PUMP THE LYRICAL, VOL. 6

Pop Cesspool redefines the classics. Sixth in a series.

Artist: LL Cool J
Year: 1991
Song: "Mama Said Knock You Out"
Topic: Defeating foes
Lyric: "Old English filled my mind/And I came up with a funky rhyme"

Assessment: In 1991, hip-hop was still battling for social legitimacy; large segments of the public had accepted rap music as an authentic and valuable piece of Americana, but in many cases, the genre was not fully understood as a cultural movement. High-school English teachers were often caught in the crossfire, and the more open-minded education professionals would attempt to integrate hip-hop into their lesson plans. LL's shout-out to Old English -- the language of the classic Beowulf -- was a glorious sign that he had accepted the synergy.

And when it came to the plot details for the meta-narrative of "Mama Said Knock You Out," it appears that LL preferred not to upstage the Old English masters. In his song, Mama simply orders the knockouts; in Beowulf, the mother of the monster Grendel actually delivers the vengeance herself. From Fordham University's Medieval Sourcebook:

And his mother now,
gloomy and grim, would go that quest
of sorrow, the death of her son to avenge.
To Heorot came she, where helmeted Danes
slept in the hall. Too soon came back
old ills of the earls, when in she burst,
the mother of Grendel.

Previously:
Vol. 5, 50 Cent's "21 Questions"
Vol. 4, Ultramagnetic MCs' "Travelling At The Speed Of Thought"
Vol. 3, Jay-Z's "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
Vol. 2, Deltron 3030's "Virus"
Vol. 1, A Tribe Called Quest's "Phony Rappers"

 

Comments

[Jorge]

I think this is the best one so far. Why? Perhaps because I know the song, have the maxi-CD single, etc. This is the most mainstream of all of these. After this one I really think Run-DMC's "Hard Times" has potential.

[Pop Cesspool]

Hmm ... I'd say it goes toe-to-toe with the Jay-Z and 50 Cent tracks for mainstream-ness.

[Tony D]

I hate old poems. I guess they were good for when they were written. But I hate how they just end lines when they want. And that one didn't even rhyme. What's up with that?