Yeah, what's up, what's goin on? Before we start this next record
I gotta put my shades on
So I can feel cool
Remember that law
When you have to put your shades on to feel cool?
Well it's still a law, you gotta put your shades on so you can feel cool You know what I'm sayin?
I'mma put my shades on so I can see what you ain't doin'
And you ain't doin' nothin, you ain't doin' nothin
That I don't see
Now let's get on with this shit anyway

Che c’è, che succede?
prima di iniziare il prossimo disco
devo infilarmi gli occhiali da sole
per sentirmi fico
Ti ricordi questa legge
quando dovevi metterti gli occhiali da sole per sentirti fico?
Be’ è ancora una legge
Mettiti gli occhiali da sole
Così potrai sentirti fico
Sai cosa voglio dire
mi metto gli occhiali da sole
così non vedo niente
di quello che tu non stai facendo
E tu non stai facendo niente
Tu non stai facendo niente
che io non vedo
Be’ andiamo comunque avanti con questa merda

"Signifying Rapper” - dall’album “Smoke Some Kill” di SchoollyD

Il titolo di questo progetto si lega alla traccia Signifying Rapper di SchoollyD (1988), che rielabora la storia di The Signifying Monkey e la figura imbrogliona della mitologia Yoruba, Eshu.
Signifying è un double-talk, una presa in giro, una pratica della cultura afro-americana che coinvolge una strategia verbale che sfrutta il divario tra il significato denotativo e figurativo delle parole, in particolare si utilizza l'ironia e l’ambiguità per esprimere idee e opinioni.

Ho deciso di restituire la performance in questo spazio attraverso un testo e costruendo un breve video mash-up, utilizzando degli elementi del lavoro che ricerca un senso di immediatezza attraverso la danza ma anche le parole dei rappers. Queste, proiettate su un muro, assumono una valenza dinamica diventando partitura coreografica, frammentando e addensando la qualità del movimento, aprendo crepe tra quello che ascoltiamo e quello che ci aspetteremmo di vedere.

Per il video ho utilizzato un estratto audio originale della performance, creato del compositore Francesco Casciaro che ha sviluppato l’intero progetto sonoro destrutturando una serie di liriche della storia del rap, rinviando alla manipolazione del linguaggio peculiare di questo fenomeno culturale e stratificando ritmicamente una molteplicità di referenze che si accavallano l'una sull’altra generando qualcos’altro.

Il testo, invece, è costituito dalla riscrittura di tutte le rime utilizzate per la struttura audio, dove scorrono veloci, frammentandosi e trasformando continuamente il significato.

La comprensione non è richiesta a chi guarda. Allo spettatore si richiede solo di stare nel flusso del presente, di allontanarsi dalla quadratura del beat e attaccare lo sguardo all’inafferabilità del movimento.

“Rap’s here-and-now is always here-and-now: a music without a future tense can’t but be immortal.”
"Il rap è qui-e-ora è sempre qui-e-ora: una musica senza un futuro non può che essere immortale.” David Foster Wallace
 
 

 
 
Take the tape out NOW!
This is not a Pop album
And by the way; Suck my motherfucking Dick!!

May I have your attention please?
Hi! My name is ...
now what you hear is not a test
i'm rappin to the beat
and me, the groove, and my friends are gonna try to move your feet
I'm alone but my tone is a sharp tune
Developing pictures in your brain like a darkroom

Listen to me now
I'm lastin' twenty rounds
And if you want me
(people)
Then come and get me now
(bounce)
Is you with me now
(bounce)
The biggie biggie bounce
(bounce)
I know you dig the way
I sw... sw... switched ma style

Now it's time for me to make my impression felt
So sit back, relax, and strap on your seatbelt
You never been on a ride like this befo'
It's like this and like that and like this and uh
It's like that and like this and like that and uh It's like this,
and we ain't got no love for those So jus' chill, 'til the next episode
Now let's get it all in perspective
For all y'all enjoyment, a song y'all can step with
I come correct, perfect, in full effect Disconnect, dissect, eject as I wreck shop
Stand in command with the clan
Caravan or van, we go man for man and Without further ado or any dela
What more can I say?

Top billin
That's what we get, got it good
And since you understood, would you Do a dance, dance the Two
If, you can dance it's easy to do
This dance is on and on and on
Dance until your breath is gone!!

Go, go, go, go, go, go
One and then the two Two and then the three Three and then the four Then you gotta BREATHE
One and then the two Two and then the three Three and then the four Then you gotta BREATHE

Follow me into a solo
Get in the flow and you can picture like a photo
Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under

What the hell are you waiting forrrr?
After me, there shall be no more

I'm gonna knock you out
Mama said knock you out
Don't u call this a regular jam
I'm gonna rock this land
I'm gonna take this itty bitty world by storm
And I'm just gettin warm
Just like Muhummad Ali they called him Cassius
Watch me bash this beat like a skull

I came to get down
I came to get down
So get out your seats and jump around
Jump around
Jump around
Jump around
Jump up Jump up and get down!
Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump Jump

it's bigger than hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip
It's bigger than hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop

When I move, you move (just like that?)
When I move, you move (just like that?)
When I move, you move (just like that?)

Hell yeah, hey DJ bring that back

(When I move, you move) just like that?
(When I move, you move) just like that?
(When I move, you move) just like that?
(Hell yeah, hey DJ bring that back)
Stand Up!

Let's get it on!!
We don't give a what what!! We don't give a what what!! Get it on the floor
Get it get it on the floor
(WHAT?!)
Get it on the floor
Get it get it on the floor
(WHAT?!)
You don't wanna party then your ass gotta go (WHAT?!) You don't wanna party then your ass gotta go (C'MON!) Now you can ride to this motherfucker (uh)
Bounce to this motherfucker (uh)
Freak to this motherfucker
(let's get it on)
Get it on the floor
(WHAT?!)
Get it get it on the floor
(WHAT?!)

Get it on the floor
(WHAT?!)
Get it get it on the floor
(that's right)
There's gon' be some stuff you gon' see
that's gon' make it hard to smile in the future.
But through whatever you see,
through all the rain and the pain,
you gotta keep your sense of humor.
You gotta be able to smile through all this bullshit. Remember that. Mmm, yeah.

Keep ya head up. Yeah.
 
 

ICE-T Warning (1993)
EMINEM The Real Slim Shady (2000) My name Is (1999)
SUGARHILL GANG Rappers’ Delight (1979)
KOOL G RAP Man at Work (1989)
MISSY ELLIOT Get your Freak On (2001)
DR DRE feat SNOOP DOOGY DOGG Nuthin' but a G Thang (1992)
NAS Made you Look (2002)
BIG DADDY KANE Set It Off (1988)
AUDIO TWO Top Billin’ (1988)
50 CENTS In Da Club (2003)
FABOULOUS Breathe (2004)
ERIC B. & RAKIM Follow the Leader (1988)
GRANDMASTER FLASH The Message (1982)
JAY-Z Encore (2003)
LL COOL J Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
HOUSE OF PAIN Jump Around (1992)
DEAD PREZ Hip Hop (2000)
LUDACRIS Stand Up (2003)
DMX Get it on the floor (2003)
TUPAC SHAKUR Smile (1997)