As we left the LAX Hilton, on our way to Century City for dinner, I experienced an odd sense of familiarity. I hadn't been to Los Angeles in years, aside from driving through, en route to San Diego. Still, the false sense of recognition was quite strong, because the prominence of Los Angeles in pop culture, and specifically because I have seen Troop Beverly Hills fifteen times. Those Culver City Red Feathers are so darn smug!
Due to poor directions and poorer navigation skills, we made it all the way to Watts before heading north. At the same time we turned onto the 110, Dre and 2Pac's "California Love" came up on our mix CD. It got me thinking: Where would the rap world be if Compton was not actually a city, but rather an unincorporated territory?
Fuck Tha LA County Sheriff's Department, N.W.A.
Ice Cube will swarm
On any muthafucka in a blue uniform
Just cuz I'm from an unincorporated territory
Municipal government ain't got jurisdiction over me
Nothin But A G Thang, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg
So Dre
(What up, Dogg?)
Gotta give 'em what they want
(What's that, G?)
We gotta break em off somethin'
(Hell yeah!)
Like services equivalent to those provided by an incorporated municipality
(Minor Civil Division of Compton!)
California Love, 2Pac & Dr. Dre
In the citaaay of L.A.
In the citaaay of good ol' Watts
In the census-designated plaaaace, the census-designated plaaaace of Compton
We keep it rockin
We keep it rockin
Inglewood, Inglewood always up to no good
Don't try to annex this shit, muthafucuka
UPDATE: Louise has an excellent recap of the trip up, along with an extremely handsome photo from Stars Hollow.
Ain't nuthin' wrong with an annex, bitch
you're standing on the square's grass! hyperventilating!
where's more pictures? fuck compton, i want photos.
Ah, there's nothing like some good unincorporated county land humor.
And Michele, I'll not suffer such remarks about Compton.
i apologize sincerely to compton.
now, more pictures!
I will provide the pictures soon.