(By the way, are white girls allowed to say “dope”?)
Rap’s love affair with video games is nothing new. Rappers have been dropping video game references since back in the day, which for me began in the late ’80s and lasted through 1999, the year I graduated high school. During that time I was raised on a steady diet of Sega and Nintendo, and when my parents weren’t paying attention (which was often) I listened to a whole hell of a lot of explicit rap and hip hop. (I think I turned out OK.)
Back then it wasn’t nearly as cool to be a “gamer” as it is today–especially if you were a girl. It was amazing how quickly the popular kids would scatter when you said things like “I’m really into RPGs.” That’s why I always found it interesting (or perhaps it secretly made me feel a little cooler) whenever I heard video game references pop up in my favorite rap and hip hop songs.
That was the era of Nintendo vs. Sega–much like the East Coast/West Coast feud –where kids had to choose their alliances carefully. It’s no surprise, then, that Nintendo and Sega made frequent appearances in rap lyrics. Without them, rappers wouldn’t have anything cool to rhyme with “innuendo” and “Schwarzenegger.”
Here are fifteen of my favorite Nintendo and Sega lyrics from rap & hip hop songs back in the day:
Warning – Most of these audio/MP3 clips are NSFW!
House of Pain “Jump Around”
Year: 1992
Album: House of Pain
This song, particularly this version of this song, never fails to get me up off my ass to dance like a total idiot while rapping along. And I nerdcrush a little every time Everlast drops the Sega reference.
House-of-Pain_Jump-Around_SEGA
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
I’m the cream of the crop, I rise to the top
I never eat a pig ’cause a pig is a cop
Or better yet a Terminator, like Arnold Schwarzenegger
Try’n to play me out like as if my name was Sega
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo “Bad to the Bone”
Year: 1990
Album: Wanted: Dead or Alive
Man Schwarzenegger was a popular rap lyric. That, or House of Pain totally ripped off this rhyme.
Kool-G-Rap-DJ-Polo_Bad-to-the-Bone_SEGA
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
I run the game like Sega
Go to war like Noreaga, hit like Schwarzenegger
Excitin’ when I’m fightin I’m frightenin’
Stick chicks slick in quick like greased lightning
K7 “Come Baby Come”
Year: 1993
Album: Swing Batta Swing
This is one dirty, dirty song. And you know something? It’s fucking great. I don’t know whatever happened to K7, but before he faded into obscurity he at least gave the world one hell of a sex anthem–and a new pickup line for gamers everywhere.
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
Come and get some of this
Don’t forget the innuendo
Play me like Nintendo
Never ever let go
Notorious B.I.G. feat. 2Pac “Juicy”
Year: 1994
Album: Ready to Die
Biggie had so much money he owned both systems AND played them on a 50″ screen. Probably pretty impressive for back then. Too bad he didn’t live long enough to see the next gen.
Notorious-BIG_Juicy_SEGA-NINTENDO
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis
When I was dead broke, man I couldn’t picture this
50 inch screen, money green leather sofa
Got two rides, a limousine with a chauffeur
2Pac “Fake Ass Bitches”
Year: 1997
Album: R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
Finding this picture of Tupac playing Sonic the Hedgehog was worth the effort of this blog post alone.
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
Fly how I fade her
Played her like a game of Sega
Fuckin’ with the player that done made her
Ras Kass & Coolio “Drama”
Year: 1996
Album: Soul on Ice
This song is already awesome, but it’s made even more so because Ras Kass admits to liking Sega CD. I keep telling people there was once a time when Sega CD was awesome, but nobody believes me.
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
On a three story house, drive a four door Ac
Favorite song of all time Mobb Deep’s “Hit it from the Back”
Then jet, I turn a bitch into my favorite
She know my name cause I got more game than Sega CD
Das EFX “Somebody Told Me”
Year: 1998
Album: Generation EFX
From the group who gave us the sage advice “Chiggedy-check yo self before you wriggedy-wreck yo self.”
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
In the crib I bought the leather, plus a movie screen
So my team can play Sega
Dr. Dre “Shittin on the World”
Year: 1996
Album: Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
Dr. Dre is totally an old school gamer. He doesn’t need no muthaphukkin 32-bits.
Dr-Dre_Shittin-On-The-World_SEGA
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
Eat me, freak me, take your hand and leave me
All I wanna say is I don’t really give a fuck
‘Cause most he be mega
Copped the PlayStation but still play the Sega
Jermaine Dupri “Get Your Shit Right”
Year: 1998
Album: Life in 1472
Or, the demise of Sega as told by rappers.
Jermaine-Dupri_Get-Your-Shit-Right_SEGA
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
Goin once, goin twice, everyday, livin nice
In the grey wit the ice, makin money rollin dice
Livin the life, that y’all dream of
Puttin niggaz outta business like Sony did to Sega
LL Cool J “Clap Your Hands”
Year: 1989
Album: Walking with a Panther
Or, the demise of Sega as PREDICTED by rappers.
LL-Cool-J_Clap-Your-Hands_SEGA
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
LL Cool J, and the J is for Jeremy
So BUFF ME, James Todd the earthquaker
That’s right my brother, you’re goin out like Sega
Method Man “Elements”
Year: 1998
Album: Tical 2000: Judgement Day
Well that’s definitely an N64 reference, but what Sega console is Method Man referring to? Saturn? Dreamcast? THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION I NEED TO KNOW.
Method-Man_Elements_SEGA-NINTENDO
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
Ya’ll brothers laugh now and cry later
I rap from Alpha to Omega, sixty four to Sega
Whoopin’ that ass, walk you dogs through the lookin’ glass
Been burnin’ MC’s since cookin’ class
Ice Cube “Friday”
Year: 1995
Album: Friday (Original Motion Picture Sountrack)
Oh yeah–Super Nintendo also rhymes great with “smokin indo.” Leave it to Ice Cube. (Sadly I couldn’t get the explicit version for this MP3 snippet so you’ll have to make do with “like a Pinto.”)
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
Smokin indo
Playin dat Super Nintendo
Hear a rat tat tat on my window
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince “Then She Bit Me”
Year: 1989
Album: And in This Corner…
Remember when Will Smith made good music? I don’t either.
DJ-Jazzy-Jeff-Fresh-Prince_Then-She-Bit-Me_NINTENDO
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
No, really I saw him.
He was playing checkers.
No, Nintendo.
Ok, I’m lying.
Public Enemy “Bedlam 13:13”
Year: 1994
Album: Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age
Hiding weed inside a Super Nintendo? GENIUS!
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
Good e nuff to know no indo
Threw it out tha window
Along wit tha Super Nintendo
Eazy-E “Sorry Louie”
Year: 1996
Album: Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
I got nothing interesting to say about this lyric, so I’ll just leave you with a public service announcement in Eazy-E’s honor:
Wear condoms, kids.
Sega/Nintendo Lyric:
I grabbed my bat and ran around the back yo
He’s at my window, thinkin I’m playin Nintendo
