Way Back: Represent (1994)
“Yo to be quite precise I'm mighty nice”
- Grand Daddy IU on “Represent”
Grand Daddy IU released his second album, Lead Pipe, in 1994 on Cold Chillin’ Records. In a shift from his first effort, produced entirely by Biz Markie, IU took on all of the production for this project alongside Kay Cee. While the album was considered a commercial failure, it is still considered a hidden gem by hip-hop heads in the know. The most notable track was his single, “Represent”. It was remixed by Loren Wilson Hill, and music composer, Wendell “The Grinch” Hanes. Their head-bobbing basslines and electric piano riffs gave this track just what it needed.
It’s a standard part of the rapper’s arsenal to describe how great they are and how they’ll destroy you in a battle. Grand Daddy went historical and allegorized his skills to events from World War II:
Word to father, hot just like lava
Blowin up spots like Japs did Pearl Harbor
Refuse to pay dues I use da ooze
And kill off whole crews like Hitler did Jews
Even in the midst of a track with hardcore content and guys yelling on the chorus, Grand Daddy drops this gem in the first verse to remind us that he’s really a poet:
In moments like this, we’re reminded of how hip-hop really changed lives. He has a way with words that he was able to monetize while still reflecting on the negative things he did in the past. It’s a simple formula that still employs many rappers today. Parallel structure demonstrates how
I tear off limbs, stompin like Tims, blendin in sendin in
Smokin punk motherfuckers like stems
Step up, act like you want it you can get it in three ways
On the mic, with the hands, or from the twelve gauge
IU also employs one of my favorite rap techniques: the metaphor of words as weapons. The “sixteen in your spleen” could easily be taken as a gun reference, but it serves as a double entendre for the count of 16 bars that traditionally comprise a rap verse.
I got a master plan to blast a man
Faster than niggas can plea, it's disaster and
Mayhem and havoc on the scene
You see what I mean, when I bust the sixteen in your spleen
Grand Daddy I.U. represents one of the more controversial parts of 90s rap. To the untrained ear, he’s ranting about his macho persona, violence, and his promiscuous lifestyle. To those in the culture, he’s doing so with amazing artistry. He was part of the wave of rappers in the early 90’s that pushed lyricism forward. He utilized internal rhymes, slick similes, allusions, and assonance/consonance to deliver his messages. They may not always be positive, but you can always vouch for his artistic merit. Once that effortless toasting begins over boom bap drums and a smooth jazz sample, it’s a winning formula. Ironically, I.U.’s talent may have gotten him taken out of the game far ahead of his actual expiration date.
In an interview, IU confirmed rumors that he wrote Roxanne Shante’s diss record “Big Mama “. In it, he took aim at Monie Love, MC Lyte, Salt-n-Pepa, and most notably, Queen Latifah. The last name on this list did not sit well with others in the industry due to her popularity and the positivity she brought through her work. Critics also felt that he was creating further division in a field where women were constantly battling for equality. It put IU into something of a rivalry with the likes of 2 Pac and Treach from Naughty by Nature.
In other eras, a talent like IU may’ve been able to survive that situation, but this was the mid-90’s. There was a plethora of comparable talent coming out of his region. Some suggest he was blackballed shortly after the release of his second album, Lead Pipe, as it would be more than 12 years before he would release another album.
Though his cultural impact wasn’t what it should’ve been, Grand Daddy can still boast that he was one of the 90’s smoothest MCs, and could go toe-to-toe with anyone from the decade. More than 25 years after its release, “Represent” still may be his best work. Bump it today to celebrate one of rap’s underrated rhymers.
