B Boys, Beat boxing, bass, beat, beatings, bitches, Biggie Smalls -- spend a little time in the gangsta’ rap world and you’ll immediately notice that the letter 'B' is overrepresented. But perhaps overrepresented is a misnomer since the letter accords perfectly with the style and content of gangsta’ rap. But why is the letter 'B' so fuckin' gangsta’? A quick summary of some of its phonetic components might reveal its bangin' secrets. 'B' is what is known as a bilabial plosive which basically means that it is a letter where closure of both lips cause the stoppage of airflow (other letters, such as labiodental fricatives V and F are not plosives and do not cause the stoppage of air flow, and some non-English letters make use of nasal or glottal stops).
But what is so special about being a bilabial plosive? After all, 'P' is a bilabial plosive and that is probably the nerdiest, most white boy letter in the fuckin alphabet (you heard me right, P Diddy). The difference between B and P is small, but it is significant. 'B' is a voiced bilabial plosive while 'P' is a voiceless bilabial plosive. A voiced speech sound is one that uses the vocal chords; it tends to rise from the gut, to sound bassier, and to just be leagues more gangsta'. A very clear difference between voiced and voiceless is the difference between "Z' and 'S'. Z is much deeper, more masculine, bordering on leonine growl while 'S' is effeminate and taciturn and bordering on a house cat's purr. And while 'Z' is pretty gangsta’ (tip of that hat to you, Jay Z) it is no 'B'. What makes 'B' so gangsta’ is the way the voiced speech sound seems to explode with the bilabial outpush of the lips. It sounds like a thump, a bass drum, or the sharp, resounding explosion of a bullet. To make it more gangsta', try relaxing your lips. Allow your cheeks to puff out before you release the push of air. And it is no coincidence that these suggestions (puff cheeks, relax lips) are built in to the facial structure of the king of gangsta' rap Bs, Biggie. He has big floppy lips and puffy cheeks and the B's explode off them like the "Bang!" of a shotgun. Take the opening line from Things Done Changed "Remember back in the day." The word "remember" is a just a prelude to the real first explosion of the song -- that being the "back" -- which kicks it off like a car getting jump started or the initial crack of a cord-pull lawnmower before its blades buzz into full grass-chopping speed.
These are the a B c’s of gangsta’ rap.
Peace out…bitches
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