#bounceforwhat

#30DaysOfBounce #BounceForWhat Day 14: "Monkey on tha Dick" by Magnolia Shorty. So I’ve been really busy and it’s been hard keeping up with my blog. But I had to bring back dat Bounce for Magnolia Shorty’s birthday. (I know I’m breaking chronology, but I’ll pick back up with the all-important 1993 shortly.) You can read the complete version at www.brokeballer.com, but here's an excerpt: Among the many memorable figures of Yoruba lore stands the “trickster” dichotomy of Eshu-Eleggua. On one side, you have the playful but powerful Eleggua, representing opening and closing, the beginning and ending of life. Then you have the mischievous and unruly Eshu, who means no harm but whose unpredictable “tricks” can hurt you if you play around with his energy. Eleggua is represented by the number 3, the colors red and black, and toys, including toy soldiers. And since Eshu-Eleggua have been associated with the figure of a monkey, their “trickster” tales have been translated into African-American folklore as the tales of the so-called “Signifying Monkey”. So then, is it a coincidence that the cover of Magnolia Shorty’s album Monkey on tha Dick features 3 figures (a monkey and two women scantily-clad in soldier gear) as well as the colors red and black? Or that the “two” women on the cover are really the same woman duplicated in reverse, much like the mirror-image dynamic of Eshu-Eleggua? Or that Magnolia Shorty herself was named after the infamous Magnolia Projects in the 3rd Ward of New Orleans? Or that renowned music writer Nik Cohn, who has a whole chapter in his New Orleans Bounce book called “Monkey On Tha Dick”, named the book no less than Triksta? (Happy birthday and rest in peace to the Signifying Soldier, Magnolia Shorty!) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoW4IfvA8oq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=151lp5j5119sn

#BounceForWhat #30DaysOfBounce Day 10: "Get the Gat" by Lil' Elt vs "Eat the Cat" by Ju'C. (See the full blog at www.brokeballer.com or the "Droopy the Broke Baller" FB page!) Lil' Elt's “Get the Gat” was a fun, cool little Bounce song; nothing earth-shattering. It just took advantage of the popularity of “Where They At”, basically giving the DJs something to play right after it. But what was more interesting was what DJs ended up playing after “Get the Gat”; a response that I don’t think Lil’ Elt expected. See, as much as Bounce had been driven by the “P-poppin’” women of New Orleans, known to put hands on floor and feet on wall and bounce that ass like they were in a trance, apparently some women were growing tired of the testosterone-driven boasts that came with the Bounce. A woman had yet to release a Bounce song, and the songs thus far released by the likes of Tucker, Jimi, Juvey, Everlasting Hitman and now Lil’ Elt consistently referenced women merely as sexual objects, bluntly commanding them to shake that ass like a salt shaker and ride that you-know-what for a Starter jacket. Then the thanks they got for following directions was to be derided as materialistic slut bitches. As Elt put it in “Get the Gat”: “You ain’t nothin’ but a dopeman’s bitch / You ain’t got no job, now you want him to trick…” It was high time a sista got on the mic and laid down the law, and she came in the form of a rapper named Ju’C, who responded to the masculine bravado of Bounce with a frank vagina monologue known as “Eat the Cat”. “Eat the Cat” was a direct response to “Get the Gat”. It was a master class in parody, riding the exact same beat with Ju’C spoofing just about everything Lil’ Elt said. So Elt’s aforementioned line about the “dopeman’s bitch” became: “You ain’t nothin’ but a pussy-eatin’ bitch / Ain’t got no dick, now you want a lick…” And Elt’s “I’m a nigga with a rock-hard bone / And I’m takin’ one of these hoes home…” became “I’m a hoe with a real hot cat / And I like it when you eat it from the back…” “Eat the Cat” paved the way for other women to enter the male-led realm of Bounce and, as one sista would so memorably put it, "settle the score"... https://www.instagram.com/p/BnkGsUJg-Bf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=pazwnkpgpxhk

#BounceForWhat #30DaysOfBounce Day 9: "Kick It For Dem Hoes" by Magnolia Slim. (For my full birthday tribute to Soulja Slim, hit my blog at www.brokeballer.com or the "Droopy the Broke Baller" FB page!) I've been taking y'all through the history of New Orleans Bounce and we're almost through '92. '93 was crucial (the rise of Cash Money), but today's entry skips ahead to '94 in honor of Soulja Slim's birthday. This is one of my favorite songs and I had a lot to say about it and Slim which I don't want to try to edit for the limitations of an IG comment. So if you're interested, check out my aforementioned blog at www.brokeballer.com. For now, here’s to you, Magnolia aka Soulja Slim, you gold-grinned, shit-spitting, Uptown villain. Happy birthday, Slim, and may your Soulja Ree’s keep stomping through the 3rd Ward of Heaven. (at Magnolia Projects) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bngr7X5ApY2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=yqobue9bwww

#BounceForWhat #30DaysOfBounce Day 8: “Run Dat Shit” by Ruthless Juveniles. (Read my full review of this Bounce classic at www.brokeballer.com or the Droopy the Broke Baller FB page!) “Run Dat Shit” is a 4 minute celebration of some of the most base materialism and territorialism of early 90’s New Orleans. Wards and projects are shouted out, status symbol clothing brands are name-dropped, and fundamental character traits are assigned based on which part of the city you reside in. If you were depending on this song to show you the difference between, say, an “East Bank N!gga” and a “West Bank N!gga”, your research would glean the following: 1.) East Bank N!ggas think dey all dat. West Bank N!ggas ARE all dat. 2.) East Bank N!ggas don’t deserve fellatio. West Bank N!ggas do. 3.) East Bank N!ggas spend money on women. West Bank N!ggas don’t triiiiiick. Now, as with most Bounce songs, if you’re reading these statements without the benefit of the rhythms and beats and energy, it most assuredly looks ridiculous. But if you allow yourself to get lost in the richness of the Ruthless Juveniles’ voices and the seductiveness of their sacrilegious chants, then you can run away with the magic of “Run Dat Shit". All said, this is a song that I can never play just once; I always have to “run dat shit” back at least once more. Hearing it fills me with New Orleans pride and nostalgia. Very little about the song is positive, but that doesn’t stop me from associating it with positive feelings about the power of music to embed itself in your experiences until it is itself an experience. Some Americans find beauty in “The Star Spangled Banner”, a song which I interpret to be about war. So why can’t I find beauty in a song about the War of the Wards? Is it problematic? Sure. But it’s my problem. It’s my city. It's my shit. And I’m runnin’ with it. "B!!!!!tch, stop jockin’ dat East Bank / And suck a n!gga d!ck from da West Bank / He might buy you a Polo, a Damage outfit / But a West Bank n!gga don’t triiiiiiick! . . .” As Nas put it in “Project Window”: “Every night the same melody; Hell sounding so heavenly." (at New Orleans-Westbank) https://www.instagram.com/p/BndZB3Ogokf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=132wprfvonqf3

#BounceForWhat #30DaysOfBounce Day 8: “Run Dat Shit” by Ruthless Juveniles. (Read my full review of this Bounce classic at www.brokeballer.com or the Droopy the Broke Baller FB page!) “Run Dat Shit” is a 4 minute celebration of some of the most base materialism and territorialism of early 90’s New Orleans. Wards and projects are shouted out, status symbol clothing brands are name-dropped, and fundamental character traits are assigned based on which part of the city you reside in. If you were depending on this song to show you the difference between, say, an “East Bank N!gga” and a “West Bank N!gga”, your research would glean the following: 1.) East Bank N!ggas think dey all dat. West Bank N!ggas ARE all dat. 2.) East Bank N!ggas don’t deserve fellatio. West Bank N!ggas do. 3.) East Bank N!ggas spend money on women. West Bank N!ggas don’t triiiiiick. Now, as with most Bounce songs, if you’re reading these statements without the benefit of the rhythms and beats and energy, it most assuredly looks ridiculous. But if you allow yourself to get lost in the richness of the Ruthless Juveniles’ voices and the seductiveness of their sacrilegious chants, then you can run away with the magic of “Run Dat Shit". All said, this is a song that I can never play just once; I always have to “run dat shit” back at least once more. Hearing it fills me with New Orleans pride and nostalgia. Very little about the song is positive, but that doesn’t stop me from associating it with positive feelings about the power of music to embed itself in your experiences until it is itself an experience. Some Americans find beauty in “The Star Spangled Banner”, a song which I interpret to be about war. So why can’t I find beauty in a song about the War of the Wards? Is it problematic? Sure. But it’s my problem. It’s my city. It's my shit. And I’m runnin’ with it. "B!!!!!tch, stop jockin’ dat East Bank / And suck a n!gga d!ck from da West Bank / He might buy you a Polo, a Damage outfit / But a West Bank n!gga don’t triiiiiiick! . . .” As Nas put it in “Project Window”: “Every night the same melody; Hell sounding so heavenly." (at New Orleans-Westbank) https://www.instagram.com/p/BndZB3Ogokf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y2ofn4cbahoq

#BounceForWhat #30DaysOfBounce Day 7: "Going Off" by Black Menace. “We gon put one on the right / One on the left / And check it out, we gonna / GO OFF, GO OFF!” Black Menace was a New Orleans gangsta rap duo consisting of J-Dawg (formerly JMC) and The Threat. Their style was heavily influenced by the likes of NWA and you could see it in their lyrics which centered around being G’s, clockin’ G’s, and G-in’ freaks (with hints of black militancy mixed in). What Black Menace wasn’t was a Bounce group, but since Bounce was what New Orleans radio had come to be focused on in 1992, they did release this one track to get some airplay. You’ll notice that aside from the standard Bounce ingredients of sampling “Drag Rap (Triggerman)” by the Show Boys and “Ain’t You Fresh Co” by Fresh Co & Miz, the song doesn’t follow the Bounce mold of calling out dances, citing sexual conquests, or repping wards (though their EP cut “Hollygrove Dat 17th”, the first recorded appearance of their future labelmate Fiend, clearly attests to their ward pride). Rather, the Menaces retained their regular gangsta style over a Bounce beat. You’ll also notice that for the first and last verses, Threat and JMC are rapping different lyrics at the same time through opposite speakers. This nifty little studio trick was repeated on the EP version, which had entirely different lyrics. As a high school freshman, I found this compellingly inventive, but looking back now I see it as kind of a weird gimmick which just makes it harder to make out either MC’s lyrics clearly. Anyway, “Going Off” was produced by Leroy Edwards aka DJ Precise who also produced most of Black Menace’s debut EP Ghetoasnigga. Precise would go on to co-found local label Big Boy Records, which would provide a label home for not only Black Menace but also PNC (Partners-N-Crime), Sporty T, Silky Slim, G-Slimm, Ghetto Twinz, Insane, Fiend, and Mystikal. Tomorrow’s edition will feature another group which, like Black Menace, was primarily gangsta but did release one Bounce song. And what a Bounce song it was... "I'm from dat Boot and I ain't 'fraid ta shoot!" (at 17th "HOLLYGROVE") https://www.instagram.com/p/BnbSDNlghGq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1psxy3njrsydd

#BounceForWhat #30DaysOfBounce Day 6: “Bounce Baby Bounce” by Everlasting Hitman. “Everybody runnin’ ‘round town bitin’ Tucker rap..." In the wake of MC T Tucker and DJ Irv’s smash success with the definitive New Orleans Bounce debut “Where Dey At”, many a copycat was spawned, as referenced here by Everlasting Hitman (nee Floyd Blount) in his sole single “Bounce Baby Bounce”. You’ll notice in addition to the standard Triggerman sample, Hitman sampled “Rock the Bells” by LL Cool J and “Express Yourself” by NWA. You’ll also notice Hitman’s knack for raunchy storytelling in the grand tradition of West Bank rappers like Bust Down and Tim Smooth. This storytelling style would later be adopted by Bounce artists like Lil’ Slim and Pimp Daddy, helping give a bit more dimension to Bounce records since artists could now do more than just shout out wards and call out dance moves. Honestly, this was never one of my favorite Bounce cuts. Something about Hitman’s nasally voice kind of annoyed me. My high school self did find some amusement in his little “shake-it-or-wash-it-douche-it” run, but all that “c’mon, c’mon” made me feel like I was being nagged to do chores by one of Martin Lawrence’s characters like Jerome or Otis. Also, the dirty version of the song is just ridiculously unreal. This dude was talking about how his penis could make the deaf speak, the blind see, and the handicapped walk. Still, the song was an important piece of the early Bounce puzzle, so I’ll give it its due respect. Sadly, as with so many other New Orleans rappers (and New Orleanians in general), Everlasting Hitman had his life cut short far too soon. On February 3, 1996, he was shot to death in the Fischer Housing Development. He was 21 years old. Rest in peace to the Everlasting Hitman, and may he and his beloved Sweet Chung Wu enjoy everlasting bowls of yaka mein in Heaven. Not every New Orleans rapper was a Bounce artist, but the wild success and attention earned by Bounce in its early 90’s advent had even some of the more lyrical and “gangsta” styled groups ready to “go off” into another direction and try their hand at a Bounce cut. (A hint at the next song? "Precisely...") https://www.instagram.com/p/BnZsITXgCOZ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=12y32fmvbpgjp

#BounceForWhat #30DaysOfBounce Day 5: "Bounce for the Juvenile" by Juvenile. (Read my full review of this Bounce classic at www.brokeballer.com or on the Droopy the Broke Baller FB page!) Basically, as with most Bounce music, “Bounce for the Juvenile” was all about sex, drugs and partying, with a little materialism and violence sprinkled in for good measure. But something about Juvenile’s youthful, upbeat energy and comic flavor made it all seem so innocent. Interestingly enough, Juvenile was about 17 when he recorded this song, so it may be the only song he put out while he was technically still a “juvenile”. In adulthood, his voice would grow more gravelly (almost like Ja Rule’s, but again, before Ja Rule) and his expressions would become decidedly less “innocent”. (The opening lines of “On Fire” come to mind.) He would go on to sign with Cash Money Records, form the historic Hot Boy$ quartet with Turksta, Weezy and B.Gizzle, and sell, oh I don’t know, a few million copies of this little album you might have heard about called 400 Degreez. He would grace us with smash hits like “Ha”, “’Nolia Clap”, “Slow Motion” and of course the dance floor mating call to end them all, “Back That Ass Up”. But I will always have a soft spot for this fresh-faced debut which name-checked my beloved 13th Ward as well as the Rochambeau Hotel. (More on that later.) And I’ll always remember that before the Cash Money Millionaires (and later Billionaires) taught us to “stunt” and “bling” with stretch P.T. Cruisers on dubs with “frog eyes”, it all started out with this ‘Nolia Boy who let the girl know up front he ain’t have no ride. “Who need a ride home? / I gotcha ride home / The Juvenile’s gonna take ya home… / Bitch, getcha mind right! / Hoe, getcha mind right! / Bitch, getcha mind right! / Hoe, I’m WALKIN’!” - Juvenile from a Club 49 freestyle Ahh, kids say the darnedest things. (at Magnolia Projects) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnZrPK8gApo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11ix8r4ygjv14