I was staying at my friend’s cabin out in Big Bear, California a few years ago. It was winter and work was slow. I spent seven weeks of near isolation mostly writing, meditating, reflecting, hiking, exploring, and breathing in that fresh, mountain air. It was nice to get away from it all and to refuel. I was thankful to my friend for the opportunity.
During one of my late night writing sessions by the fire, I came up with this Jewish, hardcore rapper persona called “The Kasual Kid.” I started writing these lyrics – or flows – about a pair of room mates that got into an intense argument because the one guy was using the other guy’s loofah without his permission. The lyrics were along the lines of something you might expect from The Lonely Island or Flight of The Concords. But amongst the silliness, The Kasual Kid would sometimes get cerebral and write about more serious topics. So much for keeping it casual.
In the wake of the terrible tragedy that happened today in Connecticut – 27 dead, including 18 children – I felt like sharing some lyrics that were written during one of those quiet, late night sessions spent by the fire. The intent of this song was to serve as a retort to the glorification of violence that’s prevalent in the rap culture, but the message can also apply to these heinous school shootings that seem to be occurring more and more often: Put the guns down. Bury them. They’re killing our youth.
My heart aches. There’s no sense that can come from these senseless shootings, but hopefully there is some eventual peace that will come from the victim’s families.
“Be Kasual” featuring Snoop Lion
Verse One:
BANG, BANG
Rappers be talking hard
Talkin’ bout guns
And life behind bars
Talkin ‘pimp this shawty’
And ‘ho that shawty’
I shot my shawty with a shotgun Shawty
Sha, forget it man
I got a different plan
I don‘t need no guns
To prove that I’m a man
Go ahead
Call me a pussy, you cats
I’m fine wit that
Cuz while you doin‘ nine years locked up in the slammer
This kitty be livin’ nine lives of the glitz and the glamor
Oo, take it easy Kid
Let’s break it down
Time to get Kasual
Time to turn up the sound
Chorus:
Be casual
Be casual, kids
Cuz casualties
Ain‘t no way to live
So be casual
Be casual, ya dig
Bury your guns
Don’t bury your kids
Verse Two:
POP, POP
I’m a straight shooter, Pops
Imma tell it how it is
Yeah, tell it how it is
I don’t need no guns
To handle my biz
I got a great, big mind
More bullets than a nine
And if you ever fired yours
Might surprise ya at what you‘d find
Fine
Yeah, you’re right
Shootin’ guns is a better way to fight
But you end up dead
And what good is it dead
And what good is it gone
Am I right
Or am I wrong?
I’m tired of singing this same old song
Oo, take it easy Kid
Lets break it down
Time to get Kasual
Time to turn up the sound
Chorus:
Be casual
Be casual, kids
Cuz casualties
Ain‘t no way to live
So be casual
Be casual, ya dig
Bury your guns
Don’t bury your kids
Verse Three:
POW, POW
Shots fired
Another one down
Buried that bitch
Nine milliemeters underneath the ground
C‘mon now
You a bunch of clowns
I’m callin’ you out
Time to step up
Time to put ’em down
Cuz I’ve handled the steel
Yeah big deal
What’s the thrill in how many bodies somebody can kill?
Shot full of lead
Yeah, shot in the head
How‘d Timothy die?
He was shot full of lead
Yeah, shot in the head
Like a broken record
Tryin’ to talk to these dregs
Nah, take it easy Kid
Lets break it down
Time to get Kasual
Time to turn up the sound
Chorus:
Be casual
Be casual, kids
Cuz casualties
Ain’t no way to live
So be casual
Be casual, ya dig
Bury your guns
Don’t bury your kids
Reload
Be casual
Be casual, kids
Cuz casualties
Ain’t no way to live
So be casual
Be casual, ya dig
Bury your guns
Don’t bury your kids
R.I.P.
Newtown, Connecticut
12.14.12
The Dimwit Diary 