Okay, scratch the previous playlist for now. We have breaking news! Tomorrow the famed Covid Lockdown 18 (those of us confined to our cells for over 100 days amidst transfer to new prison – see previous posts), we finally get to go outdoors! To the prison rec yard! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Guys are so hyped, it’s like Oprah’s giving out cars or something!
So, in preparation for my first walk/run on the track since before Thanksgiving, I’m shifting to EPP (Emergency Playlist Preparation), all tunes with an upbeat jogging tempo. This list is (mostly) ‘90s rap, a little something to get the old legs moving again. I’m so excited!
1. Hit ‘em Up (2Pac). Basically Tupac and the West Coast crew calling out Biggie, Puffy, and the East Coast rappers. All fun and games until both Tupac and Biggie ended up dead.
2. Hypnotize (Notorious B.I.G.). “Poppin’ them smooth since the days of Underoos.” That line always makes me laugh. (If you’re too young to know what “underoos” are, check out the interwebs.)
3. I Left My Wallet in El Segundo (A Tribe Called Quest). I like this one because it’s a story, not the era’s usual braggadocio, killing, etc. An adventure tale where things don’t go quite as hoped.
4. Juice (Notorious B.I.G.). An urban memoir: “I made the change from a common thief/to up close and personal with Robin Leach.” Before MTV Cribs, remember Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? That’s when you knew you’d made it.
5. Unbelievable (Notorious B.I.G.). “I got 357 ways to simmer, saute, I’m the winner all day.” Biggie knew how to “serve up” other rappers; makes me smile every time I hear him go off like that.
6. 0 to 100 (Drake). Most current song that I own, and it’s not that new.
7. Warning (Notorious B.I.G.). Great beat for keeping up my running pace, plus a lot of clever slanted rhymes in here for a guy who claimed to not be that bright.
8. Lose Yourself (Eminem). When I’m getting tired, this one will help me catch that second wind.
9. Welcome 2 Detroit (Trick Trick). Detroit’s call out that the West and East Coast rappers better not overlook them anymore.
10. Run this Town (JayZ/Rihanna/Kanye). Rihanna’s contribution is great: “I’m just trying to change the color on your mood ring.” Remember mood rings? Hilarious!
11. 2 of Amerikas Most Wanted (2Pac & Snoop). “Nothin’ but a Gangsta Party.” This one in honor of all the wannabe gangstas in prison.
12. Hostile Gospel (Talib Kweli). “The truth is hard to swallow/and it will leave you scarred tomorrow.” Ain’t that the truth. Kweli is a smart guy, a great lyricist. So many clever, thought-provoking lines in this one.
13. Eat to Live (Talib Kweli). Story about a family struggling to survive. Vivid picture of the lives of the impoverished. “Grandma say Jesus will be here any day/good ‘cause with nothin’ to eat/it’s gettin’ hard to pray.”
14. Wu Banga 101 (Ghostface Killah, GZA, Cappadonna).
15. Legend of the Liquid Sword (GZA). He’s from the Wu Tang Clan. Great voice, great beat.
16. It’s Not a Game (Raekwon & GZA). “If you don’t stand for this life, you fall for anything/we plan our dreams/it ain’t a game/we don’t run game, we run businesses/watch us shine/watch the world be our witnesses.”
17. We Will Rob You (Raekwon/Slick Rick/GZA/Masta Killa). Another story song. Maybe it's because I'm just a middle-aged White guy, but tales like this are more engaging to me than staccato yelling about how great you are.
Woohoo! Alright! So, the 18 of us looked like extras from The Walking Dead. After 100 days in lockdown, we stumbled outside, pale, cringing at the sunlight, but – we made it! Let me tell you, never has an oppressive, barbed-wired, walled-in, guard towered, spotlighted blight of a so-called Rec Yard looked so beautiful! Yes, the Morman’s say it’s in Missouri or someplace, but I may have just found Eden!
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