Puss and Cush [Track 18]



Most hip-hop “artists” today are really just craftsmen. They make, package, and sell a product that is meant to, not reflect on society and say something genuine or orginal, but capture a wide audience by bantering to popular and meaningless subject matter which entertains the gross incompetence of an under-educated populous. That’s great if you are trying to JUST sell records (otherwise known as your soul) but it takes more skill to try and create something that has both intrinsic value and a desirable aesthetic. 
“It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other.” - 2pac, “Changes”
Many can create an act for a show; or act so that people are entertained. But, very few can make people fall in love with the person you really are. Apollo is me, and E$ is the act or gimmick which I design to be hated and disliked (i.e. how I get your attention).
“I’ve created a monster, cause no one wants to see Marshal no more, they want Shady, I’m chopped liver.” - Eminem, “Without Me”
E$ is literally the accumulation of nicknames that my friends have called me over the years.

Although some are rather generic, like E$, I like the over-simplification because, at root, E$ is a parody of modern commercial hip-hop suited to the average American male (which is hip-hop's main demographic). This track is also spelled incorrectly on purpose. I am a horrible speller! I actually had this misspelled on my outline and a couple of days before I listed it I found that Kush is spelled with a K. But, I figured I would leave it because it's suiting. E$ doesn't have time to check things like spelling! Shit, you serious?

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As you can tell from the intro, like Carl Sagan, I have an endearing attitude toward marijuana! And, that's no surprise to anyone who knows me... It truly is "heaven sent medicine" (for those of you who believe in the existence of a divine creator)! "Ratchet up the treble as we play Nintendo." This entire song is a parody of what hip-hop has become. Talk about drugs, objectifying women, and the literal use of Nintendo references that everyone gets, but is still childish. It's my gimmick, my act, me faking it; my Nintendo game, a way to play with your mind so you find similarities and relate-ability in taboo activities.

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The first verse takes the object of men's desire and turns it into an animal. Instead of objectifying women (in the traditional sense), I wanted to turn their genitals into a literal object (an make it pretty offensive in terms of vulgarity) by anthropomorphizing the vagina into a beloved America pet... and then eating it.



 A Grimilkin is an old or evil cat. Which, to me, is really funny... It fits perfectly in the rhyme scheme, but throws you off because you don't know the word. The halarity comes when you find what the word means, because it is even more grossly offensive and paints a disturbing image. It gives you a joke for now, and a joke for later. ...your welcome hip-hop!



The second verse starts with "executive entity, mayor of ya city. Love flavored titties so I slay the kitty." When I wrote this, there were a lot of political scandals involiving all sorts of public figures (like Anthony Weiner). It is also saying something about women's attraction to power and prestige. The rhetoric get's rather descriptive and really hammers home the point. It usually makes people uncomfortable or more accurately, makes young men laugh profusely because they understand the song is designed to be outlandishly preposterous. (I want women to take notice how the second verse ends.)


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The third verse truly brings together the (Nintendo) game that is E$. Again, I talk about doing drugs with the chracters and then get serious about what our lack of societal concern means in society. I don't have to rap about "socio-political justice," economic equality, or philosophy. I could just as easily be a hedonistic, materialistic, childish, self-serving savant; because that's E$ beating you at your own game...


A special thanks to Kevin Detloff, Omeed Veiseh, and Dan Labar for "era-era fresh" and Adam Carter and Mike Sandaval for E$.

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