The Rappin' Duke...

Lyrics, lyrics, lyrics
written by Doesn't Matt R

Here at PTM, we love to preach the importance of lyrics. Smart rhymes can make or break a track, an album, and an MC. But as a fan, do we always know what it is we are bouncing our heads along to? Raekwon and Ghostface seem to speak to each other in a language only twins understand. The mainstream had a field day when they found out what “Skeet, skeet, skeet” meant. And everybody’s favorite hip-hop scapegoat added a new term to America’s catchphrase dictionary with the concept of trying to “Superman” a lady.

Jigga asked, “Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?” Now I’m not claiming to be the fastest car on the track. I usually get the more obvious punch lines before the song ends. But today I just found out something that blew my mind. I heard “Juicy” by Biggie in 1994. I know all the words. I’ve sung along with it in the Club, in the shower, and on the subway. And yet, it is only today, fourteen years later, that I finally understand the line “Remember Rappin’ Duke, duh-ha, duh-ha.” Maybe I’m slow. Maybe I’m the only one left on the planet who didn’t know that this came from an old school novelty song where a John Wayne impersonator is rapping. Maybe it’s all a joke being played on me by the World Wide Web of lies? I don’t know anymore. But I heard this track today and it blew my mind. Listen:



Here are some of the things I thought this line could have meant previously.

First- That Rappin’ Duke was actually the name of an old school hip-hop artist. He was probably down with the Funky Four +1 or Newcleus.

Second- Biggie was asking someone (a family member, like pop-duke or mom dukes) if they remembered him rapping in the kitchen as a kid. They never believed that he would take it this far. HA HA.

So the mystery has been solved. And this piece of ridiculousness is indelible in the history of hip-hop through one classic line. If I was that wrong about what this meant, what am I getting wrong when I listen to a Cam’ron track? “I know it’s white but here comes the hot sauce.” Okay, I think I get that one.

And finally let’s all be thankful that Biggie knew what he was doing and didn’t spit “Aretha Franklyn, Aretha Franklyn, Aretha Franklyn, let me rock ya, let me rock ya, Aretha Franklyn.”