My Favorite Ladies
It’s not uncommon in hip hop for lyricists to liken objects or concepts to a woman. Female personification is a long-standing technique that’s stood the test of time; from D’Angelo misleading us on “Brown Sugar,” which is more of an ode to marijuana use than a love song about a dark-skinned woman, to Drake addressing his impact on the game in what sounds like a love declaration on “Wu-Tang Forever.”
One of my favorite uses of this technique is MF Doom’s “My Favorite Ladies.” Who’d-a thought upon first listen that Mary, Ally and Miss Hazy were really code for marijuana, alcohol and black tar heroin? Whatever the case, it just goes to show how parallel a male emcee’s passion, infatuation and commitment to being the best and staying high is to his love for a lady.
This one’s for us.
Originally published March 8, 2014.