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.

www.uglyduckling.us/
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Eye on the Gold Chain
Ugly Duckling Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They got the eye on the gold chain
They got the eye on the gold chain

[Verse One]
When Young Einstein was a kid in the mid
80's he saw how the be -boys lived
They wore the fat gold to rock the rap song
Einstein's takin off, now he's puttin it on

There's not a pair of eyewear that can stop the glare
Of the Duke, overexposed in photo shoots
He salutes the days of old with chains of gold
He looked around then found that the chain was sold
Over to the airport he sets off metal detectors
Inspectors, pull 'em to the side and give 'em lectures
Going through his luggage, heh, they're tryin to test him
Threaten to arrest him, askin lots of questions
Like, "why do you have a box of tissue"
"To remove" "What?" "All the oily finger residue"
So look but don't touch, and let my chain shine
Yo, put it on Einstein

[CHORUS]
They got the eye on the gold chain, that's right
They got the eye on the gold chain, that's right

All right now here we go
Young Einstein
Check it out
My big gold rope
Always rock a jam every time I perform
Young Einstein
Check it out
Fat gold chain
Always rock a jam every time I perform
Einstein got a dookie gold rope

[Verse Two]
From Panama to Canada, Einstein's the man of the year
Get the trash outta here like a janitor
Chain so heavy when he step in the place
You could tap him on the shoulder and he fall on his face
Dropped the single fresh mode, you thought we would fold
Thirty days later, Einstein had gold
So what you sayin? My man scans the collectibles
For the LP chock full of delectables
For the MP he could reshape the lead break
Cut it in half, changin the speed rate
Or make it self-arranged when it's on the turntable
He wore the dookie when we met Queen Elizabeth
Asked her was she jealous, she said "A little bit"
I guess a crown jewel never compares
To the rope that the Einstein wears
They got the eye on the gold chain
They got the eye on the gold chain

[CHORUS] - repeat
{*adlibs and shoutouts 'til fade to end*}

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ugly Duckling's "Eye on the Gold Chain" focus on the importance of wearing a gold chain as a symbol of status and prestige. The song tells the story of Young Einstein, the rapper in the group, who was inspired by the looks of the be-boys in the mid-80s and wanted a gold chain for himself. The verse describes how he finally obtained a chain after finding that the one he liked had been sold to another person. Despite going through several security checks at the airport for wearing a bulky chain, Einstein remains proud and defiant, shining his gold chain brightly.

Ugly Duckling emphasizes the importance of having a "dookie gold rope," which is a thick and heavy gold chain that represents power and influence. Einstein's gold chain is so weighty that tapping him on the shoulder will cause him to fall on his face. The songstress also mentions how Einstein's gold chain allowed him to meet Queen Elizabeth, who was jealous of it.

The song speaks to the modern day's preoccupation with material wealth, wealth that is essential to be increasing in value. The outfit emphasizes the high status and wealth intrinsic in wearing gold chains, and anyone who is seen wearing them is regarded as having made it in life. Even though they may face numerous security checks and may be inspected at any time, gold chains remain a highly coveted item, and those who wear them do so with pride.

Line by Line Meaning

They got the eye on the gold chain
Everyone is envious of the gold chains that Young Einstein and other rap artists wear

When Young Einstein was a kid in the mid 80's he saw how the be-boys lived
Young Einstein was influenced by the way rappers lived and acted during his youth in the 1980s

They wore the fat gold to rock the rap song
Rappers wore large gold chains to style with their music back then

Einstein's takin off, now he's puttin it on
Young Einstein is now a successful rapper and wears his own gold chains

There's not a pair of eyewear that can stop the glare
Young Einstein's gold chains are so shiny that nobody can avoid looking at them

Of the Duke, overexposed in photo shoots
The gold chains are so eye-catching that they are on display even in photos

He salutes the days of old with chains of gold
Young Einstein respects the tradition of wearing gold chains in rap music

He looked around then found that the chain was sold
Young Einstein's chain was so popular that it was quickly sold out

Over to the airport he sets off metal detectors
Young Einstein's chains are made of real gold and are heavy enough to set off metal detectors such as those in airports

Inspectors, pull 'em to the side and give 'em lectures
Security officials take Young Einstein's chains very seriously and lecture him about it

Going through his luggage, heh, they're tryin to test him
Officials are suspicious of Young Einstein and his gold chains

So look but don't touch, and let my chain shine
People should appreciate the beauty of Young Einstein's chains without touching or damaging them

He wore the dookie when we met Queen Elizabeth
Young Einstein even wore his gold chain when meeting Queen Elizabeth, showing off how proud he is of it

I guess a crown jewel never compares
Young Einstein's gold chain is so special and unique that even the Queen's crown jewels cannot compare

To the rope that the Einstein wears
Young Einstein's gold chain is the most valuable thing he owns and he wears it proudly

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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