GRANDMASTER & MELLE MEL - WHITE LINES (DON’T DON’T DO IT)

Publicació: 29 d'octubre de 1983

Llistes: EUA: #101   Regne Unit: #7

"White Lines (Don't Don't Do it)" és una cançó de l'artista nord-americà de hip hop Melle Mel, publicada com a maxi-single l'any 1983. La cançó adverteix dels perills de l'addicció a la cocaïna i el tràfic de drogues. "White Lines" es va publicar a Sugarhill Records, que es va convertir en el primer segell amb un èxit de rap quan van publicar "Rapper's delight" de The Sugarhill Gang el 1980. "White Lines" va ser l'últim èxit del segell.

Melle Mel va escriure la lletra, però la música d'acompanyament, inclosa aquesta línia de baix assassí, està interpolada a partir d'una cançó de ball anomenada "Cavern" del grup Liquid Liquid que va sortir a principis de 1983 i va ser un èxit als clubs a Nova York. La melodia vocal també prové de "Cavern", amb les paraules "what side" convertint-se en "White lines".

Aquesta cançó tracta sobre la cocaïna, avisant als oients a no consumir-ne mentre argumenten que les lleis de drogues als Estats Units són racistes i injustes, i els pobres nens negres reben sancions molt més dures per delictes de drogues que els empresaris blancs. Va ser la primera cançó de rap popular sobre drogues. Malauradament, el grup no va fer cas dels seus propis consells i alguns membres van desenvolupar greus problemes de drogues. Cowboy, que era un raper a Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, va morir de complicacions de la sida el 1990 després de desenvolupar una addicció al crack. Flash va revelar a la seva autobiografia que escoltava la cançó mentre anava a comprar crack, afirmant que sentia que Melle Mel s’ estava dirigint a ell personalment.

La lletra també fa referència al fabricant d'automòbils John DeLorean (ja heu vist el seu treball a “Back To The Future”), que el 1982 es va involucrar en un pla per salvar la seva empresa de la fallida amb diners de la droga. Va ser detingut per l'FBI per intentar comprar 24 quilos de cocaïna, però es va defensar amb èxit dels càrrecs ja que va demostrar que la seva suposada implicació era causada per un complot per part dels agents federals.

La veu ascendent "Ahh... Ahhhh... Ahhhhh" abans de la línia "get higher, baby" es va inspirar en "Twist and shout" de The Isley Brothers (versionada també posteriorment pels Beatles), que fa alguna cosa semblant al mig de la cançó abans del vers, "Shake it up baby". Ron Isley, que era bon amic de la mànager de Sugarhill Records, Sylvia Robinson, estava a l'estudi quan van gravar la cançó, cosa que va donar la idea a Melle Mel. 

GRANDMASTER & MELLE MEL - WHITE LINES (DON’T DON’T DO IT)

Released: October 29, 1983

Charted:  US: #101  UK: #7

"White Lines(Don’t Don’t Do it)" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Melle Mel, released as a 12inch in 1983. The song, which warns against the dangers of cocaine addiction and drug smuggling, is one of Mel's signature tracks. "White Lines" was released on Sugarhill Records, which became the first label with a rap hit when they issued "Rapper’s delight" by The Sugarhill Gang in 1980. "White Lines" was the last hit for the label.

Melle Mel wrote the lyrics, but the backing track, including that killer bass line, is interpolated from a dance song called “Cavern” by a group calle Liquid Liquid that came out earlier in 1983 and was big in the clubs. The vocal melody also comes from "Cavern," with the words "what side" becoming "white lines."

This song is about cocaine, urging listeners not to do it while making the case that drug laws in the US are racist and unjust, with poor Black kids getting much harsher penalties for drug offenses than white businessmen. It was the first popular rap song about drugs. Unfortunately, the group didn't heed their own advice and some members developed severe drug problems. Cowboy, who was a rapper in Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, died of complications from AIDS in 1990 after developing a crack addiction. Flash revealed in his autobiography that he heard the song while on his way to buy crack, stating that he felt like Melle Mel was speaking to him personally.

This lyric also refers to the car manufacturer John DeLorean (you've seen his work in Back To The Future), who in 1982 became involved in a scheme to save his company from bankruptcy using drug money. He was arrested by the FBI for trying to buy 24 kilos of cocaine, but successfully defended himself against the charges as he proved his alleged involvement was because of entrapment by federal agents.

The ascending "Ahh... Ahhhh... Ahhhhh" vocals before the "get higher, baby" line were inspired by "Twist and shout" by The Isley Brothers, which does something similar in the middle of the song before they sing, "Shake it up baby". Ron Isley, who was good friends with Sugarhill Records’ manager Sylvia Robinson, was in the studio when they recorded the song, which gave her the idea.