At the big grocery store downtown, you can never be sure what kind of music you'll hear as you browse imported toothpastes, bulk snacks, and Kayseri's finest booze selection (yes, it's yanbancı (foreigner) paradise).Today, the store's radio mix served up Coolio's 1995 hit, "Ganster's Paradise."
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life
And realize there's nothin' left.
For those unfamiliar, it's a serious rap song about the trials of living the gangster lifestyle. Although it won a grammy 20 years ago, it only smacked of double-irony today. Like a Turk wearing a tacky Christmas sweater all winter. A strangely awesome reappropriation, I guess. The Turks were unmoved by the dark lyrics and connotations the 90's flick "Dangerous Minds."
And my homies is down so don't arouse my anger, fool
Death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away,
I'm living life, do or die, what can I say
I'm 23 now, but will I live to see 24
The way things are going I don't know
Thank you Coolio for making my day a little more interesting, and for reminding me that life is too short not to pick up that bottle of wine.
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