Arianna Georgi

In case you have not noticed, I really like lists. In fact, I tend to have about 10-20 lists going at even given time. I have a list of outfits to wear to work (in case I forget), a list of songs for fall, and a list of my favorite meals. But all of my fancy list making cannot hold a candle to the greatest List Maker ever: Christopher Bridges, AKA Ludacris.

Essentially every single Ludacris song is a list. The general structure goes like this: Ludacris makes a bold statement and then he follows up with a list to support that statement. His lists are long and mostly make sense. If I was on a high school debate team, I would choose Ludacris.

Let’s examine how this structure works in a typical Ludacris song, “Area Codes.” As mentioned above, the song starts with a central thesis: Ludacris has hoes in many area codes.

I’ve got hoes (I’ve got hoes)
In different area codes (area) area codes (codes)

Once that is established, Ludacris moves on to verify that it is true, by listing all of the area codes his hoes live in:

Whenever I call, come running
2-1-2 or 2-1-3
You know that I ball, stop frontin’

The song ends with him basically calling out a series of area codes although sadly not mine (I guess 858, lacks hoes):

9-1-6, 4-1-5, 7-0-4
Shout out to the 2-0-6
Everybody in the 8-0-8
2-1-6, 7-0-2, 4-1-4
3-1-7, 2-1-4, 2-8-1
3-3-4, 2-0-5, I see ya

Anyway, this general format is true for most Ludacris songs:
Roll Out
General Thesis: You have some nice things in your house
List Includes: A woman cooking naked in your kitchen, a bunch of cars, and some diamonds

What’s Your Fantasy
General Thesis: Ludacris will have sex with you in many different locations
List Includes: The George Dome, on stage at his concert, and in a library

Southern Hospitality
General Thesis: Ludacris likes the dirty south and things from there
List Includes: Catfish, big thighs, and Cadillacs

It’s pretty amazing how almost every single Ludacris song follows this format. Welcome to Atlanta is a list of cool things that happen in Atlanta. Move B^&*tch is a list of people really irritating Ludacris while he drives his car super fast. I could go on and on but you get the idea. Ludacris makes my grocery list for making Thanksgiving spoon bread look pretty lame. That’s okay though, I don’t mind being beaten by the best.

Tags: lists, ludacris

The other day, in the car, I heard a song that I first thought was probably an advertisement for Jose Curevo (although there was an awful lot of talking about panties going on for a commercial). Basically some rapper came on and said that he had a new song, as a lady I was likely to find it very exciting. He also said he was going to tell me about a new drink. What sort of new drink? The West Coast Margarita. The West Coast Margarita isn’t really a margarita as much as it is “a little Jose Cuervo and a little Sprite” (Yum???). Anyway I was intrigued and (as the song suggested I would be) excited, so I decided to do a little more research.

The creator of the West Coast Margarita and its delightful theme song is a rapper named Young Dumm. I was able to find out a lot more about him on his myspace page like the origin of his interesting/insulting nickname (I put his full bio below, thank me later). Anyway, according to his info “he acquired his name from a neighborhood confidant after being constantly told he was doing “too much” referring to his seemingly increasing run-ins with the law.” Also he was really dumb (it doesn’t say that but I am going to assume it). The bio goes on to say that Young Dum, or DummDumm (for short?), is a pretty badass guy. He “endured substantial obstacles throughout his young adult life before he was taken back to prison on a parole violation for 7 months for being shot 7times in early 2003.” I was unaware that you can go to prison for being shot, but I guess you can and that sucks. Can you imagine getting shot 7 times, and then getting thrown in jail for it? Our legal system is pretty messed up. YoungDumm is also from “the infamous streets ” of Compton, which “makes him a man of the streets” but he refuses to let “these life etrocities hinder him.” I find this admirable and plan to use the word “etrocities” in a Scrabble game soon.

Young Dumm must have a cousin or something at the local San Diego Hip Hop station since his profile only has about 16,000 views (mine has been viewed 32,000 because of an unfortunate “Cool New People” incident when I first set it up) and the song West Coast Margarita has only been played 502 times ( two of them were me). His Myspace encourages you to call him “Direct.” I called because I wanted him to justify his “gangsterism” even though his myspace bio said he that he would not do that (I’m a rebel). When I called some guy picked up and yelled “What up? WHAT UP? WHO THE HELL IS THIS?” I assume it was DummDumm but he honestly sounded terrifying and all that stuff about him being shot and knowing the codes and violence of the streets made me nervous so I hung up on him.

So hopefully I have done a good job of spreading the word about the West Coast Margarita and the music of Young Dumm. I personally plan on getting trashed drinking Yingling and Old Bay (Baltimore Margarita) later on tonight. If I get drunk enough I may even call Young Dumm again. I want to know more about why he chose Sprite as his mixer of choice (why not squirt?) and the streets.

The Bio of Young Dumm

In many ways the ideal West Coast rapper, Young Dumm endured substantial obstacles throughout his young adult life before he was taken back to prison on a parole violation for 7 months for being shot 7times in early 2003. One might expect an up and coming rapper to capitalize off the attempt on his life but Young Dumm wants his message to be clear “There’s no amount of money that will bring you back from death?. He continues, “I wasn’t in a coma and I didn’t walk out of the hospital. I rolled out of there in a wheelchair thanking God I was still alive”. The product of an unstable home and gang culture in Compton California makes him a man of the streets, intimately familiar with its codes and its violence. Born and raised on the infamous streets of Compton California he lived what many rappers write about but have never experienced. Young Dumm or Dumm Dumm will tell you that he acquired his name from a neighborhood confidant after being constantly told he was doing “too much” referring to his seemingly increasing run-ins with the law. While he openly admits not being proud of the choices that eventually landed him 3 years and 11 months in state correctional facilities he calls reliving these choices through rhyme music therapy. Afterall, It was in Chino state prison where he gave his first concert. “I was on central yard, east side sycamore, 3rd tier. It was Black’s late night which is on Saturday’s. I had the joint rockin”. “I figured if I could have a yard full of criminals from different hoods feeling my flow, I could duplicate that on the outs”, “I would sign me if I were 50 Cent” Little did he know, the following year on February 18, 2003 25 years after his father was shot three times in the head and survived he would suffer the same fate. “It was 1978 when my dad was robbed at gun point by a man dressed as a woman right outside his cocktail lounge. At the time, he was real known for having one of the most popular nightclubs in the Hub City section of Los Angeles”. A survivor by genetics, Young Dumm refuses to let these life etrocities hinder him and wants you to get his story straight from the horses mouth in a fourthcoming DVD, titled State Raised. “I’m an entrepreneur by definition. whether it be a full featured album or a DVD, I’m a walking opportunity. Right now i’m just trying to organize resources to help take advantage of the opportunity”. For those expecting to be pulled into a fabricated world of drug deals gone bad, fictionalized characters, and the lifestyles of Tony Montanna should be forwarned. Young Dumm wants you to party and have a good time hence his popular song, West Coast Margarita where he introduces a new drink in his smooth melodic Compton dialect over a Lil Rob beat. “I’m not here to justify my Gangsterism. I have nothing to prove. I’m not trying to get in this game and go ass out backwards by catching cases and gaining more enemies than I already have. Exploiting my story is one thing but living it is another. Being able to share my music and story with the masses is a blessing. For me there’s no coming back, life or death. shit, one more strike and i’m out all day with no get back. I guess a hard head makes a soft ass.”

Tags: Rap Music, West Coast Margaritas, Young Dumm