The story so far: I wrote here about my first cautious steps into the netherworld of barbershop singing.  Then earlier this week I re-posted something I wrote a while ago about rap music.  Neither genre, I will be honest, is where my natural musical tastes lie.  I do like a spot of jazz, however, and regular readers of this blog will be familiar with my occasional series about jazz treatments of pop material.  Here’s one, about a Gilbert O’Sullivan song.  And here’s another one, about an Italian jazz pianist covering The Beach Boys.  But this musical crossover happens elsewhere, too.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

Yup.  Barbershop and rap.  A marriage made in – well, you decide.

Barbershop and close harmony singing these days isn’t just about Sweet Adeline.  Groups have become much more wide-ranging in their choice of material.  Much more wide-ranging.  Given my shallow knowledge of rap and hip-hop it was probably not surprising that I wasn’t familiar with “Bitches Ain’t Shit” by Dr. Dre until now.  Golly, that guy has a telling way with words.  This is an a cappella rendering of Ben Folds‘s version.  But – be warned – the lyrics haven’t changed.  You know what I’m sayin’.  It’s filthy.  Mum, you might not want to press play on this one.  (Is this what they mean by parental advisory?)

Funny as hell, though.