Waistline Connection "Chow Down" (1997)

Hoo Bangin"? You ain't bangin' shit but the table
In a circle, 'Maaad' - ain't got no choice but to fight
Ain't none of y'all muthaf*ckas got a chance on the mic
- Common, "The Bitch in Yoo"

Ice Cube's (The Westside Connection's) beef with Common was one of the more famous beefs of the late 90's, with the two essential cuts Common's "The Bitch in Yoo" and Westside Connection's "Bow Down". Lyric for lyric, I can't see any rational head calling this for Westside, but if you want more evidence, I offer Waistline Connection's "Chow Down."

"Chow Down" is pure comedy. Rap parodies usually end up in the hands of Weird Al, but this clowning of Westside Connection's "Bow Down" was classic, particularly if you thought the posturing in "Bow Down" was a joke in the first place.

Waistline Connection "Chow Down"

Jacking the beat and essential lyrical structure, "Chow Down" is superior to "Bow Down" in my opinion, for pure entertainment value. It's short (less than three minutes in length), but stays focused. The delivery and overdubs are key, and lyrics are dropped with conviction:

Run away, run away - before your plate's taken away
by this F, double O, to the D to the S-T-A
Ain't no heart in it, I put it down simple and plain
Which means I can care less about the skinny fools in this game

In the end it's the delivery that makes this classic, and made the Westside Connection's posturing look that much more transparent. Just the fact that "Bow Down" was so flawlessly clowned is the period at the end of Common's sentence. S-e-r-v-i-c-e.