Read a Book, N*gga!

As an avid fan of hip hop, I'd be the first to admit that rap has really hit the skids lately. And by lately, I mean the past several years. To be perfectly honest, I've never really cared that much for the genre's lyrics -- the production is what hooks me. This is why I've never gotten much into the underground scene; the lyrics may be much more intelligent, but the production is comparatively lacking. I'll admit that I mostly listen to the mainstream -- Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, etc., and although I think my favorites are better than the vast majority of mainstream rap, they're still mainstream, which equals a general lack of substance and often dumbed-down lyrics. So I tend to take the blatant violence, misogyny, criminal references, drug references, and straight-up stupidity with a grain of salt. If the beat knocks, I can generally overlook quite a bit of asinine lyrics.

For me, rap is all about the attitude -- confidence, charisma, defiance. Everyone's got an internal rhythm, and mine happens to be set to the beats of Dr. Dre, Timbaland, and Just Blaze. I don't know why; maybe it stems from a subconscious rebellion against the music of the area I grew up in (country) and the music of the people I grew up with (alternative and metal, primarily); or maybe its something deeper. I don't know. It's just a part of me.

Over the past couple of years, I've branched out a bit in my tastes and listen to a broader selection than I used to. However, I still tend to refrain from participating in discussions of music with my friends, primarily because (a) I don't know what music they're talking about, or (b) I don't understand it in the same way they do. Same way with my music - I don't talk to other people about it for those reasons. I also shy away from playing it around them for this reason, but another reason is that, as I've explained, most rap sounds stupid. If people don't feel the beats the same way I do, they'll just listen to the idiotic lyrics and dismiss it as terrible music. Which, of course, they have every right to do.

Still, I've got a recommendation for everyone. Check out the song "Read a Book" by Bomani "D'Mite" Armah. Better yet, check out the video for it on YouTube. At first glance, you'd swear this is by Lil Jon, and I had thought it was until this morning when I did a little digging. It's actually a parody of Lil Jon, or at least a parody of the Chappelle Show's take on Lil Jon.

So what's the song? Fucking brilliant, that's what. Rather than following the usual rap stereotypes, talking about dealing drugs, buying expensive cars, and having sex with as many women as possible, this song advises its listeners, among other things, to read a book, buy some land, raise your kids, and wear deoderant. Simple, certainly, but a positive message for once. Basically, the song is meant to be a satire of how terrible rap has become.

More importantly, the style of the song is brilliant. He does it in exactly Lil Jon's style - short, repetitive, and obscene lyrics. He even throws in the trademarked "Okaaaay!" at a choice moment. Plus, the song is set to a really cool orchestral arrangement. It's got these clashing elements of positive messages and orchestral backdrops versus seemingly dumbed-down and repetitive lyrics filled with obscenities. It's amazing.

I won't tell you the lines here; out of context it wouldn't be as funny, plus I wouldn't want to ruin the effect for if and when you hear it. But please, everyone, check it out.