Lyrics!: Gappy Ranks

As an artist there are so many different things you can do to kind of 'distract' your listeners for better or for worse. Be it your delivery, the company you keep or literally thousands of other bits and pieces, you can always get the crowd to look in the direction that you want them to - and sometimes when you don't want them to. I don't quite know what it is about this guy, but he NEVER seems to get a real credit for being exactly what he is: One of the most lyrically talented artists in Reggae music today. Maybe it's the persona, maybe it's the deliver or is it something else? Regardless, I thought that I'd help things along just a little. Here are ten completely and totally random instances of wordy wizardry from the UK's finest - Gappy Ranks. 

Gappy Ranks

 -'Heavy Load'-

"Mount Zion I don't feel so high no more

And the rivers weh mi feel don't feel so deep

And mi carry dis - 

Heavy Load

Heavy Load

Jah Jah guide mi when mi touch di street 

So if you got a dream and you got a vision

And you living in di scheme, wid di dutty politician

There's knowledge inna book, you've gotta have some ambition

Nuff still ah look, but dem no know di definition

You've got to believe, don't give up for a second

You know what I mean

Just tell mi what I reckon

Nuff ghetto youths waan kick ball like Beckham

From New York, to Kingston, to Austin, to Peckham"

-'Why'- 

"Most High keep mi far from wrong

Mi no fear di bear, di eagle or di dragon

Mi nah jump pon babylon bandwagon

Every ghetto youth haffi reach Mount Zion

Mi name a mi name and mi nah change

Everyday it hard and di world get strange

Nah sell out mi soul and mi nah go exchange

Mi nah sell out nobody fi go drive out di range"

-'Coulda Runaway' w/Delly Ranx-

"I was born as a Ranks

Grow up as a Ranks

Lak di great Delly Ranks

So mi haffi give thanks

Mi ah shine lak a star, dem si mi from a distance

When badmind ah chat mi, mi no response" 

-'Maddest Ting'-

"Every community supposed to have an herbalist

To supply di people dem wid all strain of cannabis

You can ask di doctors and di nurses and di scientists

Herbs neva kill nobody yet, I hope you hear dis - Video

Put it pon di board an watch mi chop it up

Next thing mi put it inna rizzla an mi wrap it up

Mek di serious sellers a road dem know wi have it up

Even if a quarter, if a half or if ounce you haffa bag it up

Which herbalist have di maddest ting a road?

Mi waan fi know cah mi chalice haffi load

Which herbalist have di maddest ting ah sell?

Real high grade wid a high grade smell

As mi wake up a juss one of di first thing mi does

Go fi light up di herbs and get di morning buzz

Weed buss inna mi head and announce mi righteous

High grade mek mi feel marvelous

And mi no waan no white powder, mi no waan no needle

Weed weh seh, so a good over evil

Mi no waan no friend from no cokehead people

High grade alone mek mi fly like eagle"

-'Nah Ready Fi Die'-

"May he rest in peace to di ones dem weh gone already

Some die naturally, some no ordinary

You si yah friend?

Him ah drink an drive.

Tek out di keys from di car already

Badmind ah work a juss ah wait fi yuh give it up

One life you have, juss live it up

Nuff a dem seh crime pay

But same way, crime tek yah life away

Mi waan fi live till mi gray and old

Mi nah ready fi die right now

Mi nah ready fi die right now"

-'Stinkin Rich'-

"Cah mi si mi parents suffah, wid mi and mi sibling

Go to bed widout no suppah, not even a dumpling

Used to have whole heap a dream wid di money counting

Used to think about today and what tomorrow will bring

Searching-

Biggup all di ghetto youths weh hustlin

If you into 9-5 unuh just, keep working

Mi waan money inna bank, everyday turning

Cash card inna wallet, money stack up and a pon it

Mi haffi stinkin rich this year

Paper money or copper kind, mi no care

Haffi mek di money any time, anywhere

Mi no tek check, but mi mek check clear"

-'Life Goes On'-

Dem seh di good die young

Then if di good die young, then mi time soon come

Mi juss ah live and have fun

Mi juss ah hustle up di money till di money caan dun

It's so hard to think bout afta

Even through laughter-

And disaster"

-'I Was There'-

"I was there with the people, Japanese people

Who nah lose dem life, lose house and lose vehicle

Everybody calm, everybody equal

Nobody nuh fight, nobody nuh move evil

Dats why mi shed a tear, a million tears

Si di people weh die that day

Because I seen it and I know it

Mi ah remember till mi old and grey" 

-'Ragga Ragga'-

"Mi luv fi si when Bounty vs Beenie

Mi luv fi si when Shabba gone wid di Grammy

Mi luv fi si when Supercat clash Ninja

Mi luv music, a coulda Gaza or Gully

Mi luv fi hear Bass Odyssey and Stonelove

Mi luv fi hear Killamanjaro and Addies

Mi luv fi hear Bob Marley, Dennis Brown,  Sugar Minot, Gregory Isaacs, Alton Ellis

Biggup di Ranks dem -

Cutty! Delly and Louie!

Mi dun biggup Shabba Ranks already

Biggup Capleton weh bun dung dreddie

Biggup Mr. Wacky, him start Weddy Weddy

Who have the energy?

Somebody seh Ele

Luv fi si Sean Paul and Shaggy pon tele

Crowd start fi cheer when dem announce  Kalonji

Fans all around from all town and country

Mi luv how di Killa bring Vybz Kartel

Busy!

And Mavado start well

Step pon di stage, di whole place start shell

Alright, mek mi talk bout Gargamel

Biggup every banton -

Buju Banton, Mega Banton

Wayne Wonder, Sanchez and Lukie D fi sing di anthem

Singing Melody and Tony Curtis sing di harmony

Hail up Alborosie, Gentleman from outta Germany

My name is Gappy Ranks, I come from England, have you heard of me?"

-'Peace & Joy'-

No food fi di poor and di hungry

Shootout pon di boundary

Clothes dutty and mi caah go a laundry

If mi get a white shirt, dat a luxury

Big boss have you any work in di factory?

Cah mi caah buy flour, saltfish and ackee

Time pass till all mi hair get natty, mi no waan tun inna no John Gotti

So mi juss-

Hold up mi head high

High to di sky

Yuh caan stop a man weh a try

Mi nah stoop fi di M-O-N-E-Y

Cah mi doh want a piece of di babylon pie

Jah Jah know it's a ocean of tears I cry-

Fi di youth dem weh missin and di ones dat die

I si how dem bring drugs and boom bye bye

So mi nah stop bun dem till di day I die!

It's like dem waan mi kill mi bredrin fi loaf of bread

But I shall not live on bread alone

Mi nah sell out mi bredda dem fi loaf of bread

Dem waan mi dead, dem waan di John Crow fly ova head

Tell dem my heart still beats lak di Afrikan Drum

Just words and power from an Afrikan son

You doh have to rich to be happy

Mi si smiles pon poor people face and dem don't even have it

I'm searching for peace and joy

Food and water mi seh fi every girl and boy

I'm fighting fi equal rights, Jah Jah light shine bright

Keep mi through di darkest night

Mi waan fi mek di world feel love

Every ghetto youth haffi fly inna di sky like a dove

Cuz no one man is an island

So mi two foot ah stand pon dry land"

I bet you can't guess who this is