Brown University student.

Rap music has come a long way from its beg… Read Full Bio ↴Brown University student.

Rap music has come a long way from its beginnings as an innocent means for third graders to remember the state capitals-who can forget romping about during recess chanting, "My bitches be in Boston but my tricks is in Topeka, all my hoes is down in Austin, man them chicks know how to freak ya."

Many people (i.e. me) feel that the majority of chart-topping rap songs in recent years have been lacking in that intangible quality which industry folk refer to as "not sucking". The list of complaints is long, but the unquestionable top of the heap is the sheer inanity of the lyrics.

Take, for example, "In Da Club" by 50 Cent. Rhyming party with Bacardi? Brilliant. Let me guess how you thought of that, Mr. Cent: you were at a party pouring yourself some Bacardi when you read the label, and eureka! No, wait. How silly of me. You can't read.

Even so, this does not mean that the soul of hip-hop is dead (as opposed to polka-those tools sold out years ago). One need only to look into the pulsating world of indie rap to find countless resounding beats, poignant lyrics and striking personalities. The ranks of indie rap include the likes of Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, Cannibal Ox and MF Doom. Also among them is Brown's own Charles Custer '08, better known to the hip-hop community as Sun Zoo.

Custer-Charlie to his friends, Dennis to people who mistake him for someone named Dennis-has been writing music since 1998, when classmate Jared McNeill approached him and asked him to write a verse for a rap song he had been working on. "There wasn't a whole lot of time between when I started writing and when we started recording," Dennis explained.

Custer and McNeill worked together on multiple projects, and Custer produced a solo album in short order. At the time, Custer was rapping under a different pseudonym-one which he firmly refused to reveal. Using my godlike powers of groundless speculation, I have decided that it was "Clorox Beats."

In 2001, Custer adopted the name Sun Zoo and began performing for local audiences in his hometown of Avon, Conn. He played talent shows and open mics, and opened once for Deep Banana Blackout. Two years later, Custer produced The Next Movement, his first album as Sun Zoo. "I went back and listened to it recently, and it didn't suck as much as I thought it sucked, but it still sucked," he said. Sun Zoo followed up with Symphony in the First Person in 2004. "It's a good representation of where I was at the time. I'm at a different place now from where I was then," Custer said.

Custer has remained active in his musical pursuits while at Brown. In spring 2005, he performed in two concerts at the Hourglass Café which featured a mix of jazz, rock and hip-hop. In September, Custer began working on Hope Flies, an eleven-track album of all new material that he completed and distributed for free in January. Creating the album proved difficult. "Recording is a huge bitch. Mixing is an even bigger bitch," Custer explained. Since January, Custer has worked furiously to promote his album, a process he describes as "a constant battle."

Even with the completion of Hope Flies immediately behind him, Custer has hardly slowed his pace. He has begun mixing his own original beats for his next album (Custer purchased many of the beats on Hope Flies from fellow artists). Over the weekend of April 22nd and 23rd, Sun Zoo will perform at "Living Proof", a music and arts festival in Kingston on the URI campus.

When asked whence he draws his inspiration, Custer replied, "Life. I'm actually not inspired at all. Most of what I write is just sh*t that happened word for word."

Expect Sun Zoo's next single, Stephen Barlow Wrote a Bitchin' Article About Me, this spring.

For more information about Sun Zoo, check out www.sun-zoo.com.

by Stephen Barlow, originally published in post- Magazine, of the Brown Daily Herald. 3/23/06.

get down
Sun Zoo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Hook:]
Put your hands up we came to get down
Move your body when you hear the drum sound
We're gonna rock your body if you're feelin' naughty
You ain't got to worry cause we came to get down.
Put your hands up we came to get down
Move your body if you hear the drum sound
We're gon' rock your body body, feelin' naughty naughty

No need to worry cause we came to get down.

Hey yo pop goes the weasel, Umali's cock diesel
The Filipino hero and I'm here to stop evil
You're not believable, the people do not feel you
The percy that you're playin, your music is not the real you
Me I'm the real dude, I represent a real crew
We used to reppin' game back there and we still do
I'm sellin' millawith the soul of Dyla
I'm a stone-cold killa straight silver-back gorilla for real-a
Got to fight over air mind drums
Y'all have first to testify what is still my flow
I roll a California finest, let it fill my lungs
Give 'em bars to remind them of the skills I brought
The odds are a billion to one, and I still got a gun
Despite the billion one reasons an excuse to run
I stood tat-hold, feet planted straight in the crowd
So when you see me recognize that I came to get down.

[Chorus:]
Put your hands up we came to get down
Move your body when you hear the drum sound
We're gonna rock your body if you're feelin' naughty
You ain't got to worry cause we came to get down.
Put your hands up we came to get down
Move your body if you hear the drum sound
We're gon' rock your body body, feelin' naughty naughty
No need to worry cause we came to get down.

I come up in the spot looking extra hot
These haters staring at me wishing my success would stop
They so mad cause my group be gaining extra guap
It's SunZoo motherfuckers we the next hip-hop
I make them put they hands up like they arpids hitch
This ain't cocky, nah bitch this is confidence!
I'm a monster I spin it like the Lochness fish
I got it locked around the globe like a catsule
And this is diplomatic immunity, nothing you can do to me
Google me, you can see that none of the shit is new to me
I been doin' it big, influence the kids
And while I make maneuvers, plan my movement, y'all be losing to this
I'm on the who's-who'sness of who is the shit
It's foolish to think Yoon Mirae ain't the illest of town
I'm gonna take back the crown cause it's rightfully mine
And if you didn't know you know now, I came to get down.

[Chorus:]
Put your hands up we came to get down
Move your body when you hear the drum sound
We're gonna rock your body if you're feelin' naughty
You ain't got to worry cause we came to get down.
Put your hands up we came to get down
Move your body if you hear the drum sound
We're gon' rock your body body, feelin' naughty naughty
No need to worry cause we came to get down.

Get down or lay down don't you...
And knock them of their feet so when they hit the ground they stay down
And when I'm on the mic I'm kinda like Paca threw out the lay-grounders
I'm steady homie, circus round these rappers like a grey town
It's the sensation, a manifestation of the greatest anticipated event
Ever created to date. My whole show has created a spoosh
I'm the father of the womb that created this face
Master of my destiny, I created my fate
Master of the ceremonies devastating decreed
Anything I say about you I'm a say it in your face
I'm the greatest I think that I'm a stay in my place
Sunzoo coming through
[Chorus:]
Put your hands up we came to get down
Move your body when you hear the drum sound
We're gonna rock your body if you're feelin' naughty
You ain't got to worry cause we came to get down.
Put your hands up we came to get down
Move your body if you hear the drum sound

We're gon' rock your body body, feelin' naughty naughty
No need to worry cause we came to get down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sun Zoo's song Get Down is all about having fun without any worries. The hook openly invites the listeners to put their hands up and groove to the beat. The main theme of the song is positive and about being confident, unstoppable, and bold. The artist approaches his verses through various techniques, such as wordplay, fast rhymes, and clever punchlines.

The lyrics speak of a Filipino hero named Umali who is there to stop evil, representing a real crew, and still selling millions with the soul of Dyla. He speaks of his confident personality and how he will not let any obstacles come his way. He even mentions his ways to influence the kids through his music. The artist is not shy to mention his achievements through his lyrics, which indicate his self-belief.

One interesting fact about the song is that the band members of Sun Zoo are from diverse cultural backgrounds that include three members hailing from southern California, one from Japan, and one from South Korea. Their variety of backgrounds reflects their music, which is otherwise challenging to classify in one particular genre. They call their unique sound "Global View Pop" - a blend of reggae, rock, funk, pop, and jazz.

Another fact is that the band had a hard time choosing what their band’s name should be until they finally agreed on Sun Zoo. The band’s name simply came up as a result of playing around with words that made sense and sounded cool.

Sun Zoo's EP, "The Sun Zoo" from which "Get Down" is included, was recorded in 2017 and released in early 2018.

The music video for “Get Down” features Korean-American actress Jamie Chung.

The guitar riff in "Get Down" has similarities with the opening riff of Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion."

The original lyrics of the chorus line were “If you don't get down, we’ll knock you off your feet.” However, they changed it because it sounded too aggressive.

The song was used as the winning walkout song for UFC fighter, Jose Aldo Jr.

Sun Zoo performed at the 2018 Coachella Music Festival.

The individual verses of the song were originally written as separate songs but were eventually arranged into one collaborative effort.

Chords: Am, F, C, G.

Line by Line Meaning

Put your hands up we came to get down
Let's have some fun and enjoy the music tonight!

Move your body when you hear the drum sound
Dance to the beat and let the rhythm take control of your body!

We're gonna rock your body if you're feelin' naughty
We're here to entertain you and make you feel good even if you're feeling a bit mischievous tonight.

You ain't got to worry cause we came to get down.
Don't worry about a thing because we're here to make you have a good time!

Hey yo pop goes the weasel, Umali's cock diesel
I'm the Filipino hero and I'm here to stop evil.

The percy that you're playin, your music is not the real you
Your music doesn't show your true talent and personality.

Me I'm the real dude, I represent a real crew
I'm authentic and honest about who I am and where I come from.

I'm a stone-cold killa straight silver-back gorilla for real-a
I'm a fierce and talented musician who doesn't back down from a challenge.

Give 'em bars to remind them of the skills I brought
I'm going to show off my musical skills and remind everyone why I'm here.

And I still got a gun despite the billion one reasons an excuse to run
Even though there are countless reasons to give up, I'm still here fighting and won't give up easily.

They so mad cause my group be gaining extra guap
People are jealous because my group is making a lot of money.

I'm a monster I spin it like the Lochness fish
I'm a powerful and talented musician who can amaze and impress audiences.

I'm gonna take back the crown cause it's rightfully mine
I'm going to prove that I'm the best musician and deserve the highest recognition for my talent.

Get down or lay down don't you...
You can either join us and have a good time or step aside and miss out on the fun.

Master of my destiny, I created my fate
I am in control of my own future and have worked hard to achieve my success.

Anything I say about you I'm a say it in your face
I'm not afraid to speak my mind and will always be honest with others.

Sunzoo coming through
We're here and ready to make this a night to remember!

Contributed by Savannah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS