The Thinker

One of the most amusing pop-culture conceits of recent years has been the notion that rappers are secretly intellectual. Universities now even teach classes on their lyrics.

CNN.com has an interview online today with one of these geniuses, someone named Nas. In the article, Nas is described as the "cornerstone of the new social consciousness fighting to emerge in hip-hop circa 2005."

Here is some of the insightful Q&A:

Q: Here are lyrics from 1999's "Nas is Coming": "I bit the fruit from the Serpent, apocalyptic, get bent, stay splifted." And then in your new song "Suicide Bounce" you say, "The devil's calling, but I don't answer." Where does that change come from?

NAS: Just understanding my warrior spirit. There is genius out there, when they go "Vote or Die" that's genius, but what's missing is that warrior spirit. There's is a whole different spirituality that goes with the warrior spirit that Patrice Lumumba, Malcolm X, that they died for.

Would it be rude (or perhaps politically incorrect) for me to submit that I haven't the faintest idea of what the hell he's talking about, or what he even said? But hey, who am I to argue with street genius?

And another thought from our modern-day Baudelaire:

I didn't want to bore people so a lot of the records I party to are more slammin', more knockin'. This album is not an album that knocks, it's really a storytelling knock from beginning to end. Disc one, which is one story, and the second disc completes the story both imaginative and personal.

So Nas, tell us...is it a knock or isn't it? You've confused me.

Am I the only one who is reminded Damon Wayan's hilariously over-articulate, malapropping prison character on "In Living Color?"