I'm really not sure what possesses people to make certain things, and rap lyric embroidery hoops are certainly one of those things whose very being begs the question, "why did you make this exist?" but it also makes me want to follow up by gently whispering, "thank you for this gift". So why do these exist? I don't know. All I know is that I stumbled upon this art trend about a year or two ago, and I'm obsessed with it. Something about the juxtaposition of "hard" typically aggressive and/or hypermasculine rap lyrics being combined with the quiet and delicate, traditionally feminine craft of embroidery tickles me. Without further adieu, here are my favorite embroideries featuring popular rap lyrics, please enjoy (and click on the photo's source links to support the artists who make them)!
1. I Like It When You Call Me Big Arthropod
The photo that started it all (for me), this was the first rap lyrics embroidery that I happened to stumble upon on the big bad web. A simple hoop featuring an elegant butterfly design inexplicably paired with the line "I love it when you call me big poppa" from "Big Poppa" by 90's gangster rapper Notorious B.I.G.
2. Y'all Gonna Make Me Lose My Vine
It features a simple flower triad on the vine paired with the chorus of DMX's "Party Up", this one really speaks to me.
Here is a variant of it with blue birds who are also reading a book for some reason. Also, if DMX is your thing, for some reason about 20 variants of this one specific piece exist):
3. Dat Shit Cray
A line from the song "N*ggas in Paris" by Kanye West surrounded by soft floral accents, I feel that this one speaks for itself.
4. More Yeezy lyrics
"Sunglasses and Advil, last night was mad real" this goose says, alluding to some sort of goose hangover, presumably. This goose is quoting Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild"
5. An Ode to Dr. Dre
"Still puffin' my leafs/ Still fuck with the beats/ Still not lovin' police" proclaims this embroidery that looks like it belongs on a wall in your grandma's living room. This is a lyric from "Still D.R.E." by Dr. Dre.
6. Can't Stop the Kanye Embroidery Train
For some reason, the highest concentration of these rap-lyrics-embroideries is in the Kanye West sector of things. If you click on the link at the bottom of this article, you can see that a simple internet search of the phrase, "rap lyric embroidery" will inexcplicably yield you mostly Kanye West lyrics. I'm not sure why it's him, I guess maybe Kanye really as influencial as Kanye thinks he is. This one is actually is not a rap lyric at all, it's just a quote from an infamous phone conversation between Kanye West and Dave Chapelle where just before hanging up Kanye exclaims "because my life is dope and I do dope shit", truly inspirational.
7. Stitching all Your Bitches
This is one that I would buy if I could. It features pastel rainbow lyrics from female rapper Kreyshawn's "Gucci Gucci" and it is truly a praiseworthy and excellent piece of contemporary art.
8. I Ain't a Killer, But Don't Push Me
This is another one that I would buy if I could get someone to sell it to me. It features gold clad lyrics from 2pac's "Hail Mary"
9. Lil Kim
I'm really more of a Nicki Minaj girl myself, but Lil Kim's song "Magic Stick" is an undeniable jam, and the lyrics really shine in this piece.
10. No Diggity No Doubt
Last bust no least, "No diggity, no doubt" from Dr. Dre's "No Diggity" above what looks like a stem of wheat.
I'm not sure why someone decided these things needed to happen, but I'm glad they did; I'm glad that it exploded into an internet trend. If you want to see more, (and there is more, and there is new ones added every day) you should check it out here and here. Thank you Internet and thank you rap-lover-embroiderers.
