Green Tunes: Episode 1

One of my cohorts in crime over there in the links section does something called Musical Mondays and I really like the idea so I'm stealing it. Thanks Alise! I don't plan on doing anything weekly, but once in a while, I'd like to share an earworm that's been wriggling through my head and why I like it so much. On a particular side note, I am not offended by profanity, but I will take it out of the printed lyrics and try to find bleeped videos simply out of respect for some of my readers who may find it offensive.

For episode one, I present Proceed, a song by Philadelphia rap outfit The Roots, from their 1994 album Do You Want More?!!!??! The keyboard harmonies melt along a jazzy chromatic pattern in response to one of the tightest and catchiest bass riffs I've heard in any rap song. The whole sandwich is held together by none other than ?uestlove, their ubiquitous drummer. Even when I first heard this song and had no idea what they were saying, I was mesmerized by the incredible musicality of these raw, perfectly interlocking parts. This video contains the lryical censors seen below.

Chorus:

I shall, proceed
And continue, to rock the mic

Just think, what if you could just, just blink yourself away?
Just think, what if you could just, just blink yourself away?
Jeff X can rock the mic with tooth decay
I be the 5 foot 7, residing at the mecca lesson south section
Used to cut class in the infinite pursuit of ---
Back in eighty-six
Easy with the chics I was a chocolate boy
Raised in the cellar with the rhythm like Ella
Walking down the south streets to the subway where I lay
Til the train stop then a ----- hop
Used to do the pop dance to the planet rock
At the block party everybody jocked [who me?]
It's the MC sucka ------ envy
I got my contract in 1993 and
I shall proceed

Chorus

I wake up early in the morning, I mean early afternoon
Break a lyrical hymn off the stem like boom
I'm flyer when I'm higher put my ---- up on my tomb
That ----- represented on the 28th of June
I'm representing Philly on the 28th of June
I can make you feel that I'm a surreal cartoon
with my pistol in the face of hip hop, stick in your face
Because I'm on a paper chase, yes I'm on a paper chase
My Timberlands are fully laced I be the Mr. Boogeyman
With records from 125th to Japan
I laid them play like Johnny Hathaway and shake a hand, shake a hand
Your lady tried to kick it, but I couldn't play my man
My ------ is my ------ ya see she didn't understand
I shake your hand and ----'ll hit the fan, just think
Just think, what? What if you could just, just blink, what?
Just blink yourself away?

Chorus

Malik B get on the mic yo there's too much on my mind [say what?]
Malik get on the mic, there's too much on my mind
Johnny on the spot, got the rhythm and the rhyme
------- with The Roots you know them ------ is the dime
I can make a hundred yard line start to dash
I can make a whole lake of fish start to splash
I can make Conan and the Titans clash
I can Metallica and Guns 'N Roses thrash
Used to smash crash parties like I was disturbed
Used to make plots against the herringbone herb
But now, all I do disperse the verb
And like a nerd i can make you say, "He's superb"
Word is perfect, never ever shall you misinterpret
I move styles like bowels so now you know I'm worth it
Direct from Philly, the lands where ------ scheme
So you know I got the sheen in my gleam

Chorus