Is there a rap/hip-hop song that references Roman poet Catullus?

November 25, 2011 8:37 PM

Is there a rap/hip-hop song that references Roman poet Catullus?

I heard a rap song at a bar recently and several people and I were both sure we heard 'Catullus.' I don't know anything about rap but I find this amusing. I know this is a long shot, but wondering if any of you guys had heard it and could confirm that this was the real deal. All Google turned up were some pretty embarrassing Latin raps.

posted by vanitas to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

The closest I know of (in my very loyal but somewhat limited) hip-hop mind is the El-P/Aesop Rock track "Delorean", which features the (according to random lyric site, but it matches my best guess) following stanza (emphasis mine):

I splash commoner fragments, rattle crews, cattle lose
Fabulous four finger ringer, backflip, discount mechanism
Sex distortion, terror gorn from old favorate phasing
Famous danger lacing agent, baby

But the way it's said, it could easily be mistaken for Catallus, I think (I know fuck all about Roman poetry).

That'd be a pretty intense track to hear at a bar, though. Just the first thing that popped into my head after reading your post.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:03 PM on November 25, 2011

Perhaps a reference to this?
posted by dhens at 9:42 PM on November 25, 2011

I doubt it, but Catullus was a battle rapper before hip-hop even existed.

And now you know the Latin word for face-fuck. Congrats.
posted by empath at 10:42 PM on November 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

If I were to guess, you probably heard 'fabulous', which is pretty common in hip-hop lyrics.
posted by empath at 10:47 PM on November 25, 2011

The first thing that came to mind (and thanks, it's now stuck in my head) is the Black-eyed Peas' song Imma Be. Not Catullus, but the lyrics go:

We can't help that we popular
And all these folks want to flock to us
Come to a show and just rock with us
A million plus with binoculars

Imma be, Imma be, Imma be, Imma be
posted by Weeping_angel at 12:13 AM on November 26, 2011

Catullus Rap.

Slightly more seriously: Catullus 16 (music video); The Decline an' Fall o' da Roman Empire.
posted by progosk at 12:28 AM on November 26, 2011

How is this Catullus pronounced? The way I'm inclined to say it, it sounds like catalyst.
posted by attercoppe at 12:35 AM on November 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: It's like ca-TEL-us. At least that's how my Latin teacher pronounced it!

I'm beginning to wonder if the actual lyrics were "can't tell us". Still, the hilarity that has been produced on this thread makes it well worth my time to have asked this question.
posted by vanitas at 9:21 PM on November 26, 2011