It would take the most naive of hip hop listeners to believe every word that comes out of a rapper’s mouth. Exaggeration is one of the elements of their craft. But it’s always amusing to see an rapper’s past directly contradict some part of a his lyrical persona. Take Dr. Dre, for instance. You might not have known that before he adopted an austere wardrobe and a permanent scowl for N.W.A., he was a member of the glittery World Class Wrecking Cru. After the jump, check out a few rappers who know what happens when an icky thing called “reality” encroaches upon their music personas.

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It's too bad she didn't have a Lil Wayne or George Michael routine ready to go, or this KTLA anchor could've been filling programming time with even more dance routines with a crime news peg.

Clip below (potentially buggy Redlasso).

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It's time for another edition of a new feature we'd like to call "Lyrics Re-Examined," in which we take a song that may once have been poignant and topical, extract a verse out of context, and admire the way in which its outdated lyrics now carry a whole new meaning.

Today's Example: "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice

Dance, bum rush the speaker that booms
I'm killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom
Deadly when I play a dope melody
Anything less than the best is a felony
Love it or leave it you better gain weight
You better hit bull's eye the kid don't play

In-Depth Analysis:

THEN: Vanilla's on top of his game, winning awards for his "brand new invention" of crappy white-guy rap music.

NOW: Vanilla becomes a cautionary tale the new spokesperson for TurboTax.com

CONCLUSION: If "anything less than the best" is a felony, then Vanilla's looking at some pretty serious jail time.

Previous Lyrics Re-Examined: Backstreet Boys "I'll Never Break Your Heart"