A wangsta complex

Okay, I'm feeling self conscious. First of all, I'm from Waterloo, and while it's not exactly the hood, it comes close at times. I usually use my hometown as a rationale for (1.) why I love rap/hip-hop music so much and (2.) why I'm allowed to love it so much. I'm sorry I'm not sorry that I have a hard time picturing some kids from po-dunk farm towns (and/or kids from suburban utopia) loving some seriously dropped dirty rhymes.

But I do. And I can. Yet for the moment, I'm self conscious. For harboring such a ridiculous obsession with rap music and anything I can ghetto myself out to (*note: by ghetto, I mean I role up one leg of my Express Skinny jeans, throw on a wife beater and jump on my bed trying to dance like people in the proverbial rap video dance club*), I have very little rap music lurking in my 25 GB of iTunes glory. I just spent the last hour making a playlist called "Gangsta Rap" and I'm embarrassed/terrified that someone might actually see this playlist at some point. And judge my love of real gangster rap music based on these 30 songs. I included a song by Missy Elliot and one by Moby/Public Enemy. (Yeah, my situation is that bad.)

So I've been trying to beef up my wangsta identity complex all night. I'm wearing a sweatband in my hair and blasting various solo projects by members of the Wu-Tang Clan and swigging some brandy I found in the cupboard (....ha, just kidding, Mom!) and reading about the remixes done of "A Milli," one of the singles off Lil Wayne's new album, Tha Carter 3. Each guest freestyles over the track's trance-inducing beat.

And I can't lie, these remixes are wayyyyyyy legit. Guest freestylers include Jay Z, Chris Brown, Jadakiss, LL Cool J, and Lil Mama. Oh, that's right, the lipgloss goddess just got a million times sassier. Check it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdntRUE4l_c&NR=1

Sorry for just a link, I'm terrible at embedding videos. (Like, horrendous.) I'm sorry, but the lady can spit a flow like a champ. And her freestyle is epic length, which is totally fine by me, because she's awesome and my idol. In fact, I like her version almost the best. (Gillie Da Kid and Jay-Z tail a second close and third.)
In short, these remixes are reviving my belief in rap music. So is that picture of the chimp holding a glock. So keep these remixes coming, celebs. My gangsta rap playlist needs a makeover and quick. I'm dropping judgment temporarily (um, I know, right? did we just snowboard home? because I think hell just froze over.) on all rap aficionados out there. You get a fleeting, provisional pardon to throw those d's and blast your GZA and Clipse and "A Milli" remixes as loud as you want...because I'm doing the same thing.

Peace homies,
lil Ann
PS. Omg that is the most embarrassing sign off I've ever given. I can't think of anything ghetto and hard enough [that's not totally obscene] to use.