Rap's a foreign language, judge rules

Telegraph via Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 6/06/03 | RICHARD ALLEYNE

[mhking]

Just damn.

[doc30]

Shades of Mony Python!

[Amelia]

It would make a great Saturday Night Live skit, wouldn't it?

[george wythe]

Ebonics tend to go for rhymes. For example, when I was a teenager, I worked at a small grocery store where I heard the following alliterations :

Fee Food (Seafood)
Foo Famps (food stamps)

[RedBloodedAmerican]

L-O-N-D-O-f'n-N--Some English high court judge ruled Thursday dat rap lyrics should be treated as some "fo'ign language" afta' admittin' dat he wuz unsure o' da dam mainin' o' "shizzle mah nizzle" an' "mish mish dude."

Judge Kim Lewison, who wuz rulin' on some copyright battle between deuce British rap bands, even pondered da dam brainstorm o' invitin' some drug deala' into da court as some 'espuh't witness t' fat-lady da confusion.

Da judge had been axed t' rule on some case brought by da band Ant'ill Mob against some rival outfit, da Heartless Crew.

Andrew Alcee, da writa' o' Ant'ill Mob's 2001 garage hit "Burnin," said lyrics "laid ova'" da top o' Heartless Crew's remix o' da damn song constituted "derogatory treatment" o' da dam copyright.

He said phrases such as "shizzle mah nizzle," "mish mish dude" an' "strin' dem down" referred t' candy an' violence an' so's "distorted an' mutilated" wassups original tune.

Da judge, 50, said da dam claim had led t' da dam "faint-like surreal 'espuh'ience o' trey gentlemen in horsehair wigs [himself an' deuce otha' judges] 'esaminin' da dam mainin' o' such phrases."

But he admitted dat even afta' playin' da dam vinyl at half speed an' referrin' t' da dam Urban Dicshunary on da Internet, he wuz unable t' be shaw o' da dam mainin' o' da dam slang.

He said dat although da dam lyrics wuz written in some form o' English, they wuz "4 practical purposes some fo'ign language," an' he had no 'espuh't evidence as t' whut they maint.

Da judge ruled dat da damn Urban Dicshunary gave various definishuns o' da dam phrase "shizzle mah nizzle" an' its variants, none o' which referred t' candy.

Some kinda' definishuns carried sexual connotashuns, but da dam most populah' definishun o' "shizzle mah nizzle" indicated dat it maint "4 shaw."

He said dair wuz no entries 4 "mish mish dude" an' dat da dam court had heard dat Elephant Dude, da rappa' who uttered da dam disputed phrases, often made down words 4 deir rhymin' effect.

Da judge said da damn fact da dam lyrics wuz rock t' "decipha'" mitigated against da dam case.

Da judge also said some fundamental waikness in Alcee's case wuz dat da dam court had no evidence about wassups honor o' rep o' o' no prejudice caused.

He dismissed Alcee's damages claim against East West Vinyls, some division o' Warna' Beat U-K, which 'esploited "Burnin" on Heartless Crew's album "Crisp
Biscuit."

Daily Telegraph

[Scenic Sounds]

Can't you just picture the judges trying to ponder this one?

LOL - yeah, I can.

"Shizzle my nizzle? Counsel, are you prepared to offer some demonstrative evidence on this point?" ;-)

[RedBloodedAmerican]

If da glove duzn't fit, yo' ass gots'ta acquit!

[Amelia]

Too funny!

[Texaggie79]

Fo shizzle mah nizzles

[Sir Gawain]

Fo sheezie my neezie.

[billbears]

LOL!! I guess this is where Pootie got it, eh? I'm gonna sine your pitty on the runny kine. Sipi-tai!! Don't have any idea what that means. Are we supposed to have Pootitise language classes now?

[Morgan's Raider]

Perhaps the judge can translate Wolly Bully next?

After that he can conquer the riddle of the ages, a complete deciphering of Louie, Louie

[Frank_2001]

Danks fo' dat Ebonics translation, bro!;))