http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/creole_art_toast_tradition.html

This particular tradition among African Americans is African-based, as many other diasporan African groups practice toasting, particularly Jamaicans. It is scatological street poetry which transcends the street into the prisons... One might even say that Rap has it's roots in Toasting(smile!) The article is beautiful, though, and I hope you all will have some fun reading it, and perhaps creating your own toasts!(smile!)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Shine and the Titanic

It was a hell of a day in the merry month of May
When the great Titanic was sailing away.
The captain and his daughter was there, too,
And old black Shine, he didn't need no crew.
Shine was downstairs eating his peas
When the . . .water come up to his knees.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs eating my peas When the water come up to my knees."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine went downstairs looking through space.
That's when the water came up to his waist.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs looking through space,
That's when the water came up to my waist."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine went downstairs, he ate a piece of bread.
That's when the water came above his head.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs eating my bread
And the . . .water came above my head."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine took off his shirt, took a dive. He took one stroke
And the water pushed him like it pushed a motorboat.
I'll give you more money than any black man see."
Shine said, "Money is good on land or sea.
Take off your shirt and swim like me."
And Shine Swam on.
Shine met up with the whale.
The whale said, "Shine, Shine, you swim mighty fine,
But if you miss one stroke, your black self is mine."
Shine said, "You may be the king of the ocean, king of the sea,
But you got to be a swimming son-of-a-gun to out-swim me."
And Shine swam on.
Now when the news got to the port, the great Titanic has sunk,
You won't believe this, but old Shine was on the corner **** near drunk.

As popular a toast as "Shine and the Titanic," "The Signifying Monkey" is an animal tale that occurs in many versions. The following is a child's version of this popular toast.

The Monkey and the Lion
Got to talking one day.
Monkey looked down and said, Lion,
I hear you's a king in every way.
But I know somebody
Who do not think that is true--
He told me he could whip
The living daylights out of you

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Peace
Isaiah

This took me way back, Brutha!
Thanks for this post and the others as well. I'm reading them and will post my thoughts and comments as they come.

Wassup, Black Man, here's some more very good reading(smile!)

SINGERS RAPPERS AND TOASTERS Is the name of this article by John H. Rickford, the foremost African American scholar on African American Linguistics... Enjoy!

http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:kn85ZOxM01QJ:www.stanford.edu/~rickford/L73/SS.Ch5.SingersToasters.rtf+hustler+toasts&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


Peace!
Isaiah

Ah, now this article gives some credence to what I've been saying about Rap's origins... One cannot accept ahistorical narratives without doing their research... Saying Rap begins in the Bronx is like saying the Arabs built the pyramids... Think about that...

Peace!
Isaiah

That there was good reading Isaiah....enjoyed it Thank you Bruh...





MississippiRed
Don't let the smoove taste fool ya...

http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/creole_art_toast_tradition.html

This particular tradition among African Americans is African-based, as many other diasporan African groups practice toasting, particularly Jamaicans. It is scatological street poetry which transcends the street into the prisons... One might even say that Rap has it's roots in Toasting(smile!) The article is beautiful, though, and I hope you all will have some fun reading it, and perhaps creating your own toasts!(smile!)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Shine and the Titanic

It was a hell of a day in the merry month of May
When the great Titanic was sailing away.
The captain and his daughter was there, too,
And old black Shine, he didn't need no crew.
Shine was downstairs eating his peas
When the . . .water come up to his knees.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs eating my peas When the water come up to my knees."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine went downstairs looking through space.
That's when the water came up to his waist.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs looking through space,
That's when the water came up to my waist."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine went downstairs, he ate a piece of bread.
That's when the water came above his head.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs eating my bread
And the . . .water came above my head."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine took off his shirt, took a dive. He took one stroke
And the water pushed him like it pushed a motorboat.
I'll give you more money than any black man see."
Shine said, "Money is good on land or sea.
Take off your shirt and swim like me."
And Shine Swam on.
Shine met up with the whale.
The whale said, "Shine, Shine, you swim mighty fine,
But if you miss one stroke, your black self is mine."
Shine said, "You may be the king of the ocean, king of the sea,
But you got to be a swimming son-of-a-gun to out-swim me."
And Shine swam on.
Now when the news got to the port, the great Titanic has sunk,
You won't believe this, but old Shine was on the corner **** near drunk.

As popular a toast as "Shine and the Titanic," "The Signifying Monkey" is an animal tale that occurs in many versions. The following is a child's version of this popular toast.

The Monkey and the Lion
Got to talking one day.
Monkey looked down and said, Lion,
I hear you's a king in every way.
But I know somebody
Who do not think that is true--
He told me he could whip
The living daylights out of you

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Peace
Isaiah

I've heard the original versions of these toasts, Brother Isaiah... My daddy used to say them when he was with his friends and didn't know I had big ears!

Way back in the day, my father had vinal albums by Redd Fox, Moms Mabley and several other Black comics that you couldn't hear anywhere else. That's when comedy was real!! My parents would send me and my brother to bed and they would call the neighbors over and they'd listen and laugh....that's when it was safe to leave your front door open, neighbors helped neighbors, and a man's word really meant something.

Thanks for the memories. My father has passed on now but I truly believe that he's smiling down on us because he was a man that loved to laugh!

Queenie :heart:

Thanks Red and Queenie!!! Somehow I know who's gone get the most of this kind of information, and you two are at the top of my list!

Peace!
Isaiah

http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/creole_art_toast_tradition.html

This particular tradition among African Americans is African-based, as many other diasporan African groups practice toasting, particularly Jamaicans. It is scatological street poetry which transcends the street into the prisons... One might even say that Rap has it's roots in Toasting(smile!) The article is beautiful, though, and I hope you all will have some fun reading it, and perhaps creating your own toasts!(smile!)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Shine and the Titanic

It was a hell of a day in the merry month of May
When the great Titanic was sailing away.
The captain and his daughter was there, too,
And old black Shine, he didn't need no crew.
Shine was downstairs eating his peas
When the . . .water come up to his knees.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs eating my peas When the water come up to my knees."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine went downstairs looking through space.
That's when the water came up to his waist.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs looking through space,
That's when the water came up to my waist."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine went downstairs, he ate a piece of bread.
That's when the water came above his head.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs eating my bread
And the . . .water came above my head."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine took off his shirt, took a dive. He took one stroke
And the water pushed him like it pushed a motorboat.
I'll give you more money than any black man see."
Shine said, "Money is good on land or sea.
Take off your shirt and swim like me."
And Shine Swam on.
Shine met up with the whale.
The whale said, "Shine, Shine, you swim mighty fine,
But if you miss one stroke, your black self is mine."
Shine said, "You may be the king of the ocean, king of the sea,
But you got to be a swimming son-of-a-gun to out-swim me."
And Shine swam on.
Now when the news got to the port, the great Titanic has sunk,
You won't believe this, but old Shine was on the corner **** near drunk.

As popular a toast as "Shine and the Titanic," "The Signifying Monkey" is an animal tale that occurs in many versions. The following is a child's version of this popular toast.

The Monkey and the Lion
Got to talking one day.
Monkey looked down and said, Lion,
I hear you's a king in every way.
But I know somebody
Who do not think that is true--
He told me he could whip
The living daylights out of you

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Peace
Isaiah

This was cool !