How did Ice Cube sell out?

[Flav]

Nicki Minaj.

The lyrics fit her 100x better than Hammer.

He never specified who it was about. The rest of the song is about types of people, not anyone specifically.

And the lyrics on that verse don't make any sense if it's about Hammer:



Hammer was Hammer from day 1. Goofy pants, dancing, pop rap. He didn't "cross over" from something else to that.

Fred.

that line always confused me cause Hammer was never "hardcore HipHop".so i wonder who was he really talkin about in that song?

 

[hex]

that line always confused me cause Hammer was never "hardcore HipHop".so i wonder who was he really talkin about in that song?

He never said. IMO no one in particular. This wasn't a "These Are Our Heroes" type song where he's calling out specific individuals. He was giving examples of selling out and/or changing who you are. Each verse is about that, so I dunno why people think Cube would target Hammer, who was never hardcore in the first place.

Fred.

 

[No_bammer_weed]

Breh....watch the video. It showed a rapper turning from a hardcore rapper into a Hammer-looking pop rapper.

Hammer never "flipped" mainstream. He had the exact same style for his whole run.

You're acting like Hammer was EPMD or something then turned into "2 Legit 2 Quit". The lyrics make no fukking sense if you apply them to Hammer's career. He never "crossed over"....crossed over from what exactly?

Fred.

I guess In Living Color wasnt talkin' about Hammer too, right?

 

[hex]

I guess In Living Color wasnt talkin' about Hammer too, right?

Too Sold Out To Quit - YouTube

Breh, like I said explain how Cube's lyrics apply to Hammer. You can't, because they don't.

Fred.

 

[JohnStarksMiddleFinger]

Those Coors light commercials are kinda corny tho

 

[No_bammer_weed]

Breh, like I said explain how Cube's lyrics apply to Hammer. You can't, because they don't.

Fred.

Okay....I'll take your ridiculous notion at face value then, and apply basic logic here. He wasnt talking about Hammer. He was talking about people who "imitate" Hammer, right? He didnt consider Hammer a sell out, correct?

Well, if rappers who "imitate" Hammer are sell outs, then what does that make the person whom they are imitating? He didnt call out "biters", he called out a sell out --- and he made sure it was an individual, not a collection of artists. And btw, who exactly is this mystery artist whom Cube is referencing that started dressing exactly like Hammer?

So going by the premise of the song and video, and believing what you and Cube claim to be the true intention of the song and vid--- selling out is, in essence, being like MC Hammer. LOL, You're making a logically bankrupt argument here, fam.

 

[hex]

Okay....I'll take your ridiculous notion at face value then, and apply basic logic here. He wasnt talking about Hammer. He was talking about people who "imitate" Hammer, right? He didnt consider Hammer a sell out, correct?

Well, if rappers who "imitate" Hammer are sell outs, then what does that make the person whom they are imitating? He didnt call out "biters", he called out a sell out --- and he made sure it was an individual, not a collection of artists. And btw, who exactly is Cube referring to that started dressing exactly like Hammer?

Imitate has nothing to do with anything. You could be a new artist and imitate Hammer. He's specifically talking about people that were hard core, then changed up. If you can find me an example of Hammer starting off his career as some kinda hard core gangster and/or "real hip-hop" style rapper, then go for it.

What's funny is people are so focused on him "mocking Hammer" but nobody says shyt about the guy dressed in typical "hard core rapper" clothes striking random poses before that. Was Cube making fun of himself? Who was that supposed to be?

No one. It was showing one extreme to the other.

Who was any specific person he was talking about? Who was the first verse about? Who specifically "moved out of their neighborhood" and "put a white bytch on their elbow"? Who is the black man trying to be a yuppie in the 3rd verse? Why is it ok for those verses to be about no one, but the 2nd verse is 100% definitely guaranteed about Hammer?

Fred.

 

[Flav]

the video does make it look like its about Hammer though but the "Hardcore HipHop" line does not lead to Hammer at all.Cube might have seen or heard Hammers demo tape before he blew up and was on some hardcore street HipHop shyt then a few years later came out and got famous on some dance shyt.

 

[hex]

the video does make it look like its about Hammer though but the "Hardcore HipHop" line does not lead to Hammer at all.

I agree. But like I said Cube went out of his way to clear that up like 20 years ago so it's as hell for this to still be a point of contention in 2013. If this was the week the video dropped I could understand.

Fred.

 

[No_bammer_weed]

Imitate has nothing to do with anything. You could be a new artist and imitate Hammer. He's specifically talking about people that were hard core, then changed up. If you can find me an example of Hammer starting off his career as some kinda hard core gangster and/or "real hip-hop" style rapper, then go for it.

What's funny is people are so focused on him "mocking Hammer" but nobody says shyt about the guy dressed in typical "hard core rapper" clothes striking random poses before that. Was Cube making fun of himself? Who was that supposed to be?

No one. It was showing one extreme to the other.

Who was any specific person he was talking about? Who was the first verse about? Who specifically "moved out of their neighborhood" and "put a white bytch on their elbow"? Who is the black man trying to be a yuppie in the 3rd verse? Why is it ok for those verses to be about no one, but the 2nd verse is 100% definitely guaranteed about Hammer?

Fred.

This is an empty calorie response here --- now you're just flailing wildly now, and trying to distract from the original point. Hammer always had a dance-friendly oriented sound, but its his style of dress (which conveniently Cube directly references in the video) which switched from a typically black, hip hop style at the time:



To this:

...which is what Cube is talking about when he says "boy you done flip flopped". Yes, hardcore hip hop doesnt describe Hammer's former style to a tee when it comes to content, but aesthetically speaking Hammer switched his style up dramatically for a more mainstream appealing look. If Cube wasnt trying to talk about Hammer, then why in the fck would he have someone dressed exactly like him? Again, that would mean that Hammer's style is an illustration of a sell out, if you and Cube's explanation are to be believed.

 

[Robbie3000]

I'm just thankful Cube refrained from insulting Hammer's mother.

Or Hammer would have sent the goons like he did Redman and 3rd Bass.

 

[No_bammer_weed]

I'm just thankful Cube refrained from insulting Hammer's mother.

Or Hammer would have sent the goons like he did Redman and 3rd Bass.

Whos to say that Hammer didnt do the same to Cube, which made him pop sht and then apologize, and make the ridiculous claim that "true to the game" wasnt about him. It would make a lot of sense.

 

[Robbie3000]

Whos to say that Hammer didnt do the same to Cube, which made him pop sht and then apologize, and make the ridiculous claim that "true to the game" wasnt about him. It would make a lot of sense.

Would not be surprised in all seriousness. Hammer was seeing nikkas all the time.

 

[No_bammer_weed]

the video does make it look like its about Hammer though but the "Hardcore HipHop" line does not lead to Hammer at all.Cube might have seen or heard Hammers demo tape before he blew up and was on some hardcore street HipHop shyt then a few years later came out and got famous on some dance shyt.

Cube was talking about Hammer's style of dress, which was considered more in line with hardcore hip hop, than the "hammer pants" clown suits that he blew up with, and mainstreamed.

 

[CrossBones]

who knows if cube originally wrote the song about hammer, but when the video was made, the shots at hammer were clearly fired.