CunninLynguists are a hip hop trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Ge… Read Full Bio ↴CunninLynguists are a hip hop trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti. The name is a portmanteau of the words cunning and linguist, and is also a play on the word cunnilingus.

There has never been an anomaly in hip-hop quite like the southern trio CunninLynguists. Sampling genres from psych-rock to blues, New Romantic to polka, they have been musically compared to UGK and Atmosphere in the same breath. They have toured and shared stages with Kanye West and Aesop Rock to equal success. They have produced for Lil' Scrappy as well as KRS-One. They have crafted songs with international soul superstar Cee-Lo Green and politically charged indie-favorite Immortal Technique … on the same album. CunninLynguists have eschewed categories, boxes and labels for 10 years, 5 albums and 4 official mixtapes, all while having what XXL Magazine described as the "Most Hated Name In Rap".

The result? If you want labels...Southern boom-bap. Too white for BET, too black for MTV2. A preacher's son, a caucasian guy from rural Georgia and a convicted felon. But mainly … a self-made career, one of the most consistent catalogs of any current hip-hop act and one of the most loyal, worldwide fanbases in all of indie rap music.

Backed with gritty beats, quality rhymes and 808 thump, the 'Lynguists intend on recapturing the soul in southern hip-hop. With what Spin Magazine calls "Outkast's tragicomic poignancy", Deacon The Villain, Kno and Natti follow in the footsteps of artists like Goodie Mob, Ya'll So Stupid, Geto Boys and the aforementioned 'Kast in painting a picture meant to remind the world that politics, death, racism, relationships, religion and struggle are just as relevant to life below the Mason-Dixon as anywhere else.

Their critically acclaimed debut LP, Will Rap For Food, was released in October 2001. CunninLynguists were joined by Floridian emcee Mr. SOS for their 2nd LP, Southernunderground, which was independently released April 1, 2003 on Freshchest Records and QN5 Music and re-released in 2004. Guests included Masta Ace, Tonedeff and RJD2. Between Southernunderground and A Piece of Strange, they released two mixtapes titled Sloppy Seconds Vol. 1 and Sloppy Seconds Vol. 2. Their third LP, A Piece of Strange, was released in January of 2006 via LAU Records. Their fourth album, Dirty Acres, was released 2007. In 2009, they released two more mixtapes titled Strange Journey Volume One and Strange Journey Volume Two, featuring such artists as Freddie Gibbs, E-40, Slug, and Killer Mike. Their most recent LP, Oneirology, was released in 2011. Guests included Big K.R.I.T., Tonedeff, Freddie Gibbs, and Anna Wise of Sonnymoon.

The group has toured worldwide, appearing onstage alongside acts like Nappy Roots, Cee-Lo Green, Bun B, Kanye West, Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan, Brand Nubian and more.

Kno, hailing from Georgia and currently residing in Lexington, Kentucky, has been described as "one of the top loop-miners east of the Mississippi" by URB. He produced the majority of Will Rap For Food and Southernunderground, all of A Piece of Strange, and has also recieved critical acclaim in The NY Times, Rolling Stone and other magazines for his remix of Jay-Z's Black Album, entitled Kno vs. Hov : The White Al-bu-lum in 2004. Kno released a solo LP in 2010 titled Death is Silent.

Born in Versailles, Kentucky, Deacon has also established himself as a producer. His beats have been rocked by the likes of KRS-One, King Tee as well as local Kentucky artists such as Rob Jackson and Bonafide Circle. The son of a reverend, his ear for melody and church trained voice have also landed him hook work for Ruff Ryders, Sean Price and more. Deacon released an album with Sheisty Khrist titled Niggaz With Latitude in 2010.

The duo has already begun work as a production duo under the name A Piece Of Strange, currently producing for Lil' Scrappy, Devin The Dude, D-12, Immortal Technique, Warner Brothers' rock and roll outfit Melee and others. They are managed by Lee "Skill" Resnick, whose only other clients are platinum producers Denaun Porter, Naughty By Nature's Kay Gee and Mr. Lee from Houston.

The group now officially counts emcee Natti as the third and final piece of the CunninLynguists' puzzle. After turning to music as a positive release after a 2 year prison stint in the early 2000's, Lexington, Kentucky native Natti's gravely drawl and streetwise lyrics give the group a decidedly interesting 3rd angle on the group's already broad range of subject matter.

Origin: Atlanta, GA
Year Formed: 2001
Members: Deacon The Villain
Kno
Natti
Former Member: Mr. SOS
Official Site: www.cunninlynguists.com

Old School
CunninLynguists Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Before R. Kelly had his teens.. Wutang had their cream
Slick Rick had his rings... crack rock had it's fiends
Martin Luther had his dreams, Stevie Wonder could sing
Or Elvis was king, Hip Hop was on the scene

Nah meeeeen, go back like Hitchcocks' hairline
Taught Fred Estaire how to pop lock in my spare time
I caught a ride on Noah's ark, cus I had a pair of Puma's

And two chickens on my arm

That's true...... and when I came through
Noticed Noah was first to "check 1, check 2"

Guess who rescued Repunzel
Climbing up her gold weave, then made her braid her hair like Alicia Keys

Before EPMD met golddiggers fuckin for VISAs
I was the first to pimp Jezebel and Mona Lisa
And made em famous way before Eminem could flow
Even ran trizz with JFK on Marilyn Monroe...Oh

"Blow the spot with some old school shit" - Rah Digga on Talib Kweli's "Down For The Count"
"I'm so old school"- Jay-Z off of "Jigga That Nigga"
"I'm old school like my dad is"- J-Ro on De La Soul's "My Writes"
"True, that's old school"- Mos Def on BlackStarr's "Very Well"
"I'll bust that old school boom bap all over this map"- Declaime on Lootpacks's "Episodes" (x2)
"From the old school I consider loyally true"

I'm so old school I was at the first supper serving soulfood
And Arroz con Pollo', but I bet you had no clue
That pilgrims were the first to name women after produce
And that was the first Road Rules without toll booths
Even when Adam and Eve sat by the weed tree
I told Eve, "Please don't tell him touch my weed leaves."
But after I showed him Cypress Hill, he loved fire
Then Eve left and became the first lady of Ruff Riders

Had a horse carraige, sittin' on dubs, coastin'
Smacked the thouroughbred in the ass and hit the 3-wheel motion
Since a Frank and Jesse James shoot-out in the street
Had a scoundrel c-walkin', shootin' bullets at his feet

I had Michalangelo put down the horsehair brushes
Started doing end to end burners on buses
Trust this, put King Midas' touch to use
He grabbed my bead necklace now I'm rockin truck jewels

When lightin' struck Ben Frank's kite and sent currents through
He was the first to electric boogaloo
The wop, robot and helicopter on the pavement
And in amazement, he was even Harlem-Shakin'

"Blow the spot with some old school shit" - Rah Digga on Talib Kweli's "Down For The Count"
"I'm so old school"- Jay-Z off of "Jigga That Nigga"
"I'm old school like my dad is"- J-Ro on De La Soul's "My Writes"
"True, that's old school"- Mos Def on BlackStarr's "Very Well"
"I'll bust that old school boom bap all over this map"- Declaime on Lootpacks's "Episodes" (x2)
"From the old school I consider loyally true"- Big Pun off of "You Came Up"

Transylvania was flossed out... but the facts have changed
Like, me selling Dracula some platinum caps for his fangs
Throwing daisy dukes upon that Mary Magdeline dame
And she ran game, tricked me up out my platinum chain

I had American Indians sending smoke signals with hydro
Giving villages contact matching blunts with Tonto
Spellin S.O.S. with my eyes closed
Even battled Henry the Eighth with my rhyme flow
And made his wives my hoes

I told Jesus that GZA said sandles were feminine
So he copped some shelltoes and suede Timberlands
Remember when KRS ripped Shan? Do ya homework
That was Amadeus playing the Bridge Is Over

Moses parted two tables with a mixer and played great
With his DJ crates. Before him, we played tapes
I sipped fine wine with Einstein back in the days
M. C. Square was his stage name and he rocked gray braids

That was before we could sit and play, Kid N Play
Or Nefertiti rocked the first flat-top fade
But anyway... flip through ya history books
You'll see about a thousand pictures of these infamous crooks
Cunninlynguists!!

"Old School"
"Word"

Overall Meaning

In "Old School," CunninLynguists pay tribute to the past and highlight hip-hop's influence in history. The lyrics are filled with witty wordplay, references to famous figures and events, and boastful claims of the singer's involvement with many historical moments. Lines like "Before R. Kelly had his teens, Wu-Tang had their cream" and "I had Michelangelo put down the horsehair brushes, started doing end to end burners on buses" showcase the singer's omnipresence throughout history and his influence on cultural movements from art to music.

Line by Line Meaning

Before R. Kelly had his teens.. Wutang had their cream
Before R. Kelly became popular, Wu-Tang Clan had already gained their riches and prospered.

Slick Rick had his rings... crack rock had it's fiends
While rap artist Slick Rick had wealth and fame, the negative impact of drugs was still prevalent in society.

Martin Luther had his dreams, Stevie Wonder could sing Or Elvis was king, Hip Hop was on the scene
During the time of Martin Luther King's ideals and Stevie Wonder's musical talent, Elvis was a prominent figure in the music industry and hip hop was beginning to emerge.

Nah meeeeen, go back like Hitchcocks' hairline Taught Fred Estaire how to pop lock in my spare time I caught a ride on Noah's ark, cus I had a pair of Puma's And two chickens on my arm
I go far back in history, even beyond the time of Fred Astaire when I taught him dance moves. I traveled with Noah on the ark while wearing Puma shoes and holding chickens.

That's true...... and when I came through Noticed Noah was first to 'check 1, check 2'
I was even around during the time of Noah, and he was the first to use the phrase 'check 1, check 2' which is still used in the music industry today.

Guess who rescued Repunzel Climbing up her gold weave, then made her braid her hair like Alicia Keys
I was the one who rescued Rapunzel and then became her hairstylist, instructing her to do a hairstyle similar to Alicia Keys.

Before EPMD met golddiggers fuckin for VISAs I was the first to pimp Jezebel and Mona Lisa And made em famous way before Eminem could flow Even ran trizz with JFK on Marilyn Monroe...Oh
Before the time of EPMD and women pursuing visas for money, I was already pimping and making women famous like Jezebel and Mona Lisa. This occurred even before Eminem gained recognition as a rapper. I even associated with JFK while he had an affair with Marilyn Monroe.

'Blow the spot with some old school shit' - Rah Digga on Talib Kweli's 'Down For The Count' 'I'm so old school'- Jay-Z off of 'Jigga That Nigga' 'I'm old school like my dad is'- J-Ro on De La Soul's 'My Writes' 'True, that's old school'- Mos Def on BlackStarr's 'Very Well' 'I'll bust that old school boom bap all over this map'- Declaime on Lootpacks's 'Episodes' (x2) 'From the old school I consider loyally true'
These are quotes and lyrics from various other artists and songs that pay homage to the old school hip hop genre and style.

I'm so old school I was at the first supper serving soulfood And Arroz con Pollo', but I bet you had no clue That pilgrims were the first to name women after produce And that was the first Road Rules without toll booths Even when Adam and Eve sat by the weed tree I told Eve, 'Please don't tell him touch my weed leaves.' But after I showed him Cypress Hill, he loved fire Then Eve left and became the first lady of Ruff Riders
My old school ways go way back to even before the first supper. I served soulfood and Arroz con Pollo', and it's important to note that the first reality show without toll booths was called Road Rules. During the story of Adam and Eve, I had to warn Eve not to mess with my weed, but after I introduced Adam to Cypress Hill, he became a fan. Eventually, Eve left and became a member of the Ruff Riders gang.

Had a horse carraige, sittin' on dubs, coastin' Smacked the thouroughbred in the ass and hit the 3-wheel motion Since a Frank and Jesse James shoot-out in the street Had a scoundrel c-walkin', shootin' bullets at his feet
I rode in a horse carriage with flashy rims, striking the horse in a way that made the carriage do a 3-wheel motion. Even during the time of Frank and Jesse James' infamous shoot-out, I had a scoundrel dancing the c-walk and dodging bullets.

I had Michalangelo put down the horsehair brushes Started doing end to end burners on buses Trust this, put King Midas' touch to use He grabbed my bead necklace now I'm rockin truck jewels
I had Michelangelo stop using horsehair brushes and instead start painting murals on buses. I even had King Midas himself add his touch to my bead necklace, transforming it into something fit for a trucker to wear as jewelry.

When lightin' struck Ben Frank's kite and sent currents through He was the first to electric boogaloo The wop, robot and helicopter on the pavement And in amazement, he was even Harlem-Shakin'
When Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment, it sparked the beginning of the electric boogaloo dance moves, which included the wop, robot, and helicopter. Franklin even did the Harlem Shake in excitement.

'Old School' 'Word'
These are just rhetorical words to convey agreement with and emphasis on the old school theme.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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