cLOUDDEAD were an experimental hip-hop group from Cincinnati, Ohio, United … Read Full Bio ↴cLOUDDEAD were an experimental hip-hop group from Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, consisting of musicians Doseone (Adam Drucker), Why? (Yoni Wolf), and Odd Nosdam (David Madson). Generally Drucker and Wolf provide the group's vocals while Madson produces the music. Occasionally Madson's vocals can be heard, while Drucker and Wolf provide music, especially for the group's second album.

The group's name comes from a nonsensical knock-knock joke Drucker's sister told him when she was 6 years old. The joke runs like this:

"Knock-knock"
"Who's there?"
"Cloud-dead"...

But no-one remembers the punchline.

cLOUDDEAD's sound is notoriously hard to define, and although it is undoubtedly grounded in 'traditional' hip-hop, influences as varied as electronica, psychedelic music and indie rock can be heard. Because of this non-traditional take on hip-hop, more conservative corners of the rap community have labeled cLOUDDEAD as "smartarse surrealism" - with some rejecting the notion that the group can be classed as hip-hop at all, ignoring Doseone's request to 'just call it hip hop.'

cLOUDDEAD's first six 10" EPs were compiled in 2001 as a self-titled compilation album. The band's subsequent discography includes a further two 10" EPs, the single "Dead Dogs Two" and the album Ten. Printed on the sleeve of "Dead Dogs Two" is "this is clouddead number 9 of ten", indicating that as of Ten, cLOUDDEAD, as a group, have finished making music.

As of 2009 cLOUDDEAD came together under the name again to record a track on Themselves newest mixtape "theFREEhoudini" performing the song "Rapping 4 Money".

Rhymer's Only Room
cLOUDDEAD Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Rhymer's only room;
Cincinnati lone lie tomb.
Hiding under the ceiling over a cold skull winter bed spread.
Rhymer's only room;
Sweet smelling walk into cartoons.
Hiding in the seawee on the sea bed breath bloating welter weight land legs.
Rhymer's only room;
still sugar man to the hight school crew.

Hiding a garage full of let go balloon from the sky.

Rhymer's only room;
Cincinnati lone lie tomb.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Rhymer's Only Room" by cLOUDDEAD are open to interpretation, but the overall theme seems to be one of isolation, creativity, and possibly addiction. The first two lines indicate a sense of loneliness and confinement, with the singer being stuck in a tomb in Cincinnati. The next line describes the singer hiding under a winter bedspread, perhaps trying to stay warm in the cold, both physically and emotionally. The reference to cartoons suggests a desire for escape and a longing for the innocence of childhood.

The following lines seem to blur the line between reality and fantasy even further, with the singer hiding in seaweed on a sea bed and breathing bloating welter weight land legs. This surreal imagery could be interpreted as a reference to drug use or a desire to escape reality. The sugar man reference to high school crew suggests that the singer may have been involved in selling drugs or at least associated with those who did. The idea of a garage full of balloons is a reference to selling nitrous oxide, which is often sold in balloons.

Overall, the lyrics of "Rhymer's Only Room" suggest a complex mix of emotions, including feelings of isolation and a desire for escape from reality. The surreal imagery and references to drug use add an additional layer of meaning to the song, making it a multifaceted exploration of the human experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Rhymer's only room;
The only space for a poet to create.

Cincinnati lone lie tomb.
A desolate, forgotten corner of the city.

Hiding under the ceiling over a cold skull winter bed spread.
Seeking solace and inspiration under bleak circumstances.

Rhymer's only room;
The only space for a poet to create.

Sweet smelling walk into cartoons.
Entering a colorful world of imagination and fantasy.

Hiding in the seawee on the sea bed breath bloating welter weight land legs.
Concealing oneself in the depths of the ocean while feeling weighed down by the pressures of everyday life.

Rhymer's only room;
The only space for a poet to create.

still sugar man to the hight school crew.
Remaining a source of inspiration to those who remember one's youth.

Hiding a garage full of let go balloon from the sky.
Retaining a sense of childlike wonder and whimsy, despite growing older and more jaded.

Rhymer's only room;
The only space for a poet to create.

Cincinnati lone lie tomb.
A desolate, forgotten corner of the city.

Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS