Y’know… day to day, I check out hip-hop sites like RapRadar and the message board over at SOHH, and one thing that remains consistent is the amount of criticism a lot of today’s rappers catch. Some of it has to do with the actual music, but most of it has to do with things relating to their personal lives. With the internet bein’ what it is, artists’ lives outside of the studio get put on blast REGULARLY nowadays. It’s interesting though, that some feel like it’s because these artists are just a bunch of sucka-ass niggas, and there was never this much sucka-assness back in the good ol’ days.
Annnd I’ma have to disagree on that. Sad truth is, some of our old favorites have likely been robbed, socked in the face, or otherwise humiliated too. For all we know, Ice Cube coulda been the Yung Berg of his time. It just so happens that we’ll never know, because there was no internet to catch their every move. Sure, there were mags and shit like that, but even the stuff that got reported (like Q-Tip gettin’ zooma-zoomed in the eye by Wreckx-n-Effect) wasn’t all out there for everyone to see. Just like many rappers of today have been exposed, I’d bet there’s just as many from back then who’ve greatly benefited from not gettin’ their lives thrown on blogs and YouTube.
I say all that to say this… as an enthusiast of comedy, and especially parodies, one of my tops would have to be CB4. Chris Rock wrote (along with Nelson George) and starred in this movie, about three suburbanites who used a real criminal’s name and background to create a gimmick for their rap group, then had to pay the price. It was strictly for comedic purposes, but lo and behold, this type of shit is actually happenin’ in 2010.
CB4 starred Rock in the role of Albert Brown a.k.a. MC Gusto, Allen Payne as the conscious-dude-portraying-a-gangsta Dead Mike, and Deezer D as the virgin-turned-groupie-lovin’-DJ Stabmaster Arson. The group was mostly a spoof of N.W.A., from their jheri curls and jail suits to the obvious “Straight Outta Compton” takeoff, “Straight Outta LoCash”. Another notable similarity is their beef with a politician (played by Phil Hartman) over the content of their music, similar to the controversies of N.W.A., Public Enemy, and the 2 Live Crew in the early-’90s. Add Charlie Murphy as the real “Gusto”, and it was enough to have my 13-year-old self rollin’ in the theatre.
As in the case of most Chris Rock stuff, it does have a few not-as-funny-as-he-thought-it-was moments, but the funny shit is classic. The Hammer-ish rapper “Wacky D”, the Dead Mike solo video “I’m Black Y’all”, and even a point where Chris mocks his role as Pookie in New Jack City still get laughs on the rare occasion I throw the DVD on. Most of the movie still works, even with some of the stuff that’s probably only funny to those old enough to get every joke. I can’t imagine a 13-year-old 16-year-old 20-year-old in 2010 knows what a 976 number is, but maybe I’m wrong.
As many laughs as the movie is good for, there’s some real shit bein’ said in some of the dialogue. I don’t even know if they meant for it to be all that deep, but I think Nelson George’s involvement with the writing did mean to make a few points. The scene where Albert/Gusto’s father tells him that real people from the streets would kick his ass for imitating their lives particularly stands out- as even unknown rappers get slapped the shit out of just for bein’ in the wrong place (LMAO).
Arguably, Rusty Cundieff made a better hip-hop parody a year later with Fear of a Black Hat, which I’m almost positive you can find on YouTube. But CB4 has been the more popular of the two, often used in reference to fake-ass tough rappers. Whether Chris n’nem knew it or not, it was both funny for its time and foreshadowing of things that’d happen in real life years later. Almost 18 years after the fact, CB4 is still a solid hour-and-a-half of satire, music, and comical quotables.
CB4 “Straight Outta LoCash” (1993)
-D!
Yo…D! I LOVED that movie when it came out. And it’s crazy how life has definitely imitated art almost 20 years later. One of my favorite parts was the part where Allen Payne was working for the sex line and says, “yeah you got big balls…big black gorilla boalls” and hangs up the phone. And Charlie Murphy was BRILLIANT as the real Gusto. He just has that, “I’ve been locked up for 10 years” thing about him. great post.
Nah, how bout when they were in the Big Ass Biscuits restaurant and the dude recognized his voice from the hotline- “your voice… it sounds kinda… familiar. Yeaaah…” HAHAHAHAHA
Charlie Murphy as Gusto was killin’… him AND the dude with the lil’ voice thing, repeatin’ everything Charlie said. It’s crazy that Charlie never really got his props until years later w/ the Chappelle shit.
But yeah man, CB4 turned out to be some real shit- “gangsta rap” was just gettin’ warmed up back then, and look how wild that shit went since then. Someone should do a new CB4-ish satire movie… instant classic.
-D!
loved this movie. the shiny suit dude on tv was funny. isn’t that pootie tang?
charlie murphy is hilarious too. movies need more charlie murphy.
allen payne kills me in this. i loved that blackety black song, especially the part when he says he is black. LOL this movie and jason’s lyric were the highlights of his career. i refuse to acknowledge that foolishness on tbs.
it’s crazy how relevant this movie is now in regards to the music industry. 50 cent took his name from a gangsta too…smh
Charlie shoulda at least had his ‘funny dude of the moment’ status at one point loooong ago… that muhfukka cracks me up.
Y’know what? I thought it was Pootie too, but that’s Lance Crouther. Wacky D was Stoney Jackson, who you prob. remember from the lame last couple yrs. of 227 when they started funneling in new cast members to make up for Jackee leaving, lol.
-D!
[...] Straight Outta LoCash by Danj! [...]
Damn that dude got smacked hard as shit. And it was funny.
Until his friend (I suppose) told him to go ahead and leave, and he was sauntering off to his car like a lost puppy. I felt bad for him! LOL
Anywho, never seen or heard of the movie though.
Oh worrrrrd?
You’ll laugh your ass off… def. get hands on this DVD, catch it on YouTube or somethin’… I recommend it.
-D!
one of the more memorable parts of this movie for me is when both gusto and dead mike take down the groupie…allen payne *thumbs up*