Hip-hop is in a bit of a shaky place these days, since the music that gets the most buzz is less thought-provoking and more…well, twerk-provoking. Where can the hip-hop fans of Homewood find inspiration within all these allusions to MDMA and beats that Mike Will made?
The answer to our problems lies within the lyrics of the golden era of hip-hop: the 90s. Almost every hit from back then can provide a solution to an aspect of the Hopkins student’s struggle. Don’t believe me? Here are 10 hits from the 90s that have inspirational messages just for us at Homewood:
1. “Juicy,” The Notorious B.I.G.
This is the anthem for anyone hustling to achieve his or her dreams. Maybe you didn’t have the same rough upbringing as Christopher Wallace, but you, too, are working hard now in the hopes of living easy later on. Whether you’re posted on the corner or taking over a corner table on A Level, “Juicy” serves as a reminder that reaching for the stars is always worthwhile.
2. "Push It,” Salt-n-Pepa
We’ve all been there: in the last stretch of a study session, on the last question of a problem set, or on the last paragraph of a ten page essay, when we were just ready to give up. All we needed was that one extra burst of energy, that one little push to get to the finish line – the same way Salt-n-Pepa’s 1986 album Hot, Cool, & Vicious needed a little extra something to get it to platinum-selling status. With the addition of “Push It” to the 1987 re-release, the hip-hop duo was able to achieve just that. Sometimes all it takes to get past the finish line is for you to push it.
3. “Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix-a-Lot
There comes a point in almost every Hopkins student’s career when we succumb to HIV – Hopkins Impaired Vision, that is. That same girl or guy that you would never have given the time of day suddenly goes from being a four on the Dime Piece Scale to being in a Facebook-official relationship with you, just because romantic prospects around here can be so slim. If Sir Mix-a-Lot’s hit taught us anything, however, it’s that we should stick to our standards: if you like big butts and you cannot lie, by all means, don’t let Hopkins keep you from your goal.
4. "Jump,” Kriss Kross
When you’re so focused on schoolwork, it’s pretty easy to forget about your health. If you had the Jump Rope For Heart program in elementary school, you already know that jump roping is an easy way to get in a little exercise. What you may not know is that an even easier way is to have a personal 90s dance party while listening to “Jump.” Because neglecting your cardiovascular health is wiggedy, wiggedy, wiggedy wack.
5. “C.R.E.A.M.,” Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan’s famed motto, “Cash rules everything around me,” seems as though it wouldn’t necessarily be applicable to the life of a Hopkins student, seeing that we’re expected to be less focused on money and more so on philanthropy. “Curves rule everything around me,” on the other hand, would probably make a more accurate motto, since our professors’ generosity when curving grades is way more valuable than green paper with pictures of dead presidents.
6. “Gin and Juice,” Snoop Doggy Dogg/Snoop Dogg/Snoop Lion
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and there are quite a couple of dull individuals walking around the Homewood campus. “Gin and Juice” serves as a reminder that sometimes we just need to lay back and take a break from all of our schoolwork. Just don’t take Snoop’s advice word for word. Unless you live in Colorado or Washington.
7. “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!,” Master P
Though many fans thought that making people say “Uhh!” referred to Master P’s ability to get his audience to feel his lyrics, it turns out that the No Limit rapper was talking about killing his haters. Yikes. Even still, there’s a great message behind this song: always make a strong impression. Hopkins is laden with competition, so it may be difficult to impress around here. Don’t let that deter you from finding a way for your individuality to shine through and knock ‘em dead. Not literally, though.
8. “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” DMX
This iconic song took “Stop, Drop, and Roll” to a whole new level with its infamous refrain: “Stop, drop, shut ‘em down, open up shop/ Oh no, that’s how Ruff Ryders roll!” In doing so, it reminds us that knowledge is often applicable across subjects. Leave it to a genius like DMX to draw the parallel between fire safety and opening up shops as a Ruff Ryder (whatever that means). Be like Dark Man X in your studies, keeping an open mind to see the connections between the most seemingly unrelated things, and your Hopkins experience will be all the more enlightening.
9. “Ice Ice Baby,” Vanilla Ice
Nearly every syllabus has a section that describes our university’s plagiarism policy. In summary, taking credit for other people’s work is bad. However, Vanilla Ice’s hit “Ice Ice Baby” proves that getting away with it definitely has benefits: the song took the bassline from Queen’s “Under Pressure,” lyrics that were supposedly written by an affiliate of Death Row Records, and the persona established by MC Hammer - still, Vanilla Ice is credited with creating the first hip-hop single to reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Then again, he did get roughed up by Suge Knight a couple of times, so maybe Hopkins is onto something with this whole “plagiarism policy” thing.
10. Every song Missy Elliott touched.
Missy Elliott is one of the most underrated hip-hop artists of all time. She was one of about five female rappers who gained major fame during the 90s, and she produced and/or was featured on songs by everyone from Nas to Raven-Symoné. Above all, she was always herself; at a time when female emcees were hyper-sexualized, Missy donned baggy tracksuits and wasn’t afraid to get a little weird, occasionally rhyming in gibberish and incorporating unusual imagery into her videos. She’s the perfect icon for Hopkins students. So what if you’d rather study than party? So what if you’d rather get an M.F.A. instead of an M.D.? Stay true to yourself, and even if you don’t always get the recognition you deserve, you will still accomplish greatness.
