Ugly Duckling are a hip hop trio, formed in 1993 in Long Beach, California.… Read Full Bio ↴Ugly Duckling are a hip hop trio, formed in 1993 in Long Beach, California. Ugly Duckling's members are Dizzy Dustin, Young Einstein and Andy Cooper. Their style is alternative hip hop, influenced especially by old school performers such as the Zulu Nation and the Native Tongues Posse. Most of their songs follow the creed that hip hop is about having fun and often mock the clichéd gangster rappers who dominate the mainstream. An example of this can be heard in the song "A Little Samba" and "Smack" in which they rap about the enormous wealth mainstream rappers brag about, and the ridiculous nature of their possessions, such as gold name plates on their cars, pet sharks and jetting off to Bermuda on private planes.

Being heavily influenced by old school hip hop, they conform to the original basics of rap music; turntablism and MCing. Their DJ, Young Einstein, forms the backbone of the group; he is renowned for performing very complex scratches both on the record and live, unlike in most modern rap where the DJ has been pushed to the back in order to emphasize the MC. He is also the owner of a famous 'Dookie Gold Chain' which is the subject of the groups song 'Eye On The Gold Chain' and is donned by Einstein during most live performances of the track. They are renowned for their live shows in which they perform various antics on stage and interact with the crowd getting them very hyped and affording them the reputation as brilliant live performers.

Their song Smack was featured on Tony Hawk's Project 8, In game and also as skater Paul Rodriguez Jr.'s Footage Soundtrack.

In 2012 group member Dizzy Dustin appeared on UK Hip Hop artist Ricta's debut album Snacks & Deception.

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Elevator Music
Ugly Duckling Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Andy Cooper]
The baddest emcee (who's that) not me
I'm Technicolor on a black and white TV
And by the by, a motherlovin son who knows one day
That all of the tears wept will be swept away
So before the giant comes to from the slumber
Dig a last ditch effort to vacate the tundra
Dust off your ears, jump off of your best leg

Out of the catacomb into the nest egg
Now let me get my 15 minutes of fame
And I'll be as straight as Gibraltar
He said he'd make a funky beat and be as sweet as Walter
Payton hatin long drives to 9 to 5's
Man, he wanted high fives when the crowds arrive
So he frequents in sequins doin the neutron dance
Actin all jiggy for the cash advance
I hung a buffalo stance, crossed the Red Sea
And said don't you get fresh with me
Because if freshness was a dinner with all of the dressings
We'd be gluttons pushing buttons in the kitchen with the Jetsons
Dizzy Dustin, Andy, Einstein's the third man
Elevators going up like Junior Birdman

I'm movin up, movin on up
I'm movin up, movin on up
I'm movin up, movin on up
I'm movin up, movin on up, come on

[Dizzy Dustin]
I put the key in the ignition and enter the pole position
To outrun the competition on this expedition
To the Crystal Castle, I can't stay put
A millipede wants to feed on the back of my foot
Kept my eyes straight ahead and dodged the roadblocks
Dips and oil slicks, wet spots and falling rocks
Who wants to see themselves and their friends
grow to be old men, pondering what could have been
Break away the ties that hold me from the skies
and tell the hippy with the sticky not to skip me
You can try to pry the doors when stuck between floors
or call the foreman, but he's barnstorming
So I slide a token down the slot and press player one
to be the slayer in the dragon's lair tappin my thumbs
Against the buttons joystick in hand to command the missiles
Top score once more I enter my initials
Eyein a lion without becoming his lunch
Isn't easy in a pitfall on a jungle hunt
I set out to get out but cement shoes lack traction
So this time I'll climb with some elevator action

I'm movin up, movin on up
I'm movin up, Einstein, what you doing?
"Breaking people up."
Where you going?
"Up to the top floor." - - > Slick Rick

[Andy Cooper]
Steppin to the edge of the platform to plunge
Down into the think tank, the opening is narrow
As I'm hovering above the covering I start to fall
And feel the stomach butterflys rise out of my bone marrow
You can label me with chewing gum envy
cause I wish I could be care free to emcee
For a beatnik to a neatnik and anyone in between
And anyone that's beyond and anyone that's been conned (Strung along)
By the charismatic addict, the man on the stage
Giving power displays to astound and amaze
You'd better follow our ways, cause we've got the solution
But you're gonna have to pay, make a contribution
The Azraels and Gargamels may feel the need
To hurt the little people in order to feed greed
And, hey, they may laugh now, but later
They'll be sorry they didn't ride the elevator

I'm movin up, movin on up
I'm movin up, movin on up
I'm movin up, movin on up
I'm movin up, movin on up

Well, we lost our jobs.
What we're gonna do now?
I don't know, we should start that rap group we've been talking about
You still making beats, Einstein?
Eh, it's a hobby
Well, look who we be called, we could be like "The Fresh Three"
or something like that
I don't know, what about, "Ugly Duckling?"
"Ugly Duckling" Hmmm...
"This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.."

Now, we gotta practice, we gotta get together
You can practice at my house...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ugly Duckling's song Elevator Music are a playful commentary on the music industry and the pursuit of fame. The song is presented in three verses, each performed by a different member of the group. In the first verse, Andy Cooper reflects on the fleeting nature of stardom and the transitory nature of life. He uses a mix of metaphors, including references to the Jetsons and Walter Payton, to describe his desire for fame. In the second verse, Dizzy Dustin imagines himself on an epic journey, navigating through obstacles and dangers to reach the top. He uses a mix of video game imagery and metaphors to describe his journey. Finally, Einstein wraps up the song with a reflection on the music industry and the power dynamics that shape it. He suggests that musicians must be careful not to become pawns in the larger game of the industry.

Overall, the song offers a whimsical take on the music industry while also providing a message about the importance of staying true to oneself and not getting caught up in one's own pursuit of fame.

Line by Line Meaning

The baddest emcee (who's that) not me
I'm not the best rapper

I'm Technicolor on a black and white TV
I stand out in a crowd

And by the by, a motherlovin son who knows one day That all of the tears wept will be swept away
I'm optimistic about the future

So before the giant comes to from the slumber Dig a last ditch effort to vacate the tundra
Make a final effort to escape danger

Dust off your ears, jump off of your best leg Out of the catacomb into the nest egg
Wake up and start fresh

Now let me get my 15 minutes of fame And I'll be as straight as Gibraltar He said he'd make a funky beat and be as sweet as Walter
I want to gain recognition for my work in music

Payton hatin long drives to 9 to 5's Man, he wanted high fives when the crowds arrive So he frequents in sequins doin the neutron dance Actin all jiggy for the cash advance
People want recognition and celebration for their work

I hung a buffalo stance, crossed the Red Sea And said don't you get fresh with me Because if freshness was a dinner with all of the dressings We'd be gluttons pushing buttons in the kitchen with the Jetsons
I'm not going to let anyone push me around, even if it means missing out on opportunities

Dizzy Dustin, Andy, Einstein's the third man Elevators going up like Junior Birdman
We're a group called Ugly Duckling and we're rising to the top

I put the key in the ignition and enter the pole position To outrun the competition on this expedition To the Crystal Castle, I can't stay put
I'm determined to succeed and won't let anything hold me back

Kept my eyes straight ahead and dodged the roadblocks Dips and oil slicks, wet spots and falling rocks
I'm focused on my goals despite the obstacles in my path

Who wants to see themselves and their friends grow to be old men, pondering what could have been
We want to live our lives to the fullest and not have regrets

Break away the ties that hold me from the skies and tell the hippy with the sticky not to skip me
I'm breaking free from anything holding me back and asking for my turn

I set out to get out but cement shoes lack traction So this time I'll climb with some elevator action
I'm going to try a new approach to reach my goals

Steppin to the edge of the platform to plunge Down into the think tank, the opening is narrow As I'm hovering above the covering I start to fall And feel the stomach butterflys rise out of my bone marrow
I'm taking a risk and feeling nervous about it

You can label me with chewing gum envy cause I wish I could be care free to emcee
I want to be successful with my music without worrying about money

For a beatnik to a neatnik and anyone in between And anyone that's beyond and anyone that's been conned (Strung along) By the charismatic addict, the man on the stage Giving power displays to astound and amaze
My music is for everyone, and I'm not going to let anyone take advantage of me

You'd better follow our ways, cause we've got the solution But you're gonna have to pay, make a contribution The Azraels and Gargamels may feel the need To hurt the little people in order to feed greed
People will try to take advantage of you and make you pay to succeed

So I slide a token down the slot and press player one to be the slayer in the dragon's lair tappin my thumbs Against the buttons joystick in hand to command the missiles Top score once more I enter my initials
I'm playing a video game and dominating it

Eyein a lion without becoming his lunch Isn't easy in a pitfall on a jungle hunt
It's hard to succeed without getting hurt in the process

Well, we lost our jobs. What we're gonna do now? I don't know, we should start that rap group we've been talking about You still making beats, Einstein? Eh, it's a hobby Well, look who we be called, we could be like "The Fresh Three" or something like that I don't know, what about, "Ugly Duckling?" "Ugly Duckling" Hmmm... "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.." Now, we gotta practice, we gotta get together You can practice at my house...
We lost our jobs and are going to start a rap group called Ugly Duckling

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

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