show to the other. You are expected to reply in a like manner with your own poem, or “bust” your reply back, as they say. Your community identity will then be reflected by your signature rhyme.
Upon being presented by a young male once, I replied:
“You take the good, you take the bad
You take them both and then you have
The facts of life” clap clap “The facts of life!”
