Rap Genius Lines of the Week From Joell Ortiz, Common, Heems, Mikkey Halstead & Dice Raw
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 saw some big news in the hip-hop world. Action Bronson (a.k.a. the New York Times' favorite rapper) found a record deal via Left Brain of Odd Future, thus causing folks with skinny jeans, Vice readers and kids on skateboards to spontaneously combust from excitement. Back in the land of lyrics, Common freestyles about the heart, Heems gives us a rundown on what he really learned in school, Dice Raw decries fake thugs, Mikkey Halstead proves that simple and direct is best and Joell Ortiz breaks our hearts.
5. "Fell for a bad bitch, but she was on some me shit/ Tried to take my son away, call that ho a eclipse," -- Mikkey Halstead, "Beats TV Freestyle" Lyrics
We're not always about "lyrical miracle spiritual" polysyllabic rhyming. Sometime, straightforward is best. This is a simple "son"/"sun" pun, but it gains great effectiveness and emotion from the context.
4. "Last year, n----s was emo/ But this year, they sticking to the G code," -- Dice Raw, "Fake MCs" Lyrics
Dice points out what is all-too-obvious to any close observer of the rap scene -- namely, that trend-chasing runs rampant. Raw correctly points out that last year saw a move towards introspection and emotion, but this year sees a sudden move to street content. Strangely enough, these changes often involve the same people.
3. "I know firsthand words is money/ I learned they coded language, observed these dummies," -- Heems, "Killing
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