Bug Powder Dust (Bomb The Bass)
(Section 2 at 0:00)
[I think it’s time to discuss your … ah …
Philosophy of drug use as it relates to artistic endeavor]
Check it, yo!
I always hit the tape with a rough road style
You heard the psychdelic and ya came from miles
Keep my rhymes thick like a Danish brew
So you could call me black and tan when I’m a wreckin’ a crew
I’m like Bill Lee whacking when he’s in Tangiers
And now I’m out on the sole surviving with my Beatnik peers
Analog reel and a little distortion
Smokin’ on somethin’ s’you could say I’m scorchin’
I never been the type to rap up a well
Make a man burn his draft card like it was hell
Send ya up the river like you lookin’ for Kurtz
I got the mugwump jism up in every verse
(Refrain 2x)
Bug powder dust a mugwump jism
And the wild boys runnin’ into some trippin’
Led into control about the Big Brothah
Try like hard to not blow my cover
Who’s that man in the windowpane
Got somethin’ on his tongue and it’s startin’ to stain
Sho’ nuff equip so wop n’get dancester
Butt bond my ladder and you’ll get beat down
Hash bond style so I’m singin’ day glow
Wakin’ up the dead like serpent and the rainbow
Kick off the shoes and relax your feet
Now roll up your sleeves for this lyrical treat
(...)
Notes:
– Bill Lee refers to William Burroughs, the great US novelist, who lived in Tangiers (he called himself Bill Lee in his books). He is noted for his experimental works exploring themes of drug addiction, violence, and homosexuality. His novels include Junkie (1953), The Naked Lunch (1959), and The Western Lands (1988) (Thanks for the info to Gotchos and the Collins Dictionary)
– Bug powder dust and mugwump jism is taken from William Burrough's book titled Naked Lunch. Mugwumps are critters (creatures) in the book. (Thanks for the info to Carl D. Orr)
– Tangiers is a port in North Morocco, on the Strait of Gibraltar.
– Beatnik means a member of the Beat Generation (the generation of people that came to maturity in the 1950s), or simply a person who rejects or avoids conventional behavior, dress, etc.
– Send ya up the river like you looking for Kurtz is a reference to the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), narrated by the main character Marlow who sails up the Congo in search of a man named Kurtz. His trip leads to his discovery of the depths of human depravity and savageness (especially his own). You can find the complete online version here. (Thanks for the info to Christopher F. Young)
(Extra big thanks go out to Bomb The Bass fan Joe Romanski, who has written down the lyrics for the Prodigy Center, and has explained the meaning of the title and mug one jizzum to me!)