Possessing a hyper-literate, intellectual style of rapping augmented with d… Read Full Bio ↴Possessing a hyper-literate, intellectual style of rapping augmented with dizzying elocution that would tongue-tie even the fiercest auctioneer, Busdriver is eclectic and eccentric enough to cite vocalese jazz singer Jon Hendricks as a primary influence. Born Regan Farquhar, the Los Angeles MC was introduced to hip-hop culture early – his father wrote the screenplay to one of the earliest films focusing on hip-hop, Krush Groove. He began rapping at age nine, releasing his first record at age 13 with his group, 4/29, named after the 1992 L.A. riots. By the mid-'90s, Busdriver was a regular at the Project Blowed open mic, where he would meet future collaborators and underground luminaries like Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, and Freestyle Fellowship. And shortly after, the vinyl did flow.

Busdriver guested on upward of 20 singles, and by 2001 he could no longer be contained by guest spots, releasing his first full-length, Memoirs of the Elephant Man (1999). There were just as many detractors as supporters for his singular style, which was so densely packed it made his chosen name seem a reference for multiple-personality disorder, and the lo-fi production also left more listeners scratching heads than nodding them.

His next album, This Machine Kills Fashion Tips (2002), continued in a similar manner before being trumped by better production and more focused rhymes on Temporary Forever the same year. Joined by another West Coast avant-garde MC, Radioinactive, and the breezy, fractured pop of electronic producer Daedelus, Busdriver released yet another odd puzzle piece in 2003, The Weather. Fear of a Black Tangent followed on Mush in 2005. After moving to Anti-/Epitaph, the rapper issued RoadKillOvercoat, which featured production from Nobody and Boom Bip. His second Anti- release, Jhelli Beam, appeared in 2009. In 2010 he put out a full-length mixtape of unreleased gems and illegal remixes called Computer Cooties. It was released as a free album. 2010 saw Bus toiling over a new album that will shock fans and confuse the unconverted into unwilling servitude. It is called Beaus$Eros and was released on February 21, 2012 on Fake Four. Beaus$Eros forgoes the lightening-speed rhyming that defined his style in favor of a diverse, off-kilter brand of pop and post-hip-hop.

Stylin' Under Pressure
Busdriver Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(A conversation at a drive-through at a Carl's Jr. between Busdriver and the employee)

Yes...

(Welcome to Carl's Jr. Can I help you?)

Yes. I am a head hunter. I am looking for the ultimate woman sex lover,
But it's hard to stay in line

So I have to take the next number
And can't find anybody in the dead of summer.
But you know what, I think I'll have the fries.

(Anything else?)

Umm... Hmmmm...
Actually, give me a happy meal
With a rapper who doesn't have any skill,
But has a contract for half a 'mill
Served up with a plate full of daffodils.
That will do it for me.

(Ok, would you really like to order because... What is it that you want?)

Give me a...hmmm
You know what, give me a person burger
'Cause eating a hamburger is worse than murder
So I would prefer that.

(A What!?)

Give me a million dollars how 'bout that?

(...)

Give me a Super Star.

(A super star?)

Yeah.

(You want the combo for that?)

'Cause I'm a super star
But you don't know who we are.

(Just a Super Star?)

Hmmm...
Yes. A Super Star
'Cause I'm known to tutor at bars
And, hmm, uh oh!
Yes. A Super Star.

(Ok. Just drive to the window for...)

And also, give me a medium drink.
How 'bout a medium Sprite
'Cause I'm exceeding them sights upon me
With all type of digital cameras
I'm cynical sigh, sky scanner.
Wooo!
A medium Sprite, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

(Ok one Super Star, one medium Sprite. Is that all?)

Yes, yes, yes.

(Ok. Drive to the window.)

And umm... hmmm...
Can you recommend anything?

(Umm...like what?)

I don't know.
Anything, anywhere.

(I don't...I don't know.)
Anything, anywhere
'Cause I'm a tall, lonely teddy bear
Who occupies empty air.
I'm not a millionaire,
I'm a penny-aire.
Yes.

(...)

That's it. That's it.

(Ok. Drive to the window.)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics are a playful take on the absurdity and superficiality of consumer culture, where the singer is trying to find the ultimate woman while at a drive-through. The opening line ("I am a head hunter") suggests that the singer is looking for someone who is skilled in the art of sex, but the subsequent line - "But it's hard to stay in line / So I have to take the next number" - imposes a sense of futility onto the singer's quest. The singer feels he has to "settle" for the next available person, unable to find anyone who lives up to his ideal during the "dead of summer" (a time when desires tend to run high). The singer then asks for a Happy Meal with an untalented rapper, as if to suggest that even the most mediocre things can command a high price tag as long as they have a certain level of cultural status. The absurdity reaches comic heights when the singer requests a "person burger," equating eating a hamburger to the act of killing a person. This takes an odd turn when he then asks for a million dollars instead.

The song is a reflection on the shallow and consumerist culture of the West, with Busdriver and his collaborators mocking the very idea of creating a shopping list for "happiness". The song is set to a frenetic, ska-inspired beat that enhances the sense of chaos and absurdity in the lyrics. Busdriver deliberately wrings every possible pun and wordplay out of his lines, especially in the latter half, where he requests a Super Star burger while also describing himself as a "Super Star" who tutors at bars. The use of wordplay reflects on the superficiality of pop culture and how it focuses more on surface-level aesthetics rather than deep cultural significance. Stylin' Under Pressure is a clever and witty track that pokes fun at our consumption-obsessed society.

Line by Line Meaning

Yes...
Introduction to the conversation

Yes. I am a head hunter. I am looking for the ultimate woman sex lover,
I want to find the perfect partner for sexual satisfaction.

But it's hard to stay in line So I have to take the next number And can't find anybody in the dead of summer.
It's difficult to find the perfect partner and I have to settle for someone less satisfactory.

But you know what, I think I'll have the fries.
I will have an order of fries instead.

Actually, give me a happy meal With a rapper who doesn't have any skill, But has a contract for half a 'mill Served up with a plate full of daffodils.
I want a meal with a mediocre rapper who is overpaid and some daffodils, please.

Give me a million dollars how 'bout that?
I would like to have one million dollars, can you give me that?

Hmmm... Yes. A Super Star 'Cause I'm known to tutor at bars And, hmm, uh oh! Yes. A Super Star.
I'll have a Super Star meal because I'm talented and often give advice in bars.

And also, give me a medium drink. How 'bout a medium Sprite 'Cause I'm exceeding them sights upon me With all type of digital cameras I'm cynical sigh, sky scanner. Wooo! A medium Sprite, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I want a medium Sprite because I have a lot of attention on me, often being photographed, and I am skeptical of everything around me.

Anything, anywhere 'Cause I'm a tall, lonely teddy bear Who occupies empty air. I'm not a millionaire, I'm a penny-aire. Yes.
I want anything because I am lonely and feel empty. I am not wealthy but have just enough to get by.

That's it. That's it.
That concludes my order.

Contributed by Julian D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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