Me Myself and I (De La Soul song)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Me Myself and I" (1989) is a musical composition by De La Soul.
It established the group's characteristic style of combining hip hop with humour and social commentary.
Music video
A music video was filmed for the song beginning with De La Soul in a guidance counselor's office, lamenting that they have to take a class taught by Professor Defbeat, followed by a short message by Prince Paul, who states, "if you take three glasses of water and put food coloring in them, you have many different colors, but it's still the same old water." The video then presents Trugoy, Posdnuos and Maseo entering a high school class taught by Professor Defbeat, who teaches his students the image-driven, mainstream style of hip-hop. Throughout the video, Posdnous, Maceo, and Trugoy are teased by their fellow students and punished by Professor Defbeat for sporting a unique style instead of conforming to the more popular hip hop image. These students are dressed in the stereotypical rap gear: gold medallions, sunglasses, leather jackets, expensive sneakers, jogging suits, baseball caps worn backwards, etc.
At the end of the video, mirror images of the three De La Soul members appear from the back of the class, each sporting a T-shirt that reads "Mirror Mirror". Each "Mirror Mirror" image gives their respective counterpart a school pass allowing them to get out of Professor Defbeat's class. Together, the trio leave their desks, throw their slips in Professor Defbeat's face, and leave the classroom.
The video also contains brief cameos from A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, along with a brief cameo from Randee of the Redwoods, a comedic hippie character made famous in promotional spots created by MTV in the late 1980s. He is seen during the part of the video where Posdnous says "You say Plug One and Two are hippies/No we're not, that's pure Plug bull". Randee is portrayed by actor/comedian Jim Turner.
List of samples
"Me Myself and I"
- "(Not Just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic (1979)
- "Rapper Dapper Snapper" by Edwin Birdsong (1980)
- "Funky Worm" by the Ohio Players (1973)
- "The Show" by Doug E. Fresh (1985)
- "Gonna Make You Mine" by Loose Ends (1986)
"Ain't Hip to Be Labeled a Hippie"
- "Hard Times" by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (1976)
"What's More"
- "You Baby" by The Turtles (1966)
"Brain-Washed Follower"
- "Funky President" by James Brown (1974)
- "You Made A Believer (Out of Me)" by Ruby Andrews (1971)
- "Booty Butt" by Ray Charles (1971)
- "So This Is Our Goodbye" by The Moments (1972)
