Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Big Daddy Kane- Smooth Operator
Well excuse me, take a few minutes, to mellow outBig Daddy Kane is on the mic and I'ma tell aboutA minimum length, of rhymes of strengthAnd power, so listen to the man of the hour
Flow and go to a slow tempo and you knowSing hoe, swing low, then yo the showWill go on, as I performTransformin' on stage like a Decepticon
But I'm not animated like a cartoonI'm for real, shootin' lyrics like a harpoonAcross the crowd, the listeners, the spectatorsSo let's groove with the smooth operator
'Cause, I'm so smooth'Cause, I'm so smooth
The B I G, D A double D Y K A N EI'm good and plenty, servin' many and anyCompetition, wishin' for an expeditionI'm straight up dissin' and dismissin', listenRappers act so wild, and love to profile
Frontin' hard but ain't got no styleI give nightmares to those who competeFreddy Kreuger, walkin' on Kane StreetConfuse and lose abuse and bruise the crews
Who choose to use my name wrong, they pay duesDestruction from the exterminatorBut in a calm manner, 'cause I'm a smooth operator
'Cause, I'm so smooth'Cause, I'm so smooth
Now girls step up to thisOne simple kiss, and it's over MissSold to nice dreamers, high as the price seemGirlfriend, you been scooped like ice cream
So just swing or fling a gathering try to cling'Cause It's a Big Daddy ThingAnd I'm lovin' 'em right word is bondSo just play Marvin Gaye and let's get it on
I make it real good like Dr. FeelgoodTo make sure that my point is understoodThat when it comes to this there's none greaterSincerely yours, the smooth operator
'Cause, I'm so smooth'Cause, I'm so smooth
Now ain't that the pot callin' the kettle blackSayin', I'm a new jack, you need to be smackedThe smooth way I say 'em and the way I display 'emTo make them sound different in a way that's gifted
And hey, I'm, makin' sure every lyric is done fineAnd I make one line, bright as the sunshineAttack you like Robatussin' on a coughIf you know like I know, step offCompetition, I'ma get rid of
You can't get a bit of, so just considerA break or rest vacation hibernationAnd make way for my smooth operationI'm a smooth operator
'Cause, I'm so smooth'Cause, I'm so smooth
Ah, yeah, and you don't stopGenuine for eighty-nineAnd I still ain't half steppin', peace

In the song "Smooth Operator" Big Daddy Kane uses allusion, simile, and imagery to express how he feel about some of the different girls he has dated in the past "Make it feel real good like Dr. Feelgood."


Throughout the song Big Daddy Kane refers to various pop-culture symbols such as transformers, Freddie Kruger, and Robitussin (that one not so much.) Most of the things he talks about were popular in the late 80's and early 90's, such as Dr. Feelgood which is an English pub band that was formed in the early 70's which is still around with all new members. He also refers to Freddie Kruger, which was a character created in 1984 for Nightmare on Elm Street.

He uses simile at different points throughout the song to not only show a point to enforce that point.  “as I perform Transformin' on stage like a Decepticon” which is basically him saying he has many talents the can be expressed different ways. “Attack you like Robatussin' on a cough” As I’m sure you know Robitussin is a rather old cough medicine that was referred to quite frequently in song, but spelled wrong to avoid a copyright lawsuit. But it is a good simile because Robitussin is a rather effective medicine that dominates colds, so Kane is saying he is going to dominate his opponent.
Another form of figurative language Kane uses is imagery. His imagery is very quick; it’s just small things you think of for a second then he moves to the next in no real order.  Again in the line “as I perform Transformin' on stage like a Decepticon” but right after that he moves directly to shooting a harpoon through the audience, which is a bit grim but you get the point. Through the whole song the images he portrays are pretty goofy but make a lot of sense where they are.
During the song “Smooth operator” Kane uses different types of figurative language to show how he feels about the various girls he meets and meats (if you catch my drift.) This song is very light-hearted but after analysis parts of the song are serious; regardless of that fact he still keep the mood of the song up beat.

2 comments:

  1. Your thesis needs a little bit of work. You shouldn't forget to use some adjectives on your devices. You already use "quick" in your body paragraph to describe imagery, so it would be easy to move it into the thesis. Your quote integration is rough. Try for example, '...how he feels about some of the different girls he has dated in the past that made him "feel real good like Dr. Feelgood.' It currently feels like two seperate sentences. There is some informality in your body paragraphs. Try to remove parts like "(that one not so much)". In addition to being informal, they break up the flow of the paragraph.

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  2. Your thesis is missing the first part, the shift, you also forgot to use the creative adjectives. The first sentence of the 2nd paragraph should state the device your explaining in that paragraph. Remember not to start off a sentence with a quote you did it a couple times here and there or just started it off with a weak opening to the quote in general.

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