"Dusted 'N' Disgusted" from In a Major Way
E-40 featuring Spice 1, 2Pac, and Mac Mall
Produced by Mike Mosley
1995
I've never been especially active in keeping up with rap producers, but since I've gotten into West Coast G-Funk, the name Mike Mosley has frequently come to my attention. With "Dusted 'N' Digusted," Mosley provides the funk in spades. The militant bass line gives the track a raw sound, but with the use of some pitch-bending bells, it also has a peculiar whimsy. And to give it that true West Coast sound, there's an array of amazing synths throughout the track.
The song starts abruptly with E-40 on the mic, rapping about one of his mans getting dusted on some shady shit, which he reveals at the end of the verse to be set up by a woman. This develops into the central theme as the song progresses. It's more apparent by the time Spice 1 and 2Pac get through their verses, mainly because E-40's on such far out shit. For instance, at the end of his verse he says, "I know this one bitch that'll double dribble and set 'em up y'all / She likes the Monie in the Middle, play tetherball." I know that "Monie in the Middle" was a hit from 1990 by the British, Natvie Tongue-affiliated female rapper Monie Love, but I have no idea what that has to do with playing tetherball or anything else for that matter. I was a beast at tetherball in elementary school, by the way. I invented a move called the Genie. Seriously.
Spice 1 delivers the second verse, which finds the ruthless, Texas import dropping some impressive tongue-twisting rhymes. The aforementioned theme of women setting shit up becomes more apparent in Spice 1's verse, and even more so with the chorus.
E-40 comes back in with a short verse after the chorus, talking about plotting revenge by causing commotion on the other side of town so that they can "wait for the po-po shift to change." And, of course, that's when it'll become a "ghetto shootin' range." This all leads up to E-40 introducing 2Pac on the track.
2Pac comes out as hard as ever, continuing with the theme as he talks about being suspicious of a lady fixing to set him up. The verse is basically about him going after this woman and being ready for war at any moment. The end of his verse sums up what the song is all about when he says, "If you was smart figure, don't have no love in your heart nigga / Any complications pull the trigger, dusted 'n' disgusted / Bitches can't be trusted, you know the rules / They underhanded, she planned it, you fuckin' fool." 2Pac's delivery of those rhyme schemes is some true perfection if you ask me.
Mac Mall gets the ball rolling at the beginning of the fourth and final verse. Speaking of Mac Mall, his album from 1993 called Illegal Business? has been on loop in my car these days. Unfortunately, he only gets a brief moment on the track, but he definitely delivers. Mac Mall makes his Bay Area allegiance known by referencing E-40's song "Captain Save A Hoe" from the 1993 EP The Mail Man. Then he ends his verse on a hilarious note when he says, "I'm like Sylvester Stallone, everyday is like a Cliffhanger / Action packed, I let the mini-mac smack that ass."
Spice 1 comes back in at the end of Mac Mall's portion of the fourth verse, spitting his usual intimidating rhymes. He makes it known that he has no love for "low pink," which is a pretty hilarious term I've never come across before... I'm guessing that one's pretty self-explanatory. E-40 slides in at the end of the verse and drops some crazy tongue-twisting rhymes, balanced by some more modestly paced rhymes in between. He's pretty good at that, by the way.
The chorus closes it out. Revenge is had.
Here's a music video for a different version of the song, featuring Celly Cel in place of 2Pac. I'll let you go ahead and dissect Celly Cel's verse on your own.
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