Roy Lewis plays the Ballad of Jed Clampett and helps listeners, including fiddle player Hunter Berry, find the hidden splice in the original song.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
“Rappin’ Duke” is a 1984 hip-hop novelty song by Shawn Brown performing as The Rappin’ Duke. The concept of the song is that actor John Wayne (aka “The Duke”) is performing the rap (Wayne had died in 1979). “Rappin’ Duke”‘s lyrics parody the hip-hop ‘bragging’ style popular at the time, wherein the rapper boasts of his/her seniority and superior rhymes and flow in their performance: “So ya think you’re bad with your rap? / Well I’ll tell ya, pilgrim, I started the crap. / When you were in diapers and wetting the sheets, / I was at the Ponderosa, rappin’ to the beat.” The lyrics also reference “The Beverly Hillbillies” TV theme song, “The Ballad Of Jed Clampett”, with the words, “… Santa Barbara, that is / Swimmin pools, and movie stars”, while also alluding to Ronald Reagan’s presidency (The acting careers of Wayne and Reagan overlapped for many years). The song’s constant refrain is “dah-ha, dah-ha”, a parody of Wayne’s distinctive laughter, sung to the music’s slow beat. The song uses the hip-hop vernacular to make numerous pop cultural references, from contemporaneous rap musicians like Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC, to parodying the opening of Chaka Khan’s 1984 hit “I Feel For You”. “Rappin’ Duke” was widely played in 1985, peaking at #73 on the 1985 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart, and also charting on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales for 1985. The song’s success led to Brown opening in 1985 and 1986 for such artists on tour as Bobby Brown and Stevie Wonder …
36 comments
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Myra1959
February 5, 2013 at 3:12 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Awesome. You play just like Earl.
Bascomblodge
February 5, 2013 at 3:15 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Little Roy is also a very gracious man. HIs response to Hunter is typical of the way he reacts to people. Kind of like Will Rogers who said, “I never met a man I didn’t like. And I agree that Little Roy gets way to little credit and recognition for his great pickin.
chris outland
February 5, 2013 at 4:14 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
little roy is a banjo god!!!! the outland family
SpooksHill
February 5, 2013 at 4:32 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Wheres the prick who disliked this video. Somebody needs to beat him over the head with a shoe
garybivens
February 5, 2013 at 5:22 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I was told about the splice in the original Earl Scruggs recording. Very nice.
HillbillyJ
February 5, 2013 at 6:12 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I had the honor of meeting Little Roy when our band shared the stage with the Lewis Family this month. What a great guy. He showed me some stuff on the banjo and even taught some stuff to our bass player, and I didn’t even know Little Roy played the bass! It was great.
jbombsmoker
February 5, 2013 at 6:37 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Awesome! Thanks so much for posting this!
thirdday91
February 5, 2013 at 7:26 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Great video!
willllbud
February 5, 2013 at 7:55 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Little Roy is an icon!!
BanjoPlayer13
February 5, 2013 at 8:50 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Awesome
HaydnMozartBeethoven
February 5, 2013 at 9:35 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
cool video. I also saw your pictures at the banjohangout. great job!
Enoch Dark
February 5, 2013 at 10:08 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
classic. had this on vinyl son!
2badforya
February 5, 2013 at 10:56 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I remember this …Damnnn
Slim SLoe
February 5, 2013 at 11:10 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
This song actually is kinda funky
tatum0017
February 5, 2013 at 11:15 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
ill always remember singing this in the car with my dad <3
pinz2022
February 6, 2013 at 12:08 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Funny, his characters always got along just fine with them in his movies. If he hated black people why did he work with them back in the Bad Old Days?
Docmananoff
February 6, 2013 at 12:22 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Well he didn’t lie to you brotha! LOL
Kleyn Kutt
February 6, 2013 at 1:02 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
No Louisville, KY. I know he is from the Chi. You could tell when he skated. But, him and my aunt came to visit for week when I was in middle school. He taught me how to play “Before Yo Walk Out Of My Life” on the piano. Told me musicians get all the women and I’ve been in music ever since! Lol
Robert Conner
February 6, 2013 at 1:48 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I WAS IN 11TH GRADE I LIKED THE VIDEO
thrasosrealm
February 6, 2013 at 1:58 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Both thumbs up in 2013! 😀
GVocalz3
February 6, 2013 at 2:38 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
So he’s suppose to be the Rappin’ Duke (John Wayne) proclaiming that he wants to rock Aretha Franklin, to my understanding John Wayne didn’t like Black people… IJS
kathleenflute
February 6, 2013 at 3:12 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
OMG. Truly Terrible!!!!!!!!
Henry Shin
February 6, 2013 at 3:34 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Remember rappin’ duke? Du ha du ha
Kokomodan1
February 6, 2013 at 4:33 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
1st song I heard after I joined the Air Force. Inprocessing at Lackland AFB…
Khultan
February 6, 2013 at 5:31 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
LOL I remember this : ) : ) I was a freshman in high school. Aw, man, this was a time when New York just kept showing their talent, I was watching Saturday Night Live, too. : )
tommy .scannell
February 6, 2013 at 6:02 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
It’s not John stupid @hetwade77
hetwade77
February 6, 2013 at 6:28 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I didnt know John could rap….or sing. He has a good voice for this. Did he do any more???? Scooby Doo I love you tooo.
Austin Powell
February 6, 2013 at 7:13 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Where can I get this????
FunkmasterGeneralOne
February 6, 2013 at 8:04 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Believe it or not … I actually have this on vinyl! I bought it back in the day. My version is different than this one though.
Jeffrey M. Ferris
February 6, 2013 at 8:15 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I reckon no one raps like the Duke, pilgrim!
brandilicious
February 6, 2013 at 8:35 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
This brings back so many fun memories!
easdasalvi
February 6, 2013 at 8:39 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Biggie!
djsmitty717
February 6, 2013 at 9:06 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Classic
John Timmons
February 6, 2013 at 9:31 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
aretha frankilin, duh ha, duh ha! Love this shyt
attilia vendetto
February 6, 2013 at 9:48 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
luv this song duh ha ha ha duh ha ha ha ha ha
vashie14
February 6, 2013 at 10:41 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
East coast west coast …texas lol