Dissect DJs - Usher, Ludacris and Lil Jon - Lovers and Friends

Episode Date: March 12, 2021

We dissect part 2 of possibly the greatest trio collaboration in hip hop history with Usher, Ludacris and Lil Jon and determine art of "Lovers and Friends" and when it makes sense to be up in the bathtub rubba dubbin. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Usher, lusian, luscious, luscious, dig-da, dig-da, dig-d-dick-da, dig-da, dig-da-dig-dig-a-degat Dijee. This song. It's a song. You know we had to do it. Go to the scene of these ladies, man. Oh, oh, oh. Oh.

Let's see. Baby, who that you find when I knew what you got in mind. And I got me feeling like you to see, girl, I can't leave you alone. Take a shot of this hippotron. Then it's gonna be your mind. The IP then got way too crowded I'm about to and I'm calling it a night You should

I'll love at your girl Tell her you shake in a scene Pull off beat, peep shotgun and a GT with me She said Before he gets into that next line We gotta introduce ourselves It is the die Oh, oh, oh

Zah! DJ Jack DJ Castle Cast Easy in the building And we decided to Because we just talked out of the previous fucking episode. If you weren't listening, go listen that we needed to talk about. Why you not listen

to our previous episode? Let's get after it. If you're new to the one, just wait because on the next episode, you'll hear us talk about why we brought up Little John, ludicrous, and Urshar. So we basically just talked about the best trios in the history of music.

Okay? And it's coming in, collaborationizing into one epic jam, because Blurred Lines is the second greatest trio is what I called out. Because the first greatest trio to ever come together and collaborate is Ersh, Liljohn, and Luda. Luda! Now, this is his opinion. My opinion is when David Bowie, Luther Vandross, and Diana Ross got together on their track, was the American song?

It's going to be an American. It's going to be an American. Oh, what a tree. Oh, David Bowie. Yeah, you sold that fantastically. It was the name, only because I forget

that it's American. Oh, it was such a good song that you forgot what the song was. Oh, what the fuck is? It's American. Oh, wait, let me get this. Because it's a good song, and I wish it was way better

because it sounded better. You wish the song was better? American. American, Bowie, it's American. Why do I not know this? I'm a DJ, and I should know this. Oh, it's just a young Americans. It's just a young Americans.

And then Luther Bradshaw comes in, Young Americas. And they're just like, Ah! All right. Just to help contacts that, I'll give it some play right now. All right,

yeah, I'm still going with Ursh, little John, and Luda. There's other ones. But anyways, those are good. And I got to say,

I just love that the song begins with them being like, you know, we had to do it again, right? We had to do it again, boy. What did they do the first time? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah. Wait, listen to that beat real quick. Listen that beat. because it's a classic God, that's a good beat. I remember listening to that beat when it first came out.

We had that song three months before it came out and we were bumping that before the club and we were like, and everyone was like, what song was that? We're like, don't worry about it. It was tight.

Yeah, that's a good one. You're right. So that's what they first came out with and this is their second. So this is what I was getting in the previous episode is that I think Farrell, Robin Thick,

and Tia could have surpassed them because I, I think their first jam was better than the first jam that Lil John, Luda, and Ercher came out with. You think blurred lines is better than yeah? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Tripping.

All right. Go ahead. Continue. So, I think that you gave that one five slabs last week. What the fuck? Yeah, but if you put, yeah. Yeah, more than five slabs? Oh, yeah.

He gets five claps and a bunch of snaps. All right. Well, to me, I think this song that we're about. about to do is better than yes so that's the thing i love is that they actually did it better this time and shrippin and i think that if ferell robin thick and tiac actually put their minds together and came up with a second version to actually try to like outdo their previous one the same way these three did i think they could have become the best trio in hip-hop history but as it stands the fact that these guys did it twice what a classic they really cover all the bases man you got ursher he's got your

R&B vocals. Luda, one of the best come off the bench, hip hop rap vocals ever. And Lil Jon, he's just, just his, he actually, this, I will argue that this is the best Liljohn ever actually sounds because he steps away from his usual go-to. And he kind of, we'll get into that though. We're going to get to that point. The point is, it is the DASC D.Js.

And we are throwing it back all the way to 2004, late 04, which is an important year for me because that's the difference between beginning college and ending high school. So to me, this song reminds me of getting into college. Lovers and friends, Little John, Usher. And the fact that Little John is actually the title artist on it is kind of hilarious because he does the least amount of work. But you know what?

That's what makes him brilliant, you know? So we come in hot. They say, we had to do it again. Uh-oh. Has anybody come in and hit no? notes better than Usher does. Yeah, I would have to say, yeah, but he came in good, though. He came in good.

Who does it better? I mean, there's many of artists that comes in harder than that. I mean, I can't name him off the top of my head. If you just want him, somebody like singing notes, I don't know. He's up there. He's in the top five. I mean, Michael is definitely a better. I said he's top five.

He's top five. And then he's like, I guess I'm up first. Michael coming with, why? Why? That's a little bit much to me, no, I'm beyond. it sometimes. I didn't like... I like the way...

I like the way Ursch actually sings the... All right, all right. We heard it the first time. You're tripping, you wouldn't... He sings the... He actually sings it. Michael, sometimes,

he's a little bit too aggressive on the... Uh-huh. Yeah, I don't know. I get a little tired of that after a little bit. Wait. Come on. She maybe do that next. Anyways, a little too slow.

can't do back-to-back slow. But anyway, the title of the song, Lovers and Friends, in and of itself is a little bit of a, you're stretching the lines there. You're pushing the limits. Are they, though? You're being honest and truthful,

but it could bite you in the butt or it could be a great place to be with your friend, who is now your lover. I don't know. I kind of want my lover to be a friend, though. No, I mean, that's what I'm saying, but if you don't establish that, you guys are friends as well as lovers.

Did you notice that, the word that... Cut me off then before anything. It's cool. Go ahead. Let me hear you. Go ahead. No, I don't feel like talking anymore. What do you got? Did you notice that the first word is lover and not friend? If it was friends and lovers, totally different thing. For the fact that it's lover and friends. It's the same fucking thing. No, it's a huge difference. No, no. Friends and lovers, lovers and friends literally same fucking thing. No, no. See, this is where you're mistaken.

This is where you're... Because we want that lover to be a friend. If it's a friend that you want to be a lover... If it's friend and lover, if it's friend and lover and then you're lover and friends, you're literally friends and lovers and lovers and friends. First word matters sometimes. I disagree. Journalism major 101. Okay. All right, go ahead and say what you're trying to say.

Nothing. All I'm trying to say is lovers and friends. You know, you got to establish that early. Make sure it's known that you guys are lovers of friends because somebody can cross that line and think there are lovers and a bit more. and the other person's like, yeah, but no, we're just friends because I have, like, other friends that I'm lovers and friends with. So I got to make sure, you know, you know what I'm lovers.

So just minding it out there. If you are doing lovers and friends with your friends and being lovers with them, just make sure it's established so everybody knows. And as long as everybody knows, shit, it's on and cracking at that point. All right, well, let's see how they describe it. And I think Ursch is at first, so let's see how I guess it. She said, oh. I was like, yeah, because once you get inside, you can't change your mind.

I mean the sun invasion, but you got a promise, baby. Oh. Tell me again, my big man. Oh, yeah. Oh, before we leave. It's a good look, baby. What's the little looking into? Well, first, we got to touch on what Earth just went over.

I mean, that's how I meant. What Earth are getting into? He says, got me feeling like Joe to Seeger, like, can't leave you alone. Take a shot of his hip, but chone, and it's going to be young. So does that not mean that Joe? Jodicee has a song, girl, I can't leave you alone. Let's Google it. Let's listen to that real quick.

Let's Google it. Jodicy, I can't leave you alone. I feel like I know it once you play it. Let's check this out. Take my money. The song is called Fienin. Oh, yeah. I know Fienin.

That's it. Does he say, I can't leave you alone? Huh? Can't leave you alone Is that one to get this? All right. Yeah, so he can't leave her alone because of, I can't leave her.

Yeah. I got to say, after listening to Jodacy, you forget that, like, Usher is kind of, like, one of those last, like, survivors of that 90s R&B that he really, like, goes and hits those notes, and he just, like, throws us all into it. I feel like the closest we have to that now

might be, like, I don't know, like Miguel. He's the only one I can think of real quick. off the top of my head that like throws his all into like lines doing in the 90s everybody was doing that but jodice was like right at the top of the mountain doing that and like when we just heard that it was like yeah man like they really want you to believe every one of these lyrics that they're throwing at you know what i mean and usher was one of those guys who started in the 90s he can't leave he would know he carried it along brought into the 2000s you got him feeling like jodicy girl he can't leave it alone so then he takes a shout of his patrol it's gone

beyond. Which, by the way, one shot of of patrol will turn you up every once in a while. That's why Petron is my gym. Yeah, I can't take it anymore, but I remember,

I do remember when I did do it, it was like, all right, it's not at a party. Once you took one of those. I just knew every time I do it from this point on, it's, I'm going to be sick tomorrow. It's going to be on.

I'm going to be sick tomorrow. But it's going to be on. VIP done got way too crowded. He's about to end up calling out of night. The IP did got way too crowded. No. I'm about to end up calling him. she should

hello your girls how'd all your girls how they're shaking and seeing pulled up beep beep check out of the GT with me

she said oh yeah because when you get inside you can't change your mind don't mean

sound impatient but you got a problem baby hey tell me tell me again my baby

oh yeah show you right oh before we need it's a good look baby really good look baby

Sometimes I want to be your lover Sometimes I want to be your friend Sometime I want to hug you Hold hands, slow dance while the record's spin Opened up your heart because you said I made you feel so comfortable Used to play back then now you all grown up like Rudy Huxable I could be your bug

You can beat me up Play fight in the dark then we both make up I do anything just to feel your bug Why you got me so messed up I don't know but you gotta stop tripping Be a good girl now turn around and get these whiffy You know you like it Like that you don't have to fight back

Here's a pillow bite That And I'll be setting separate plays So on all these separate days Your legs can go they separate way Let me tell me It's a good look Baby

Over and over and over And again Make sure you ride Before you choose Ludacris Always kills it I thought he was third verse track on this, but he's actually second.

So Luda's in the third verse Hall of Fame because he's one of the best third verse rappers that you'll ever get. Usually closes tracks off fucking perfectly. But I appreciate the fact that he's second verse in this one because don't put little John before him. Let me explain real quick because I've expressed the third verse Hall of Fame several times in the history of the Diasic DJs if you are an avid Diasake DJ follower where you have heard me get into it.

Why I love the third verse rapper is because if you could make the third verse pop as the best part of the entire track, that right there in itself is Hall of Fame worthy because we're supposed to kind of start fading out on the track real quick, right? We don't necessarily want the third verse to be the best part, but if you're able to make it the thing that everybody remembers, that puts you right there in the third verse Hall of Fame, all right? So Luda, Snoop, T.I, and then Roddy Rich, he had his one verse

that he was like stepping into it, but he's not there yet. Lute is the second verse in this one. He says, Sometimes I want to be your lover. Sometimes I want to be your friend. Sometimes I want to hug you. Hold hands, slow down, so the record spins. That's real sweet shit.

And we don't usually get that from Lut, right? He usually comes in and he's coming in aggressive. Usually he jumps on the track. He attacks it. He starts taking bites out of its shoulder. He starts, like, hitting it in the mouth, whatever he needs to do. This is a different track, you know? This is lovers and friends.

So he's very kind of gentle. as he like he massages his way in right he opened up your heart because you made him feel so comfortable used to play back then now you're all growing up like rudy hugsdible which is a cosby reference which might not play nowadays but the fact that he doesn't say cosby i think it still works you know what i mean somehow everybody knows who rudy huxdable is and i don't know how but like everybody knows like that's cosby from like i don't know how i don't know how even like people that weren't grow up then they're like oh that's cosby for some reason yeah yeah because they were the huxdables Yeah, they were Huxbulls.

So he could be your bud, but he could also beat, you could beat him up. Play fight in the dark, you both make up. He does anything, just to feel your butt. For yo, bud. Why you got, why? So this is where it gets confusing, because, like, right now it sounds like everything's perfect, right? He's play fighting in the dark. You're his bud, and he could beat him up, like Rudy Huxstable.

He does anything to feel your butt. But now he's got you so messed up. up. Like, where did this happen? I don't know, but you gotta stop tripping. Be a good girl, not turn around and get these weird things. I don't know. Okay, now that just took a whole other turn. That's where I told you earlier, man, if you don't if you don't, if you have blurred lines

and you don't clear those lines and you let them know, hey, we're just like friends that bang. Don't think I'm your man because Carol over there is going to be banging me tomorrow. Like, you got to let them know or else it gets clear. It gets

fucked up real quick and you could fuck of friendship. So instead, be clear. Now turn around and get these weapons. All right. What kind of whippings we're talking about? It's like some Toby shit. Yo name is Toby. Ha-da.

I don't know who Toby is. You've never seen roots? No, but I know Toby from the Great Mouse Detective. I thought you're going to say the office. It's fine. Toby's always suck. That's the point. No, Toby was the dog in the Great Mouse. Nobody ever wants to be the Toby.

Anyways. Hello, Toby. he would like sniff out shit. Sounds like you get detected. What was the dog? Whatever. Well, the fact is this verse is very back and forth as to whether or not he's like in a good place with her

or like kind of shaky grounds. Which also, let's be real, kind of relatable. Because it sounds like everything's good but then it's like, you got me so messed up. I don't understand like what's going on. Why is this all confusing? Like you got to stop tripping.

get these weapons and that part is a little bit not relatable that part I don't get but you don't have to fight back here's the pillow bite that I'll be sitting separate ways

so on these separate days your legs can go these separate ways and that's why Luda's in the third verse Hall of Fame because he closes out verses like that that's what I'm talking about Ludo was clearly lover first friends

but we're still going to bang first does that not going to back to my original point. No, he was lovers. Why it's lovers and friends and not friends and lovers. You can still be a friend and still banging and be lovers. He, this looted was just more like,

yeah, we're friends or whatever, but they're not friends and lovers. They're lovers and friends. He's not even friends with her. I got to be honest, he's not even friends with her. This man just wants to spread her legs,

give her weapons, and have her bite a pillow. Okay, so. He said he holds hands, slow dance how the record spins and she's just be growing up like Rudy Huxable. Yeah, now he bangs her with a pillow.

You're right. None of that actually suggests other friends. Yeah, no, he's just... That whole verse actually goes back to, like, yeah, he mostly wants a banger. He just wants it. He's, I tell you. That's the main thing. The friends part is just for her to feel better about the situation. Yeah.

So... Yeah, Luda's just trying to hit that. That's it. Thank you for finally joining me. And with that, little John... But, I mean, it's not like he's not friends with her, but the point is lovers is first. That's... He's definitely trying to love it.

And with that Little John comes out. All right, Lil. Don't break down. The beat stops. And Liljohn actually wants to come up. and something that's slightly more than yeah or what. So I'm all about it. Let's hear it.

What? touch it Soda. Soda. Soda. This one This one This one

This one This will say Rubber Dubbing He says you in the bathtub rubbed Dubbing Rubber Dubbing. Rubba Dove and sexy. Never forget that Lil John

tried to make Rubba Dove and sexy. In the bathroom, rub a dubbing. If there's one thing that you take from this episode, may that be the memory that lasts, okay? I just can't, never got out of it. Never. In the bath, Rub-a-N-Dubbing. Like the idea of you and your partner

being in the bathtub, and there's like some rose petals going on, you got some bath salts, there's bubbles, you got some lavender. Rub-a-dubub and then there's a random rub-a-dubbid ducky. Just like, yeah, baby. You rub-a-dubbing. Always made me laugh, dude.

The bathroom. It's just like, what are you talking about, Luda? That's not even looted. Little John, do you? We're talking about rub-and-dubbing. And then he tries to get gangster right after that by using the N-word, like not even four words after that. Like, I would never never listen.

No. No, you lost your credibility, dude? No, your credibility got stretched. Right when you did rub-a-dubbing, she would look at you like Rubber-devin Really? Rubber-devin? All right.

Well, but we do actually Got to like run it back a little bit Before that. All right. I just surprised. I's been knowing you for a long time. Okay. Shaudet.

But fucking never crossed my mind. Shouda. Bullshit. I'm gonna call bullshit. I'm calling bullshit. Yeah. Second verse? Second verse.

You're going to call that out second verse? Third verse. Third verse. Oh, all right. This is the third verse because Luda got the second one. No, no, no. I mean verse. I'm saying, in his line.

Second line. Second line in his verse. Oh, yeah, yeah. Right out the gate, he's like, never crossed him mind, though. It didn't cross. Okay, so you're attracted to this girl. You're going to tell me it didn't cross my mind.

Never crossed. Immediately the first. Fucking Lil John. Little John of all people. No. Tell me that. All right. No.

Never crossed my mind. But tonight, he's seen something in you that made him want to get with you. Shout out. You ain't been nothing but a friend of me but never ever

dream we'd be. Up in here kissing, hugging, squeezing, touching, up in the bathtub. Rubber dabbin. Rubber dubbing. Girl, we over here

rubbidubbing. And then he's like, are you sure you want to go his route? Let me know before I pull it out. And it's like, there is no way that little John has ever been like this, like,

hey, I want to make a sure. All right. We had a good friendship going. Are you sure you want to fuck this up by fucking a rapper that's trapped 3020 days a year? You were just rubbedo, devin, and now I'm going to pull it out though. Come on, man.

I want to make sure. I don't know. All right. Look, hey, I love the spirit of this song, because to be honest, the friendship crossed in the line thing. Which episode is it that we actually brought this up in? This has definitely been brought up at some point, right? Friendship crossing the light scrubs?

No? Was it GLC? Oh, wait, wait. Was it Craig David Week? Craig David. Yeah, yeah, yes. Craig David Week was big on this. Definitely was Craig David Week.

Okay. So Craig David Week, go ahead and listen back to those ones. It's been discussed, and he discussed it in a very classy way, of course, as Craig David only does. It's a touchy subject sometimes to go from friends to lovers, which is why I made the point that this song is lovers and friends. and friends because that's the main thing that's on their mind. Like, Little John, Luda, Usher, are you sure? They're definitely thinking lovers first, friends, second, okay? And I'm not going to cash rate them for that.

There's a lot of guys that that's exactly where they stand. I'm not going to even try to pretend like that's a lot, you know? A lot of guys are thinking lovers first, friends second. Are you saying they're trying to be lovers but friends because they want to continue to bang other? I just thinking that they don't want to think that like, hey, just because I want to be lovers with you, doesn't mean we can't be friends. I got you. This is a personally reasonable thing.

I think I'm more right. They didn't want to commit because they're banging everything on tour. So, yeah, that's why I think they do that shit. I think in any way you stretch it, you want to put lovers and friends in the same sentence. It's something that I think everybody has a counter at least at some point, whether it was friends that became lovers or lovers that you couldn't be friends with or lovers that you wanted to be friends with and maybe it was you know there's just so many different ways that like the two words go together that the two ideas come together inevitably are going to cross paths so

the ideas that they're going over in this is really it leaves a little bit up to you but also like how you want to interpret it but at the same time like you we hear from each one of all three of these guys as to like what it means to them. And to Lil John, it means up in the bathtub, rub a dubbin. Yeah. What does it mean to you? I don't know, but let's finish it have these folks finish it out because I think Usher breaks it down at the end here. Oh man, Usher's breakdowners.

Let's hear it. Yeah, I'll finish it out. I'm going to try it real quick. All right. I'm going to try one and then you try that. All right. I think we did pretty good. Let's see if Usher beats us.

Look, hey, hey. Add a little reverb. That's a hard note to hit. Add a little extra reverb. Especially three, four times in a row. Look, you can hit on Usher for a lot of things, but you can't hate on his ability to get it with the deep vocals. He knows how to hit those high notes.

He wouldn't be around still if he didn't. He wouldn't have made lovers and friends a jam if he could. Yeah. Well, he likes it my way. Ooh. Does you just call out my favorite Ursch, Jen? Yeah, because I know you don't. You did not.

I know you. But real simply, man, nothing much to really say other than I disagree. Yeah, I was way better than this. And I think lovers and friends is an okay thing. And I like the way they put it together here. As long as you establish that with your friend, let them know. If it's not known and you're being that guy, you're fucking up. You're being an asshole.

So don't be an asshole. Don't be an asshole. Talk to your friend. Let her know, hey, let's be lovers and friends. That's what they're trying to do here. That's literally the name of the song. Yeah. So just make sure it's established.

It's all I'm making sure. Everybody knows. If you're going to do it, especially if you're up in the bathtub Rubba Dovin. Like, it should definitely be discussed if not before then. That's, if he's watching you Rubba Doe? Is there a better time to discuss lovers and friendship than when you're in the bathtub Rubber Dobbin?

It's an awkward conversation. Like, so are we going to fuck and still go to each other's like, you know, family get-together? It's an awkward conversation, but you've got to have it. If it's ever meant to be had, it's when you're in the bathtub. Rub-debub. No question. If there's that rober ducky that's floating between the two of y'all, it's like, all right, look, let's get this out of the way. Let's figure this out right now.

I'm ready. All right, hit it. All right, I'm going to start going first. You literally just take my shit every fucking time. I got nothing now. I don't even know what the fuck to do. Except I was not going to get, I was going to go way more than two slaps. You only give this shit two slaps.

Two slaps is all it gets. It's all fucking sucks. You're fucking full of shit, dude. Yeah. Yeah. is overrated. Yes, the one that's overrated. It's definitely overrated. You got two and a couple of usher. Look, yeah, it's fine, but it's played out. It's so played out.

This song is not played out. Nobody's ever played this one out, but it always worked for me. Anytime when somebody wants to throw this one. All right, let it slap it out. Let it go. No. All right. I'll turn it to a snap. He was trying to do a four slap. Just because Justin was looking at me with a fucking... Come on. You're going to put this on the same level as our other four slappers? I'll put the other four slappers,

you'll be like, no. Here's the thing. That's becoming tough as a DioC DJ. It's like, we start having to gauge these things as we've measured before. And I gotta be honest, if there's probably some,

there's been some times I've listened back to old episodes. I'm like, man, I gave that one four slaps. I don't know about that. So now that we've actually kind of like created a measure

as to what things are, like you start, like we actually need to actually create a graph somewhere. I'm going to make this. That'll make it easier to measure. Because as I was thinking about the song, I was like, that's at least a for a slapper. It's close.

It's close. I love this song. I've never not liked this song. There's never been a time where the song plays where I'm like, you know what? And it's partly because it doesn't overplay. Yeah, got way overplayed for me. So now I'm just kind of like, I know you like it because it is the baseline 100 BPM. 105.

105, yeah. That's what you measure with everything else. This is my mental, baby. Yeah, man. I hear you. And, yeah, I hear you. But real quick, side. notes for all the future.

We're going to be having portable podcast. I named that it. We may change the name, but Castle and I are actually going to be doing a YouTube. We can say it's live, but really we'll put the edited version later. Edited us going out, taking our podcast to the streets, talking to people as they're walking by, talking to people as they're driving by. And it's going to be a whole new thing. So look for that. And we decided to finally just give in, fuck it, let's just do a TikTok.

You know what I mean? We're going to be on TikTok doing it. We're going to go do some tic-tok. And bros is going to be on there. It's going to open up the, you know what? Because it came down to this. Hey, we need more audience. We want more opportunity to, like, express ourselves.

And if TikTok gives us more reason to want to, like, create videos and make more content and have more people to check us out, what are we holding it back for? Why not? Let them. So look for that, guys. We're going to be having some of all new content coming in 20-21. Coming in soon, definitely by summer. We'll definitely have the, what was the one you just talked about?

TikTok. TikTok coming. way before summer and then we'll have our portable podcast up and running probably by summer. So be ready for that. We brought the cameras. We brought cameras. We're going to have a lot set up. We got a We're going to talk to people and ask them random questions as they

walk by and hopefully it is a story and a fun time. We'll make it work. We'll make them dance with me and shit. But beyond that lovers and friends, all you guys out there that are friends and lovers communicate. Be lovers and friends. You can do both. I'm

saying you can do both. I'm just saying you can do both. I'm just saying communicate, so do those things. You do both by communicating. You know what, fuck it. You know what? Throw her head in a pillow and just call it a day. Also, Justin's ready to rebuttal. Nah, never mind.

I'm good. Next!