Classic Verse: Mos Def’s “Ms. Fat Booty” (Video)

There are only a handful of albums that I can recite in their entirety, and Mos Def's "Black on Both Sides" is one of them, and the song that first convinced me to give "Both Sides" a listen was "Ms. Fat Booty", a supremely sultry track that to this date remains of of Mos Def's all-time best. And that's saying a lot.

Lyrics are below the video:

"Yo in she came with the same type game
The type of girl givin out the fake cell phone and name
Big fame, she like cats with big thangs
Jewels chip, money clip, phone flip, the six range
I seen her on the ave, spotted her more than once
Ass so fat that you could see it from the front
She spot me like paparazzi
Shot me a glance in that catwoman stance with the fat booty pants
Hot damn!
What your name love, where you came from?
Neck and wrist laced up, very little make-up
The slims at the Reebok gym tone your frame up
Is sugar and spice the only thing that you made of?
I tried to play it low key but couldn't keep it down
Asked her to dance she was like 'Yo, I'm leaving now'
An hour later, sounds from Jamaica
She sippin Crys straight up, shaking, winding her waist up."

It's hard to only pick one verse here, considering all three verses are needed to complete the storyline and there are so many great lines in other verses ("I smashed her like an Idaho potato"), but ultimately you have to give it to the opening verse. Written way back when Mos cared about rapping, "Ms. Fat Booty" is an extraordinary example of Mos' laid-back but always precise cadence and deceptively complex wordplay. Plus, any self-respecting hip-hop fan should be able to finish off "I seen her on the ave, spotted her more than once" with a resounding "Ass so fat that you could see it from the front!" That may just be one of the best booty-related lines in hip-hop history, and considering rap's infatuation with the female form that's saying a lot. If you haven't already, memorize "Ms. Fat Booty" right now. It will make you a better person.

If you’ve got a classic verse let me know at nathan(@)refinedhype.com.