My iPod #202: The Offspring - Come Out and Play

I was born a year after "Smash", The Offspring's breakthrough album came out. I first heard "Come Out and Play" when its video played on MTV2.

One main thing went through my head whilst watching it. That was why Dexter Holland thought that having dreadlocks was a good look. All the time I saw an Offspring video, he had spiked up hair and to see the previous hairstyle he had before was a bit strange.

Apart from that the song was much different to any Offspring song I had heard before. I was a big fan of songs like "Pretty Fly", "Hit That" and "Original Prankster" to name a few, and they were all songs with quite comedic and sarcastic subject matter.

"Come Out and Play" is more menacing in tone, but is made cooler by the Arabian-sounding guitar that plays during the instrumental break. The song is simply about gang culture, I can't say anymore on that. It is a song of a very serious matter, no matter how engaging the song's title is.

My iPod #192: Eminem - Cleanin' Out My Closet

"Cleanin' Out My Closet" was the bitter, and brutally blunt second single from "The Eminem Show" after the humorous chart-topper "Without Me" in 2002.


Up until the album's release Eminem's previous albums contained lyrics alluding to his mother's incompetence as a parent and his crappy childhood, but this track is the culmination - basically a direct verbal attack at her. Do not worry though, it's all for justifiable reasons which he makes very clear in the song.

He has now apologised for the song, and has confirmed that he won't perform it at shows and cringes when it comes on the radio.

Every rapper really loves their mum.

My iPod #174: Beastie Boys - Ch-Check It Out

"To the 5 Boroughs" was the Beastie Boys' long awaited release after a six year wait from 1998's "Hello Nasty". "Ch-Check It Out" was the first single to be released from it, and is probably the song that introduced me to the group.

There is nothing better than three old guys who could rap very well and act silly in their video when you are nine years old, and I watched it over and over again on the Windows Media Player. After a few more listens, and a look at its lyrics I was able to memorise the whole song. Something I can, just about, still do to this very day.

Very sad that we may never hear new material by the group due to the passing of "MCA" Adam Yauch, and if there unexpectedly is it definitely wouldn't be the same.