can ya dig it?

I was listening to Dr. Dre's The Chronic album a while ago, and it reminded me of a friend who can really rap. I mean really, really rap. With his 'wicked style' and his 'bad-ass beats'. He's won several rap competitions over the years, and it probably won't be long before he's snapped up by some record company to cut an album or two.

I must admit I can't rap. At all. Which amuses me to no end, because I enjoy listening to N.E.R.D., Snoop Dogg, Outkast, 2Pac, Run DMC and their ilk but there is no way in hell I'd be able to rap half as good as they do. I can put on the baggy pants and the over-sized tees; incorporate the swagger and the sign-language into my everyday routine; the crotch-grabbing and the care-free attitude; and I still won't be able to rap. I can walk the walk, but I can't talk the talk (whatever that means).

In what would probably be considered a clear sign of mental ineptitude, I once tried my luck in a rap competition (this was back in high school). I'm still embarrassed by the thought of it, and would gladly put it behind me altogether. It must have been quite a spectacle! I don't even want to imagine! No prize for guessing what I won (or didn't win, as the case may be).

Such is the foolishness and naïveté of youth. Looking back, I don't regret doing it. Though if I were given the chance to relive those moments, I wouldn't want to. Or maybe I would, for the sheer silliness of it. At least I know better now -- to stick to my day job.

That is, if I had one.

PLAYLIST

No Diggity -- Blackstreet

What's The Difference -- Dr. Dre

Lose Yourself -- Eminem

Thug Luv -- Bone Thugs N Harmony

Rock Star -- N.E.R.D.